Macron specifically criticized the spread of AI-generated content that falsely depicted scenes in France. He said, “We’ve had people claiming that we were invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists, which is completely false.” According to BBC Verify, more than 15 examples of fake news videos attributed to a Russian disinformation operation known as Matryoshka have been reviewed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces elections next week, claimed France had been hit by an “invasion of extremist Islam,” while U.S. President Donald Trump blamed the riots on mass immigration. Macron did not name them directly but said leaders “on the other side of the Atlantic” were using France for their own political purposes.

The French government admitted it “lost control” during the riots, which erupted on the fringe of cost-of-living protests. The unrest saw masked rioters clashing with police, stores looted, and property destroyed. Nearly 150 people have been jailed and over 800 brought before the courts since the violence began.

According to the Financial Times, EU regulators are examining possible foreign online interference and disinformation campaigns around the French riots and similar unrest in other EU states. Unnamed security officials said pro-Russian and far-right social media accounts linked to previous disinformation campaigns had spread violent videos to exacerbate the chaos.

Macron pledged to be “uncompromising” in dealing with “agitators from ultra-left fringe groups” and vowed to prevent a repeat of the violence. He said, “Those who want to cause disorder in city centres next Saturday will be prevented from doing so.” The government has announced a “massive” and reinforced security operation, including the possible deployment of troops.

The gilets jaunes (yellow vest) movement has announced plans for a major march in Paris, while student groups have also called for protests. France’s main trade unions have called for a nationwide mobilisation on 5 November.

During his trip to the Gulf, Macron secured additional diesel supplies from the UAE and Bahrain, aiming to address France’s energy crisis. His office said the agreements could provide nearly 295,000 additional tons of diesel per month, equivalent to over 10% of France’s monthly consumption.