A Muslim woman of Algerian origin who took part in violent protests in France over the weekend has posted a video blaming "Zionists" for the country's unrest, before footage shows her joining the riots themselves, masked and shouting "Allahu Akbar".
The protests, sparked by economic grievances over the cost of living and inflation, have repeatedly descended into arson, clashes with police and thousands of arrests across French cities. Video from the scenes has captured Arabic chants and language typical of immigrant communities from the Arab world and North Africa.
In a video circulated on social media, the woman, dressed in clothes with Algerian nationalist symbols, delivers a speech mixing antisemitic accusations with incitement against the French government.
"The Zionists are the ones running France, and when Zionists run France, well, this is the France of today," she says. She goes on to claim the public ignores what is happening, and that "everything that happens here in France, you put it on the back of the Muslim religion and Algerians in particular".
In an open call for mass mobilisation, the speaker urges those with foreign origins and dual citizenship to vote: "I call on all French people of foreign citizenship origin, French-Algerians for example, we are the majority, we are six million, go and vote, go and vote for Mélenchon."
She says she wants "balance" from Jean-Luc Mélenchon's far-left France Unbowed party (LFI), adding that "until now we only have the extreme left, the most extreme... the LFI party that has solutions".
Later in the video, she shouts "Allahu Akbar, you hear that? Know what Allahu Akbar means," while turning to those around her and issuing explicit threats against anyone who does not align with her position.
At the height of her speech, she delivers a violent warning: "If I find someone who is not Algerian, I told him I will open your legs, your knees, I will break them for you!"
The speaker, who opened with political preaching and threats, is then seen taking active physical part in the violent riots themselves. Wearing a mask and protective goggles, she joins the mass disturbances in the streets, continuing to shout nationalist and violent slogans.
