French officials report over 5,000 arrests in connection with widespread riots that have targeted schools across the country. Education Minister Édouard Geffray stated at least 24 schools were ransacked or set on fire during the unrest.
The Ministry of Justice confirmed that 87% of arrested individuals are minors, and only about a third face prosecution. The violence has injured 43 law enforcement officers, including a 15-year-old who suffered severe hand injuries from a police stun grenade.
President Trump recently characterized the riots as stemming from “out of control mass migration” and Islam, writing on Truth Social: “What’s happening in France is nothing less than out of control mass migration. This isn’t about schools, this is about Islam wanting to take over a once great Country!”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot countered that if France does not write its own story, others will do so in self-serving ways and accused adversaries of misinterpreting the unrest.
Organizers claim up to 450,000 people are participating in protests against the education system, with at least 900 high schools scheduled for blockades or closures on Tuesday.
The incidents have been linked by some officials to recent European Union immigration policies enacted in June, which increased deportations and established foreign detention centers. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz stated that unchecked immigration contributes to societal frustration.
Former Trump administration official Theo Wold added: “The French are notorious for strikes and labor stoppages. What’s new is the violence, lawlessness, and rioting. This is a consequence of mass immigration.”
