Given its corpulent government and inexplicably entitled populace, I’ve long been in awe of the fact that France functions at all. In the past four weeks, the verdict is belatedly in: it doesn’t.
Early estimates of the riots: 1,500 shops damaged, destroyed and/or looted; 1,000 police officers injured; at least 1,800 arrests; innumerable cars burned; multiple architecturally irreplaceable public buildings set alight or vandalised.
Two versions of the ‘unrest’ have emerged. For the left-wing press, ‘mostly peaceful’ minors protesting poor educational provision were joined by ‘mostly peaceful’ adults protesting the cost of living – who were then infiltrated by masked outside ‘agitators’ of totally unknown identity who looted and set stuff on fire.
Epic moment. France: 5 patriots vs 100 Antifa and immigrants who burn and destroy everything. They did not back down an inch —they fought like lions. Then the police intervene to defend them. This is France waking up. They are heroes. https://t.co/sk1goEHq6d
— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) October 25, 2026
