Report highlights foreign influence in French unrest

A report by Alliance4Europe, a European NGO focused on countering online disinformation, claims that foreign actors have played a role in spreading misleading narratives about the demonstrations and violence that occurred in France on October 17 and 18. The report analyzed nearly 550,000 publications from social media and news sites, identifying a pattern of foreign influence in how the unrest was framed.

Differences in blame attribution across languages

The report found that only 3% of French publications linked the unrest to migrants or Islam, but this number increased to nearly 19% in English and 13% in Polish. Similar trends were seen in comments under popular TikTok and YouTube videos, where English comments attributing the unrest to Islam or migrants ranged from 2.6% to 4.3%, compared to 0.3% to 0.7% in French.

Foreign content amplifies specific narratives

Content blaming migrants and Islam for the unrest was prominent in English, Polish, and German-language digital spaces. This content was promoted by far-right influencers and conservative American media, including Fox News, as well as local media such as the Polish YouTube channel Kanał Zero. Russian efforts began before the October 17 demonstrations, with the Doppelganger bot network publishing over 639 messages in multiple languages.

Messages link unrest to Ukraine aid and Macron

The content included claims that aid to Ukraine was "stolen" from French funds, linked rising living costs to Paris' aid policy, and referenced the 2018 "yellow vests" protests. Articles targeted French President Emmanuel Macron and his potential successors, including Gabriel Attal and Édouard Philippe, while also referencing Raphaël Glucksmann, a pro-Ukrainian presidential candidate. The content also highlighted Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s wage proposals and called for a "real patriot" at the Élysée.

Russian and Iranian media focus on France

Alongside Russian actors like Doppelganger, Pravda, Rybar, and RT, Iranian state media Press TV and IRNA dedicated over a third of their French publications to the unrest between October 11 and 18. In France, political figures from the National Rally, such as Sarah Knafo and Jordan Bardella, gained significant attention on TikTok with videos related to the protests.

Foreign officials echo Russian narratives

Several American officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance and Donald Trump, supported Russian claims that the violence in France was caused by immigration. Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev repeated similar statements, calling it a "suicide of Western civilization" due to "migratory chaos." Politico editor Marion Solletty noted that Russia aims to undermine democracy to weaken political and geopolitical rivals. France is not the only country where foreign interference is suspected in shaping protest narratives, with Italy's Defense Minister Guido Crosetto also warning of a "hybrid war" on social media.