by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
PARIS (Worthy News) – President Donald Trump weighed in on France’s rapidly escalating unrest Tuesday, arguing that the violence sweeping the country reflects a much deeper crisis than deteriorating schools and education funding — pointing instead to mass immigration and the growing influence of Islam in Europe.
“What’s happening in France is nothing less than out of control mass migration,” Trump wrote Tuesday on Truth Social. “This isn’t about schools, this is about Islam wanting to take over a once great Country!”
Trump’s comments came as France endured one of its largest days of unrest since student demonstrations erupted in September, with more than 250,000 people taking to the streets nationwide and clashes breaking out between protesters and riot police.
France’s Interior Ministry estimated that roughly 266,000 people demonstrated Tuesday, including about 56,000 in Paris. Nearly 500 people were detained during the day as police deployed tear gas to disperse violent groups.
The unrest has become increasingly serious. More than 6,000 people — overwhelmingly minors — have reportedly been arrested since demonstrations began, while hundreds of students, school employees and police officers have been injured.
Protests Began Over Schools — But Violence Has Expanded
The original demonstrations grew out of complaints from French students over overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, deteriorating buildings, exhausting school schedules and what protesters say are years of inadequate investment in education.
Those grievances are well documented.
France’s proposed 2027 education budget is set to increase by approximately 1.7%, below inflation, to €65.53 billion excluding teacher pensions. Meanwhile, the country’s mounting debt burden is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: debt-servicing costs are projected to reach approximately €74.5 billion next year, surpassing education as a budget expense.
But the demonstrations have increasingly moved beyond peaceful protests over classroom conditions.
Fires have been set, fireworks and other projectiles have been fired toward police, barricades have been erected, and schools have suffered damage. Hundreds of schools have been closed or disrupted.
French officials themselves have acknowledged that the character of the protests has changed.
Following a government crisis meeting, a source close to Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the demonstrations had evolved from a protest movement into “urban violence.” Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has said the movement was being hijacked by “outsiders,” while French intelligence officials reportedly told government leaders that elements of the hard-left France Unbowed party had helped initiate the movement — an accusation the party rejects.
Trump Points to Europe’s Broader Immigration Crisis
Trump’s argument is that the images coming from France cannot be understood solely through education budgets.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz similarly argued that Europe’s immigration, border and economic policies have helped create the conditions for broader social instability.
“I think we would always condemn lawlessness, condemn the violence that we’re seeing in Paris,” Waltz told Fox News Digital.
But he added that when countries combine “open borders” and “unchecked immigration” with years of government overspending and restrictive energy policies, “you see a level of frustration boiling to the surface.”
Former Trump administration official Theo Wold made a similar distinction, noting that demonstrations and strikes are hardly unusual in France.
“The French are notorious for strikes, labor stoppages and street demonstrations,” Wold told Fox News. “It’s a core part of the Fifth Republic’s civic culture.”
“What’s new is the violence, lawlessness and rioting,” he added. “This is a consequence of mass immigration.”
Neither Reuters nor the Associated Press found immigration or Islam among the stated demands driving the student movement. Students interviewed by the news organizations have overwhelmingly focused on education funding, overcrowding, teacher shortages and deteriorating schools.
Still, the widening violence comes amid a larger debate throughout Europe over immigration, assimilation, government spending and national identity — issues that are expected to play an increasingly prominent role as France approaches its 2027 presidential election.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
