US President Donald Trump has urged France to close its borders amid mass protests in the country.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said immigration has “destroyed this once great country”.
“France is burning! The immigration of people from a completely different world — people with hatred in their hearts — has destroyed this once great country. Close the borders and take control of the situation before it is too late,” Trump wrote.
- On Saturday, protests against the rising cost of living took place in Paris and other major cities across the country. In many cases, the demonstrations escalated into mass riots. Participants vandalised shops, set cars and buildings on fire, and historic city centres suffered significant damage.
- France’s Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu reported 1,200 arrests and 150 injured law enforcement officers. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin called for an “extremely tough” response to the riots.
- In Belgium, protests in Brussels and Liège escalated into clashes with police. In the capital, demonstrators set rubbish alight, damaged property, and smashed the windows of the Brussels branch headquarters of the Socialist Party. Law enforcement used tear gas and detained around ten people. In Liège, a water cannon was used to disperse protesters.