A severed finger from a “living human being” was sent to the official residence of French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/emmanuel-macron-severed-finger-post-france-b1094115.html?utm_source=fark&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_content=link&amp;ICID=ref_fark" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the London Evening Standard. 
On Monday, the amputated finger arrived at Elysee Palace in Paris, though no note was included in the package, the outlet notes. Police at the palace reportedly placed the finger in a refrigerator immediately for preservation to aid in attempts to identify the sender. France has been rocked with riots and protests stemming from a variety of issues throughout the year. 
“The finger was initially put in a fridge where the police put their snacks,” a source told the newspaper. “This was to make sure it was preserved and could be analyzed as quickly as possible.”
It was later revealed that the finger came from a living person, who had reportedly been identified, contacted, and received “full medical support.&#8221; The palace source said the identity of the person wasn’t going to be revealed to the public partly because of “medical confidentiality,” as the Evening Standard reports. 
“It’s not at all clear why this finger was sent to the president,” the source said. 
Officials opened an investigation into the incident on Monday. According to a <a href="https://www.valeursactuelles.com/faits-divers/info-va-lelysee-a-recu-un-courrier-contenant-un-doigt-humain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the French magazine Valeurs actuelles, which <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2023/07/13/emmanuel-macron-sent-a-severed-finger-from-living-human-in-the-post-19122510/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first reported</a> the news, the owner of the finger is the same person who sent the package and reportedly suffers from mental illness. 
Macron has faced serious tension and upheaval in the country this year, starting with nationwide protests in April against the nation’s pension reforms, which increased the age of retirement from 62 to 64. For more labor-intensive jobs, like sanitation work, the retirement age rose from 57-59. In defiance of the change, protestors in the country stormed the headquarters of corporations, vandalized government buildings, and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/03/24/1165759889/more-than-1-million-demonstrate-across-france-against-pension-reforms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over a million</a> people demonstrated in the streets.
Then, in the wake of a June <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/six-days-of-destruction-a-recap-of-the-apocalyptic-riots-in-france" target="_blank" rel="noopener">police shooting</a> of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk, who was of Moroccan and Algerian descent, mobs of rioters took to the streets, looting stores and committing other acts of violence. According to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/04/business/france-riots-businesses-cost/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>, 400 bank branches and 500 corner shops had been attacked by rioters. 
The riots, which have been dubbed “<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/a8780bf6-5032-4abc-8462-f7f72dbc61ef" target="_blank" rel="noopener">France’s George Floyd Moment</a>,” have cost French businesses an estimated $1 billion. Law enforcement in the country has since taken control of the situation, detaining over 3,600 people, according to <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/thousands-of-teens-have-been-arrested-in-french-protests-though-violence-is-subsiding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PBS</a>. 
Last weekend, the French government <a href="https://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/07/13/is-it-safe-to-travel-to-france-right-now-country-recovers-from-sixth-night-of-riots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned</a> fireworks ahead of Friday’s Bastille Day celebrations, which <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/european-history/french-revolution" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commemorates</a> the storming of the Bastille in Paris on July 14, 1789, signaling the beginning of the French Revolution.

