President Trump called on France Monday to close its borders to the rest of Europe after a weekend of unrest that resulted in at least 2,400 arrests and left major cities grappling with widespread disorder.
“The migrants have taken over France,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “They must CLOSE THE BORDERS, FAST!”
The demonstrations, initially linked to frustration over education and the rising cost of living, were marked by clashes involving far-left activists and second-generation immigrant youths. Luxury retailers and other businesses were looted in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Lille and elsewhere.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said Monday that he had directed city prefects to introduce “very limited” and “localized” curfews. He also defended police against criticism that officers had lost control of the streets.
“On Saturday, despite scenes of severe violence and extensive property damage, no one was killed, and that is a miracle,” Lecornu said. He added that further details about the curfews would be announced later Monday.
CHECK THIS OUT: National Guard Member Shot While Breaking Up Fight in DC
In Marseille, a port city with a large North African immigrant population, the prefect prohibited protests and other gatherings from noon until 8 p.m. local time Monday.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez offered his resignation Sunday, but President Emmanuel Macron asked him to remain in office “given the need for continued command of law enforcement in the current context.” A statement from the Elysee Palace also directed Nuñez to “ensure full transparency about the failures in planning and intelligence-gathering that led to the violence.”
“I submitted my resignation because I am responsible for everything that is happening,” Nuñez told France Inter radio. “The real issue is ensuring that this doesn’t happen again … We obviously need to be better at anticipating the kind of mobilization that is unfolding.”
Unlike Lecornu, Nuñez acknowledged that authorities had “obviously” lost control “in some of these major cities.” He said officials could not face shopkeepers whose businesses had been looted and claim that was not the case.
France and 28 other European countries belong to the Schengen Area, where people can move freely among participating nations and identity checks are not routinely conducted on arrivals from those countries.
With Post wires