Trump Blames French Unrest on Immigration, Urges Border Closure

U.S. President Donald Trump blamed immigration for violent unrest in France and urged President Emmanuel Macron to close the country’s borders, rejecting education and economic grievances as causes. His remarks came as French authorities announced localized curfews after weekend demonstrations that drew hundreds of thousands of people and included clashes, looting and fires. Speaking to reporters on Monday, October 19, Trump said the unrest had to do with immigration, “not schools,” and recalled telling Macron years earlier that France should restrict arrivals. He also predicted that Paris would become a Muslim city very soon. His comments did not establish a connection between immigration and specific acts of violence or demonstrate that demographic prediction. The protests began with student demonstrations over school conditions and expanded to include concerns about living costs, public services and spending. France’s Interior Ministry estimated that about 550,000 people demonstrated on October 17; the CGT union and protest organizers put turnout at about 800,000. Demonstrations took place in more than 140 cities, according to the union. Many people marched peacefully,...