French President Emmanuel Macron

Severed Finger From ‘Living Human’ Mailed To French President: Report

Emmanuel Macron

France

Global Politics

World

Mobs of French rioters, largely made up of teenagers, took to the streets for nearly a week from the end of June through early July, wreaking havoc in response to “police violence” in what has been described as “<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/a8780bf6-5032-4abc-8462-f7f72dbc61ef" target="_blank" rel="noopener">France’s George Floyd Moment</a>.” The ensuing riots <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/violent-riots-cost-french-businesses-over-1-billion-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cost</a> French businesses over $1 billion as numerous cities burned across the country. 
Rioters caused damage from Paris all the way to Roubaix in the north and Marseilles in the south. Over a six-day period, the country deployed some 45,000 police to fight the mobs and <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/thousands-of-teens-have-been-arrested-in-french-protests-though-violence-is-subsiding#:~:text=In%20all%2C%20more%20than%203%2C600,largely%20subsided%20in%20recent%20days." target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> more than 3,600 people, including over 1,500 minors, whom French President Emmanuel Macron accused of using social media apps to organize riots.
Here’s the timeline of how the riots started and intensified, and where France stands after six days of destruction.
<h2>June 27: Nahel Merzouk Killed</h2>
<div id="attachment_585331" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-585331" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-585331" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1507227409-864x576.jpg" alt="NANTERRE, FRANCE - JULY 1: A woman pays her respects at the site where Nahel M. died, shortly after his funeral, on July 1, 2023 in Nanterre, France. Nahel M., a French teenager of North African origin was shot dead by police on June 27th, the third fatal traffic stop shooting this year in France - causing nationwide unrest and clashes with police forces. (Photo by Sam Tarling/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1507227409-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1507227409-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1507227409-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1507227409.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Sam Tarling/Getty Images</div>
Nahel Merzouk, a 17-year-old of Moroccan and Algerian descent from a Paris suburb, was approached by officers on motorcycles at a red light for speeding in a bus lane. After being ordered to stop, Merzouk drove through the red light and committed multiple traffic violations. Heavy traffic forced him to come to a stop, and the officers got off their motorcycles, pointing their guns at the teen. When Merzouk again attempted to drive away from the police, one officer fatally shot him in the shoulder and chest.
The killing was captured on video and quickly spread on social media, causing outrage among many French who say the country is plagued by social inequities and institutional racism, but the government vehemently <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/paris-protest-against-police-violence-banned-after-riots-2023-07-08/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denies</a> any “systemic racism or discrimination by law enforcement.”
Police initially <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/06/28/france-police-shooting-nanterre-nael/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Merzouk was killed after officers’ lives were put in danger by the teen, according to the French newspaper Le Monde. However, Yassine Bouzrou, the lawyer representing Merzouk’s family, said the video footage contradicts the authorities’ version of events.
“Acting on behalf of the family of the deceased young man, we announce that we will file a complaint for intentional homicide against the policeman who fired the shot …” Bouzrou said.
Merzouk’s mother Mounia told France 5 television that she was angry at the officer who shot her son and accused him of targeting Merzouk because of his race.
&#8220;He saw a little, Arab-looking kid, he wanted to take his life,&#8221; she said. &#8220;A police officer cannot take his gun and fire at our children, take our children&#8217;s lives.&#8221;
<h2>June 27-28: Riots Begin </h2>
<div id="attachment_585329" style="width: 879px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-585329" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-585329" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1379794217-1-869x576.jpg" alt="TOPSHOT - Demonstrators run as French police officers use tear gas in Paris on July 2, 2023, five days after a 17-year-old man was killed by police in Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris. French police arrested 1311 people nationwide during a fourth consecutive night of rioting over the killing of a teenager by police, the interior ministry said on July 1, 2023. France had deployed 45,000 officers overnight backed by light armoured vehicles and crack police units to quell the violence over the death of 17-year-old Nahel, killed during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb on June 27, 2023. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)" width="869" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1379794217-1-869x576.jpg 869w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1379794217-1-300x199.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1379794217-1-768x509.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1379794217-1-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1379794217-1-2048x1357.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 869px) 100vw, 869px" />LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images</div>
Violent riots <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/06/28/france-police-shooting-nanterre-nael/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rocked</a> Paris and its surrounding suburbs immediately following Merzouk’s death. Rioters set fire to trash cans, cars, and buildings and clashed with police. During the first night of rioting, 24 police officers were injured and 31 people were arrested, according to French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. In Viry-Châtillon, a suburb just east of Paris, a group of young people <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/28/world/europe/france-police-shooting-paris-nanterre.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set</a> a bus ablaze and rioters threw rocks and shot fireworks at police, while rioters in Mantes-la-Jolie, roughly 25 miles northwest of Paris, set a <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/nanterre-paris-teenager-police-shooting-protests/story?id=100434360" target="_blank" rel="noopener">town hall</a> on fire.
<h2>June 29: Stores Looted, Arrests Ramp Up </h2>
<div id="attachment_585333" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-585333" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-585333" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1376936379-768x576.jpg" alt="MONTIGNY LE BRETONNEUX, FRANCE - JULY 01: A damaged store is seen following fourth night of unrest triggered by the fatal police shooting of a teenager in Montigny-le-Bretonneux, west of Paris, France on July 01, 2023. (Photo by Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1376936379-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1376936379-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1376936379.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</div>
