Former President Trump Claims Immigrants Have Made France Ungovernable Amid Riots

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that "immigrants with hatred in their hearts" have rendered France ungovernable, amid ongoing riots and looting across the country and in other parts of Europe.

These comments emerge as French authorities reported nearly 2,400 arrests over the weekend in response to widespread disorder. The unrest, which began with largely peaceful protests concerning the cost-of-living crisis, education standards, and President Emmanuel Macron's government, has escalated into significant violence.

President Macron has called for unity and vowed that authorities would bring those involved in the violence to justice. The French Interior Minister acknowledged that police had lost control in some cities. The turmoil has also reportedly spread to Milan, Italy, where instances of rioting and looting have occurred.

Images and videos circulating online depict scenes of chaos, including individuals being set alight and others injured by falling debris while attempting to break into shops. One widely shared clip shows a rioter's tracksuit catching fire, prompting desperate attempts by the individual and accomplices to extinguish the flames. Another video appears to show a protester seriously wounded after a large glass window collapsed on them while attempting to loot a store. Separately, footage captured from above shows a masked rioter who reportedly lost a hand after picking up a police stun grenade that detonated.

In Italy, reports describe a shop owner arming himself with a baton to confront masked individuals engaged in looting. One incident involved the owner detaining a protester attempting to flee with stolen goods, with assistance from a bystander.

President Macron has pledged to draw "all the necessary lessons" from what he described as "intelligence failures" that contributed to the weekend's events. Despite his pleas for calm, disorder has persisted in various locations.