Four days after fires in the Place de la République, President Emmanuel Macron, thousands of kilometers away in Qatar, attempted to wrestle back the narrative from the chaos.
He pledged on Wednesday that he would do everything in his power to stop history from repeating itself this coming week. "Those who will seek to create disturbances next Saturday in city centers will not succeed," he said during a press conference.
He planned to hold a meeting on Thursday with the heads of intelligence agencies and other government ministers.
Macron accused certain world leaders of using the riots as part of their electioneering campaigns "at France's expense." He described their comments as "outrageous and even ridiculous."
When asked whether he meant Donald Trump, Macron said, "Along with others." According to Trump, the unrest was being caused by migrants, while US Vice President JD Vance shared the same opinion.
Macron's remarks also seemed to address statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who claimed that France was caught in an "invasion of extremist Islam."
However, Macron walked a fine line when saying that there was "no visible foreign intervention in the event itself." The issue lay in what Macron referred to as the foreign distortion of information.
"The images created by AI do not reflect any situation that ever occurred in France," he said. He rejected the allegation that France has been overrun by waves of migrants and Islamists as "totally false," the AFP reported.
"The message is clear: in such times we know those who love France and those who don't love her," he said.
These statements are just the latest indication of the rapidity with which the crisis has become an international political struggle. Macron maintains that the story has been misrepresented. His detractors say that the government has lost control.
The riots started off peacefully in demonstrations held all over France on October 17, with some 550,000 people participating. They were protesting about the increased cost of living and bad conditions at schools. The protests came in the wake of those by students that started in Paris about a month before, on September 17.
However, by evening, things had taken a dramatic turn. A historic bell tower at Limoges collapsed after being set ablaze, while a tourism center in Lyon and the town hall in Marseille were sacked.
In an interview with Euronews, a Parisian shop owner whose shop was looted expressed the frustration that ten years of effort had gone down the drain.
According to Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, about 1,000 police officers and gendarmes were injured, with at least 2,400 people arrested. He said it was a miracle nobody was killed.
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has since stated that 2,500 people have been arrested, 917 suspects referred for prosecution, and 174 jailed.
The order of "limited" and "localized" curfews was delivered by Lecornu to regional prefects so that more looting could be prevented. Lecornu cited "ultra-left" groups and criminals as those responsible for the riot.
France Unbowed, the hard-left political party, has denied fueling the riots. They have criticized the idea of deployment of troops in the streets of Paris, where the people are not considered "enemies within."
There has been no shortage of criticism towards President Macron. LBC France correspondent noted "a lot of anger" from Macron attending a pop concert when the riots started last Friday night.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right movement, was quoted by Franceinfo radio as saying, "The government has lost control of everything." The presidential election is scheduled for April 2027.
The repercussions have now affected the bond markets. The yields of the French 10-year government bond have risen to 5%, the highest levels since July 2002.
It was pointed out that this move was indicative of the fear that the situation might interfere in the plans of the government to restore its troubled fiscal health. Macron is now in Qatar trying to secure energy deals for France.
But Saturday isn't the only day of the week. Students' organizations and the Yellow Vest movement are organizing protests, and trade unions announce that they will go ahead with a national strike on November 5. No deal was reached after discussions between trade unions and Lecornu.
Macron emphasizes that it is important to conduct dialogue with trade unions and political circles in order to make them responsible for this situation. But for now, the response of the French government is to enhance the security measures.