The French government deployed 40,000 police across the country by Thursday, June 29, as mobs <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/29/france-police-shooting-second-night-of-unrest-as-protests-over-teenagers-death-spread" target="_blank" rel="noopener">looted</a> stores and continued rioting. In Paris, retail stores Nike and Zara were vandalized and looted leading to over a dozen arrests, Le Monde reported. More stores on one of the city’s famous shopping streets were damaged by rioters breaking windows, and in an eastern suburb of the city, hundreds of teens ravaged a pharmacy and a McDonald&#8217;s.
<h2>June 30 &#8211; July 2: Violence Intensifies </h2>
<div id="attachment_585343" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-585343" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-585343" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1348630049-864x576.jpg" alt="TOPSHOT - People look at burning tyres blocking a street in Bordeaux,, south-western France on late June 29, 2023, during riots and incidents nationwide after the killing of a 17-year-old boy by a police officer's gunshot following a refusal to comply in a western suburb of Paris. (Photo by Philippe LOPEZ / AFP) (Photo by PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1348630049-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1348630049-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1348630049-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1348630049.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty Images</div>
Dozens of police officers in the city of Lyon were injured — some by gunfire — on Friday, June 30, forcing Mayor Grégory Doucet to ask for reinforcements, saying police in the city were “overwhelmed.” Other cities across the country faced “apocalyptic” scenes of rioting on Friday night.
“The results of the night can be summed up in one word: apocalyptic,” Rudy Manna, of the Bouches-du-Rhône police union, said, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/07/01/police-arrest-1000-rioters-nahel-funeral-france-violence/#:~:text=“The%20results%20of%20the%20night,of%20vehicles%20and%20trash%20cans.”" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> The Telegraph. “We had scenes of guerrillas in the center of Marseille, the northern districts were also affected by looting, burning of vehicles and trash cans,” Manna added.
Around 30 young people broke into a gun store in Marseille and stole at least four hunting rifles. One of the thieves was arrested with a rifle and police were forced to guard the store after the break-in, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66076332" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
On July 1, while riots plagued Marseille, a 27-year-old man <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-07-04/man-dies-in-marseille-after-being-shot-at-time-of-riots-prosecutor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died</a> after being hit in the chest by a “flash ball” projectile often used by riot police, according to prosecutors, but authorities did not determine who fired the projectile, and it was unclear if the man who died was partaking in the riots.
Violence continued the next day when, in the early morning hours of July 2, rioters drove a car into a suburban mayor’s home before setting it on fire while his wife and two daughters slept inside. Vincent Jeanbrun — the mayor of south Paris suburb, L’Haÿ-les-Roses — was at a town hall when rioters <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-mayors-home-attacked-by-rioters-with-flaming-car-while-wife-and-children-slept-inside" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attacked</a> his home, but his wife and two young children were chased out by the mob. The local prosecutor called the attack on the mayor’s home and family an “assassination attempt.”
<h2>July 3-8: Riots End, But Protesters Defy Government Orders</h2>
<div id="attachment_585345" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-585345" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-585345" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1517819896-864x576.jpg" alt="PARIS, FRANCE - 2023/07/08: A placard that says &quot;Justice for Adama, Nahel&quot; seen amidst the crowd during the protest against police violence.. Despite the police rejecting the demonstration in honor of Adama Traoré, a young black man who died in 2016 at the hands of a policeman, around two thousand demonstrators were present to denounce police violence. (Photo by Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1517819896-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1517819896-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1517819896-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1517819896.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images</div>
Arrests between Sunday night and Monday morning (July 3) dropped significantly as some demonstrators <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20230704-protest-violence-in-france-falls-sharply-a-week-after-fatal-police-shooting-of-teen">called</a> for a “return to republican order.” While French authorities finally quelled much of the violence, demonstrators continued to take to the streets in Paris over the weekend, defying a government ban on the protest. Hundreds of people gathered to protest “police violence” on Saturday, leading to the arrest of two people, according to Reuters.
Demonstrations in other French cities such as Marseilles and Lille were also banned or ordered to be moved out of the city center. The Paris Police Department cited a “context of tensions&#8221; as the reason it moved to ban the protest in France’s capital. On Sunday, the French government also banned the sale, possession, and transport of all fireworks as the country prepares for its Bastille Day festivities on July 14, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66147920" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
President Macron sympathized with the anger surrounding the killing of Merzouk, but has rebuked rioters, pinning much of the blame for the destruction on young people being inspired and organized through social media apps such as TikTok.
“We need to think about how young people use social networks … when things get out of hand, we may have to regulate them or cut them off,” Macron <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/macron-floats-shutting-down-social-media-access-when-things-get-out-of-hand-after-riots-rock-france" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “Above all, we shouldn’t do this in the heat of the moment and I’m pleased we didn’t have to.”
“I think it’s a real debate that we need to have in the cold light of day,” he added.
<div id="attachment_585347" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-585347" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-585347" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1494938741-864x576.jpg" alt="France's President Emmanuel Macron addresses mayors of cities affected by the violent clashes that erupted after a teen was shot dead by police last week during a meeting at the presidential Elysee Palace in Paris on July 4, 2023. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1494938741-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1494938741-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1494938741-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/07/GettyImages-1494938741.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images</div>
According to MEDEF, a French business association, about 200 businesses were looted alongside the destruction of 250 tobacco stores and 300 banks. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire promised those affected by the violent riots that the government would help them get back on their feet.
“If your store has been burned to the ground and a life’s work has been reduced to ashes, the state must be by your side,” he said. “We’ll do everything necessary so that economic activity can calmly pick up again in our country as quickly as possible.”

