France riots: former star Petit condemns arson and looting, warns Macron to protect honest citizens
Former French football star Emmanuel Petit has reacted strongly to the violent protests, arson and looting that have spread across France. The 1998 World Cup-winning former midfielder branded the rioters 'thugs' and urged President Emmanuel Macron to protect the country's honest citizens.
Protests that began over school policy and the cost of living turned violent over the weekend. Masked mobs smashed store windows and set cars on fire. Riot police fired tear gas in Paris and Marseille, while President Macron himself admitted he felt 'both anger and shame'.
According to Fox News Digital, more than 2,400 rioters have already been arrested nationwide. Burned cars, looted stores and trashed streets have become familiar sights in France's major cities.
In an Instagram video on Sunday, Petit vented what he called his 'profound deep anger'. After weeks of student protests, a nationwide mobilisation over the cost of living was called for 17 October; a police source estimated nearly 200,000 people could take part, including 40,000 in Paris.
The scale of the violence can be seen in Limoges, in central France, where on 17 October a group forced its way into the city hall and set it on fire during the protests. The next day, streets in Marseille were covered in debris.
'It's thugs because their cowardice is what unites them,' Petit blasted. 'They destroy everything, they burn everything, they break everything, they plunder, they steal, they hurt, they aggress, they insult.'
Petit also spoke up for peaceful demonstrators, saying they should not be confused with the rioters. He said he strongly understands those who protested peacefully, because he too is fed up with being 'pressed like a lemon' on taxes — standing with working families who rise early, pay their taxes and follow the law.
The former Arsenal star also took a hard line on immigration. 'I love my country, I love all foreigners who love my country and who want to integrate,' he said. But to those who hate France, his message was blunt: 'Go back from where you came, we don't need you.'
Petit aimed the same harsh message at homegrown radicals and native-born rioters taking part in the violence, saying those born with a French passport who join the destruction are no longer wanted either.
He did not spare Macron either. Addressing the political class, he said: 'I'm addressing the political class, starting with our dear president, Mr. Macron. Be very careful about what you are going to do, what you are going to say, and how you are going to protect the honest citizens in France.'
Petit also slammed the government's handling of public money. 'Because today, there's no money for the police, there's no money for the army, there's no money for the hospitals, there's no money for the schools,' he said. 'Bizarrely, the only thing that works in France is taxes.'
Ahead of next year's presidential election, the unrest has become a major challenge for the French government. Protests drawing more than half a million people show how deep public anger over the cost of living runs. When a popular figure like Petit publicly warns the government, that pressure only grows.
