Most French people AGREE with Trump that migration is to blame for far-left riots, poll finds after Macron slammed his 'stupid comments'

The majority of French people agree with Donald Trump's comments about migration being to blame for the violent far-left riots ravaging France.The turmoil in Paris and other French cities has seen protesters looting shops, defacing monuments and clashing with police in the country's most violent unrest in years. The US President blamed the chaos on migration, writing on his Truth Social platform earlier this week: 'France is burning! The immigration of people from an entirely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has shattered that once great country. Close your Borders and take control, before it is too late!'French President Emmanuel Macron responded to what he called 'stupid comments' from foreign leaders over the protests, saying on Wednesday: 'People have claimed that we were invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists, which is completely false.'The fact is that all those speaking ill of our country right now are people who don't love our country. And those people irritate me,' he added.But despite Macron's condemnation of Trump's remarks, a new poll suggests that the majority of French people agree with the US president that the demonstrations and immigration are linked. According to the new poll carried out by France's CSA Institute, 55 per cent of French people believe there is a link between migration and the violence that has torn through the country. The poll found that 35 per cent of participants did not share this view, while the remaining 10 per cent did not express an opinion on the matter. US President Donald Trump blamed the violent unrest sweeping France on migrationA new poll suggests that 55 per cent of French people see a direct link between the protests and migration. File image: A protester throws a bicycle onto a burning car amid clashes during a day of demonstrations in Paris on October 17 Trump made his remarks in a Truth Social post Discussing the protests on Wednesday, Macron added: 'When I see leaders who are in the middle of election campaigns, whether in the region or on the other side of the Atlantic – who sometimes naively repeat AI-generated content or spread narratives that certain circles are clearly trying to promote about what happened in France – they're using our country for their own political campaigns,' said Mr Macron. 'And we don't need that.'Asked by a reporter if he was referring to Trump, Macron replied: 'Among others.'As protests continue in France, authorities across multiple cities banned demonstrations planned for Thursday. The turmoil has prompted a strong security response from the government. Night curfews have been implemented in some areas of the French capital, as well as in other cities where calm has been restored. Demonstrations planned on Thursday in Paris, Lyon, Lille and Grenoble were banned, a move seen by some as an infringement on the French people's right to protest. But high school and university student groups say they will continue to mobilise, even though the autumn school break started this week. The Paris police prefecture said the ban was necessary given the risk of street violence that erupted over the weekend, when groups of masked youth clashed with police forces, looted shops and torched cars. French President Emmanuel Macron hit back at Trump's comments on migration A man throws a plastic traffic cone through a burning barricade amid clashes during a day of demonstrations against the cost of living and rising fuel prices in Paris, on October 17 Violent clashes continue to shake France amid a nationwide mobilisation over rising living costs Fire burning and destroying the city hall after a group of individuals forced entry into the building during ongoing protest action against the "high cost of living", in Limoges, central France on October 17, 2026 A fire burns as police officers in riot gear stand guard during civil unrest, the day after a national day of demonstrations against the cost of living and rising fuel prices, in Paris, on October 18 Protesters in front of burning barricades in the Strasbourg Saint Denis area of Paris, October 17 Masked protesters stand next to burning bicycles, October 17The ban in Paris will last until 8pm local time and apply to areas including the Elysée presidential palace, both houses of parliament, and the city's main train stations.Areas in downtown Paris which were severely hit by the looting are also covered.Thursday's planned protests were seen as a prelude to Saturday's big demonstration, when activists from the 'yellow vest' movement, whose demonstrations over fuel prices shook France in 2018 and 2019, are expected to join.Some of those protests, including marches in Lyon, will also be banned, local authorities said.Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, who met union representatives on Wednesday, said a 'massive' security operation was planned for Saturday to prevent a repeat of the violence by small groups of rioters that had exposed shortcomings in security measures.Meanwhile, Macron held a meeting Thursday morning with intelligence services, Lecornu and ministers to obtain a detailed account of what went wrong over the weekend and review preparations for upcoming protests. The demonstrations first erupted last month in a high school in Creteil, southeast of Paris, over a lack of staff. From there, class strikes, blockades and demonstrations spread to other Paris suburbs and then nationwide, even in smaller towns.High school students have raised concerns about underfunded schools, dilapidated facilities and staff shortages, particularly in lower-income neighbourhoods. Some also called for a reform of the university admissions system, seen by many as complex and unfair.With the government unable to respond to students’ demands, the school demonstrations and blockades have morphed into larger protests over soaring living costs, just months before next year’s presidential election to choose Macron’s successor.