France unrest: an opinion piece alleges an organised network behind the protests
Protests in France that began in September have escalated into riots. An opinion piece on OgreNet claims an organised international network planned and funded them. These claims are not independently confirmed.
Protests in France that began on 18 September, first as demonstrations by pupils and teachers, have grown into serious disorder. The events are described in an opinion piece by Vija Beinerte on the Latvian site OgreNet. The text is the author's own assessment, and some of its claims are not backed by other sources.
How the protests developed
Pupils and teachers originally protested against a shortage of teachers and overcrowded classes. According to the author, 24 schools were vandalised and burned during the unrest, and nearly 500 were closed because the government said it could not guarantee safety. In October, workers joined in, citing the rising cost of living and planned austerity measures. The French Interior Ministry estimated that 550,000 people took to the streets at 110 locations on 17 October.
The author cites 855 detentions in Paris and more than 2,400 nationwide. Nearly 1,000 police officers and emergency workers were reportedly injured, and at least two deaths were reported. More than 3,000 businesses were damaged. The town hall in Limoges, opened in 1883, burned almost to the ground; prefect Maurice Barate called it a cultural heritage disaster. The author writes that Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez was ready to resign, but President Emmanuel Macron did not allow it.
The author's claims about organisers
Beinerte argues that the protests were not spontaneous. She points to the registration dates of two web domains, coordination on Telegram, and pre-positioned pallets of glass bottles. She cites Fox News Digital editor Azra Nomani, who reportedly identified a network of 101 organisations in nine countries, and names billionaire Neville Roy Singham as the main funder. The piece offers no independent confirmation of these claims. She also notes that BBC, CNN and LSM described the protests as largely peaceful, while police reported an unusually high number of violent individuals.
Further protests are planned for Saturday, 24 October, in several European countries.
