France probes potential Russian links to street protests
Photo: Protests in France (Getty Images)
Europe is investigating whether anyone abroad fueled unrest in France, with suspected Russian campaigns receiving the most scrutiny, reports the Financial Times.
European regulators are examining whether foreign states attempted to influence events in France. They are also investigating outbreaks of violence and looting in other European countries.
According to people familiar with the matter, pro-Russian and far-right accounts circulated videos of violence to intensify chaos. Analysts also identified signs of possible information influence from Iran and Algeria.
There is currently no concrete evidence that foreign states organized the unrest or significantly influenced its course.
David Colon, a disinformation researcher at the Paris Institute of Political Studies Sciences Po, said that opinion leaders linked to the Kremlin had spread false reports, including individuals associated with the Storm-1516 campaign. He also mentioned the Russian influence network Matryoshka.
However, according to the researcher, pro-Russian activists did not initiate the demonstrations or determine how events unfolded.
Media outlets identified accounts that posted videos falsely presented as footage from France. A recording showing protesters using fireworks garnered nearly six million views on X. In fact, it was filmed in 2024 during protests in Tbilisi.
What Europe is doing
European governments have instructed intelligence agencies to investigate whether Russian agents may have played a more active role in fueling the violence. The investigation in France is currently at an early stage.
The European Commission discussed cooperation with French authorities involving the platforms X, Instagram, and TikTok. Regulators are also urging online platforms to remove listings for goods that may have been stolen during looting.
Brussels has warned that if the risks become systemic and platforms refuse to cooperate, the European Commission may intervene.
Representatives of European intelligence agencies emphasize that the unrest may primarily stem from domestic causes. These include dissatisfaction with state institutions and political radicalization.
It would be an oversimplification to claim that the Russians are to blame for everything, one European intelligence official said.
The unrest in France and other countries is taking place against the backdrop of intensifying Russian hybrid attacks against the West.
In September, protests involving schoolchildren demanding better learning conditions began in France. On October 17-18, unrest broke out in the country, damaging at least 2,000 shops and other commercial establishments.
There was also unrest in Milan, Italy. The government decided to deploy 500 military personnel there.
On October 19, French authorities introduced a partial curfew in Paris, Marseille, Nice, and several other cities because of riots amid the protests. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu stressed that a partial and localized curfew was currently the more appropriate measure.
