Trump links France unrest to immigration as protests leave damage and arrests

US President Donald Trump blamed immigration for unrest in France after nationwide protests over the cost of living and public services were followed by looting, arson and attacks on public buildings.

“France is burning! The immigration of people from an entirely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has shattered that once-great country. Close your Borders and take control before it is too late!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday.

The protests began with students demanding more teachers and better school conditions before expanding to include unions and people concerned about inflation and public services. France’s interior ministry estimated that 550,000 people took part, while the CGT union put the figure at 800,000.

The reported demands centred on prices and public services, not immigration.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said around “1,800 people have been arrested, and now investigations are under way to identify the perpetrators of these acts so they can be brought to justice”, in a post on X on Sunday.

In Paris, police reported a “record” 855 arrests. Streets were littered with burnt barricades, while shops were looted and cars set on fire. Around 500 police officers, firefighters and paramedics were injured. A historic town hall was also torched.

Trump had earlier mocked the unrest, saying: “Let’s go to France? It’s a lovely place. No riots, no revolutions. You know, France seems to be so damn good for revolutions. It’s unbelievable. Let’s go to France and join the revolution,” he joked.

US Vice President JD Vance also linked the unrest to immigration, writing on X: “Western liberals imported the third world into France and other countries in the name of diversity and compassion. They ignored fundamental questions of assimilation and compatibility,”

French President Emmanuel Macron said those responsible would face prosecution and punishment.

The unrest comes about six months before France’s presidential election, as the country faces economic pressure from debt and rising fuel prices linked to the war in West Asia.