The majority of French people agree with Donald Trump's comments about migration being to blame for the violent far-left riots ravaging France.
asserted
comments → agree → France
The turmoil in Paris and other French cities has seen protesters looting shops, defacing monuments and clashing with police in the country's most violent unrest in years.
asserted
protesters → see → years
The US President blamed the chaos on migration, writing on his Truth Social platform earlier this week: 'France is burning!
asserted
France → blame → platform
The immigration of people from an entirely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has shattered that once great country.
asserted
immigration → shatter → country
Close your Borders and take control, before it is too late!'
asserted
it → close → control
French President Emmanuel Macron responded to what he called 'stupid comments' from foreign leaders over the protests, saying on Wednesday: 'People have claimed that we were invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists, which is completely false.
asserted
which → respond → migrants
'The fact is that all those speaking ill of our country right now are people who don't love our country.
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who → speak → country
And those people irritate me,' he added.
asserted
he → irritate → me
But despite Macron's condemnation of Trump's remarks, a new poll suggests that the majority of French people agree with the US president that the demonstrations and immigration are linked.
uncertain
demonstrations → suggest → president
According to the new poll carried out by France's CSA Institute, 55 per cent of French people believe there is a link between migration and the violence that has torn through the country.
uncertain
that → accord → country
The poll found that 35 per cent of participants did not share this view, while the remaining 10 per cent did not express an opinion on the matter.
asserted
cent → find → matter
US President Donald Trump blamed the violent unrest sweeping France on migration
asserted
Trump → blame → migration
A new poll suggests that 55 per cent of French people see a direct link between the protests and migration.
uncertain
cent → suggest → protests
File image: A protester throws a bicycle onto a burning car amid clashes during a day of demonstrations in Paris on October 17
asserted
protester → throw → October
Trump made his remarks in a Truth Social post
Discussing the protests on Wednesday, Macron added: 'When I see leaders who are in the middle of election campaigns, whether in the region or on the other side of the Atlantic – who sometimes naively repeat AI-generated content or spread narratives that certain circles are clearly trying to promote about what happened in France – they're using our country for their own political campaigns,' said Mr Macron.
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Macron → make → campaigns
'And we don't need that.'
Asked by a reporter if he was referring to Trump, Macron replied: 'Among others.'
asserted
Macron → need → others
As protests continue in France, authorities across multiple cities banned demonstrations planned for Thursday.
asserted
authorities → continue → Thursday
The turmoil has prompted a strong security response from the government.
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turmoil → prompt → government
Night curfews have been implemented in some areas of the French capital, as well as in other cities where calm has been restored.
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calm → implement → cities
Demonstrations planned on Thursday in Paris, Lyon, Lille and Grenoble were banned, a move seen by some as an infringement on the French people's right to protest.
But high school and university student groups say they will continue to mobilise, even though the autumn school break started this week.
asserted
break → plan → right
The Paris police prefecture said the ban was necessary given the risk of street violence that erupted over the weekend, when groups of masked youth clashed with police forces, looted shops and torched cars.
asserted
groups → say → cars
French President Emmanuel Macron hit back at Trump's comments on migration
A man throws a plastic traffic cone through a burning barricade amid clashes during a day of demonstrations against the cost of living and rising fuel prices in Paris, on October 17
Violent clashes continue to shake France amid a nationwide mobilisation over rising living costs
Fire burning and destroying the city hall after a group of individuals forced entry into the building during ongoing protest action against the "high cost of living", in Limoges, central France on October 17, 2026
A fire burns as police officers in riot gear stand guard during civil unrest, the day after a national day of demonstrations against the cost of living and rising fuel prices, in Paris, on October 18
Protesters in front of burning barricades in the Strasbourg Saint Denis area of Paris, October 17
Masked protesters stand next to burning bicycles, October 17
The ban in Paris will last until 8pm local time and apply to areas including the Elysée presidential palace, both houses of parliament, and the city's main train stations.
asserted
ban → hit → parliament
Areas in downtown Paris which were severely hit by the looting are also covered.
asserted
which → hit → looting
Thursday's planned protests were seen as a prelude to Saturday's big demonstration, when activists from the 'yellow vest' movement, whose demonstrations over fuel prices shook France in 2018 and 2019, are expected to join.
asserted
demonstrations → plan → 2018
Some of those protests, including marches in Lyon, will also be banned, local authorities said.
asserted
authorities → include → Lyon
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, who met union representatives on Wednesday, said a 'massive' security operation was planned for Saturday to prevent a repeat of the violence by small groups of rioters that had exposed shortcomings in security measures.
asserted
that → meet → measures
Meanwhile, Macron held a meeting Thursday morning with intelligence services, Lecornu and ministers to obtain a detailed account of what went wrong over the weekend and review preparations for upcoming protests.
asserted
what → hold → protests
The demonstrations first erupted last month in a high school in Creteil, southeast of Paris, over a lack of staff.
asserted
demonstrations → erupt → staff
From there, class strikes, blockades and demonstrations spread to other Paris suburbs and then nationwide, even in smaller towns.
asserted
strikes → spread → towns
High school students have raised concerns about underfunded schools, dilapidated facilities and staff shortages, particularly in lower-income neighbourhoods.
asserted
students → raise → neighbourhoods
Some also called for a reform of the university admissions system, seen by many as complex and unfair.
asserted
Some → call → many
With the government unable to respond to students’ demands, the school demonstrations and blockades have morphed into larger protests over soaring living costs, just months before next year’s presidential election to choose Macron’s successor.
asserted
demonstrations → respond → successor
The Aporia