TOPSHOT-FRANCE-CRIME-POLICE-DEMO

Six Days Of Destruction: A Recap Of The ‘Apocalyptic’ Riots In France

Six Days Of Destruction: A Recap Of The 'Apocalyptic' Riots In France

Europe

Paris

Readers Pass

Riots

French President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/totally-irresponsible-emmanuel-macron-attends-elton-john-concert-while-france-burns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emmanuel Macron</a> said the government should consider shutting down young people’s access to social media after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/violent-riots-cost-french-businesses-over-1-billion-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">riots</a> erupted across the country last weekend. 
Macron told more than 200 mayors during a meeting that France should look into controlling or cutting off social media access for young people “when things get out of hand,” The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/05/french-government-should-control-social-media-during-unrest-macron-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. His comments come as France faces violent rioting across the country after a 17-year-old Muslim was shot by a police officer during a traffic stop last week. Macron pinned some blame for the rioting on social media sites like TikTok being used to organize the mobs. 
“We need to think about how young people use social networks … when things get out of hand, we may have to regulate them or cut them off,” Macron said. “Above all, we shouldn’t do this in the heat of the moment and I’m pleased we didn’t have to.” 
“I think it’s a real debate that we need to have in the cold light of day,” he added. 
Politicians on both sides of the aisle criticized the prime minister&#8217;s suggestion, saying it would make France more like authoritarian regimes. 
“Cut social media? Like China, Iran, North Korea? Even if it’s a provocation to distract attention, it’s in very bad taste,” said Olivier Marleix, a member of the center-Right Les Républicains. 
The leader of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, also slammed Macron’s idea, tweeting, “The country of the rights of man and citizens cannot align itself with those great democracies of China, Russia and Iran.”
Over the weekend, riots were <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/frances-macron-hold-new-crisis-meeting-after-third-night-riots-2023-06-30/">reported</a> from Paris — where a dozen buses were burned and store windows were smashed along the Rue de Rivoli — all the way to Roubaix in the north and Marseille in the south — as well as Reims and Lyon. In Drancy, a Paris suburb, a shopping mall was burned; and in Marseilles, the country’s largest library was burned. The <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/facade-paris-2024-olympic-aquatic-centre-damaged-by-rioters-2023-06-30/#:~:text=PARIS%2C%20June%2030%20(Reuters),fire%2C%22%20SOLIDEO%20told%20Reuters.">headquarters</a> of the Paris 2024 Olympics in Seine-Saint-Denis was also set on fire.
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France deployed 45,000 police to counter the rioting, but that didn’t stop mobs from setting more than 800 fires throughout the night Saturday, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66079408">reported</a>. French businesses have reportedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/violent-riots-cost-french-businesses-over-1-billion-report">lost</a> more than $1 billion since the rioting began.
About 3,500 people have been arrested after police shot teenager Nahel Merzouk. According to Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache, French police were attempting to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle Merzouk was driving, but he did not stop and drove through a red light. Police later caught up to the vehicle, then stuck in traffic, and told Merzouk to get out. As the car attempted to drive away, an officer shot the teen, Prache said.
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

Macron Floats Shutting Down Social Media Access ‘When Things Get Out Of Hand’ After Riots Rock France

Macron Floats Shutting Down Social Media Access 'When Things Get Out Of Hand' After Riots Rock France

