French President Emmanuel Macron used a national address on the riots that swept his country to trace the unrest to an international conflict in the Middle East, one he said France did not initiate. He also issued a warning: "Those who tried to bring down the Republic will pay the price." The weekend's violence reached France's Jewish community. On Sunday, a synagogue in Paris was broken into and vandalized.
Open Source Intel carried Macron's remarks.
The president drew a line between two groups in the streets. He described those who marched peacefully against the high cost of living as legitimate protesters.
In Marseille, journalist Paul Amar said on CNews that rioters burned and vandalized Jewish-owned businesses while leaving Muslim-owned shops on the same street untouched. He said the attacks appeared to have been planned in advance.
