Emmanuel Petit Calls for Unpatriotic Migrants to Leave France Amidst Riots

French football legend Emmanuel Petit has stated that migrants who do not love France should "go back to where [they] came from." His remarks came in response to days of unrest and violence that swept across the nation.

The protests, initially focused on educational issues, escalated with some participants engaging in destructive behavior, including smashing windows and setting fire to vehicles. Petit shared a nearly four-minute video on Instagram addressing the situation.

He distinguished between law-abiding citizens and rioters, stating, "You shouldn't mix up the people who protested yesterday, and I understand them strongly because I too am more than fed up of being pressed like a lemon on a fiscal plan." Petit, a 1998 World Cup winner, emphasized his love for France and welcomed foreigners who wished to integrate into the country.

"But all the others, starting with the French who do not wish precisely that France continues to be what it is, go back from where you came, we don't need you," Petit stated. He also extended his message to French citizens participating in the violence, saying, "And all those who were born with a French passport, break yourselves [get lost], we don't want you anymore."

Pettit also criticized the French government, including President Emmanuel Macron, for what he perceived as a failure to manage the country's resources and security. "Today, there's no money for the police, there's no money for the army, there's no money for the hospitals, there's no money for the schools. Bizarrely, the only thing that works in France, is taxes," he said.

In an effort to quell the violence, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced fresh curfews in several cities, noting that measures introduced the previous day had contributed to a calmer night. These decisions were made by prefects in coordination with mayors.

Several cities, including Paris, Bordeaux, and Nice, implemented partial curfews in response to the urban unrest, which followed weeks of student demonstrations concerning poor learning conditions in high schools. The curfew in Paris initially applied from Monday night to Tuesday morning, while restrictions in Bordeaux and Nice were set to continue for several days.

Police reported that the night passed without major incidents across France. In Lyon, despite a ban on demonstrations, approximately 500 people gathered to show support for shopkeepers affected by looting. A banner reading "Anti-Rioters Lyon" and "Doucet Resign" was displayed, referencing the city's Green mayor, Gregory Doucet.

The government scheduled emergency meetings to discuss the situation, including talks with representatives from major social media platforms. Finance Minister Roland Lescure pledged support measures for affected businesses, while Patrick Martin, head of the Medef business lobby group, criticized the state's handling of the unrest, which he estimated impacted at least 3,000 businesses.