Paris becoming Muslim city soon: Trump slams Macron over riots
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has blamed French President Emmanuel Macron's immigration policies for the ongoing riots in France, telling reporters at the White House that "Paris is going to be a Muslim city very soon." "That wasn't the deal," he said. He claimed that if Macron had listened to his advice on immigration years ago, these issues could have been avoided.
Trump
'I told him long time ago...'
"He's a friend of mine. I told him a long time ago, you're making a big mistake in France. You're letting everybody from the world come in," Trump said of Macron.
"The whole world was coming in. And as you know, Paris is going to be a Muslim city very soon, and that wasn't the deal. That wasn't the deal."
Unrest details
Impact of riots on France
The riots in France have left nearly 1,000 officers injured and resulted in the arrest of around 2,400 people.
In response to the unrest, localized curfews have been imposed in Paris and other cities like Lille and Nice.
The disorder began last month with students protesting deplorable school conditions, but have since escalated to take in a broader range of concerns.
Presidential response
Macron's response to riots
On Sunday, rioters set fires to trash bins, bicycles and looted businesses in Paris, Lyon, Marseille and other cities, a day after major violence erupted on Saturday against rising living costs and poor conditions in schools.
President Macron condemned the violence in a televised address, expressing anger and shame.
He said, "Nothing justifies it, nothing explains it, nothing excuses it," while questioning how French citizens could act against their own country.
Security measures
Police impose ban on protests
In Paris, police have banned protests in certain areas from 8:00pm on Monday.
A curfew has also been imposed around Place de la République and Les Halles from 11:00pm to 6:00am.
Additional police forces have been deployed to enforce these restrictions.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said localized measures are more appropriate at this stage but left open the possibility of declaring a state of emergency if necessary.