Social Issues

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/france" target="_blank" rel="noopener">France</a> faced riots for the fifth night in a row on Saturday as more than 45,000 police officers were deployed throughout the country, including 7,000 in Paris, to stop the civil unrest.
Thousands of people have been arrested so far after hundreds of cars and buildings have been set on fire and countless stores have been looted following the death of a teenager of African descent.
The BBC reported that the teen, who had &#8220;been in trouble before and was known to police,&#8221; was &#8220;fatally shot in the chest, point-blank, at the wheel of a Mercedes car for driving off during a police traffic check.&#8221;
Video of the incident showed one officer leaning over the hood of the car and when the vehicle started moving, it flung the officer to the side of the car.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is the moment 17 year old Nahel M was shot dead at point blank range by a French policeman in the Paris suburb of Nanterre. The killing has led to three consecutive nights of rioting across France. <a href="https://t.co/J5osn9CnNi">pic.twitter.com/J5osn9CnNi</a>
&mdash; 5Pillars (@5Pillarsuk) <a href="https://twitter.com/5Pillarsuk/status/1674824536754208780?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Approximately 3,000 people have been arrested so far and hundreds of police officers and firefighters have been injured.
The country&#8217;s top two police unions — the Alliance Police Nationale and UNSA Police — <a href="https://www.barrons.com/news/french-police-union-calls-rioters-vermin-f10740ea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement: &#8220;Today police officers are at the front line because we are at war.&#8221;
&#8220;Faced with these savage hordes, it&#8217;s no longer enough to call for calm, it must be imposed,&#8221; they added. &#8220;Now is not the time for industrial action but for fighting against these &#8216;vermin.'&#8221;
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Some of the videos of the violence that has allegedly occurred from this latest round of riots in France include:
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worst riots in france in 20 years. and that’s really saying something. <a href="https://t.co/h32f6xNr1g">pic.twitter.com/h32f6xNr1g</a>
&mdash; ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) <a href="https://twitter.com/ianbremmer/status/1675284636602179584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FranceRiots?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FranceRiots</a>: Masked crews of rioters have been going around the banlieues (suburbs) of Paris &amp; cutting down poles that have CCTV cameras. In one incident, a severed pole crashed down on several of their own rioters.
France has been crippled by days of race riots by youths of… <a href="https://t.co/4EMPVOoHOc">pic.twitter.com/4EMPVOoHOc</a>
&mdash; Andy Ngô 🏳️‍🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1674818178457780236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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JUST IN: Hundreds have been arrested in France as a police station was burned down in Lyon and some rioters have reportedly raided a gun store in Marseille and armed themselves with rifles. <a href="https://t.co/hJgvS4BIlQ">pic.twitter.com/hJgvS4BIlQ</a>
&mdash; unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) <a href="https://twitter.com/unusual_whales/status/1675273827415212034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
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France is burning. An apartment fire was started in Grigny. <a href="https://t.co/49Odv6iCXx">pic.twitter.com/49Odv6iCXx</a>
&mdash; Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) <a href="https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1675314291879321601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The riots have gotten so bad that French President Emmanuel Macron had to cancel &#8220;a long-planned state visit to Germany to deal with the worsening turmoil,&#8221; Politico Europe <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/emmanuel-macron-postpone-state-visit-germany-france-violent-riots/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“Given the internal situation, the president has indicated that he wishes to be able to stay in France for the next few days,” a statement from France said. “The two presidents therefore agreed to postpone the visit to Germany to a later date.”

TOPSHOT-FRANCE-OVERSEAS-CRIME-POLICE-DEMO

Riots Rock France As 45,000 Cops Deployed: ‘We Are At War’ Against ‘Savage Hordes’ Of ‘Vermin’

Riots Rock France As 45,000 Cops Deployed: 'We Are At War' Against 'Savage Hordes' Of 'Vermin'

General

Law Enforcement

French President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/emmanuel-macron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emmanuel Macron</a> faced backlash for attending an Elton John concert on Thursday night while Paris and the rest of the country have been engulfed by violent protests.
Video of Macron shows him dancing to Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting.”
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As protesters burn French cities, Macron lights up at Elton John concert in Paris
The President of France in these shots is in a great mood, he enjoys music with his wife and dances a little. <a href="https://t.co/v1CSKI7WB8">pic.twitter.com/v1CSKI7WB8</a>
&mdash; Spriter Team (@SpriterTeam) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpriterTeam/status/1674655768593694721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Opposition minister Thierry Mariani of the National Rally Party said Macron’s attendance was “totally irresponsible,” and pointed out that while “France was on fire, Macron preferred to applaud Elton John,&#8221; <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/macron-dances-elton-john-concert-france-burns-ongoing-violence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Fox News. Mariani even quoted the book of Ecclesiastes from the Old Testament, “Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child,” the Independent <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/emmanuel-macron-elton-john-paris-b2367063.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Elton John’s husband, David Furnish, posted a photo of the two with Macron to Instagram, but the post has since been deleted. Commenters attacked the post as “wrong timing,” and another commented, “Macron is below everything,” <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/video-french-president-emmanuel-macron-comes-under-fire-for-attending-elton-john-concert-amid-violent-protests-4168048" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to NDTV. A third commenter pulled no punches saying, “At the same time a child was killed by police under his government, he&#8217;s enjoying a show. Disgrace on Macron.”
The concert took place on Thursday night with the protests having begun on Tuesday, and yet France is well into its fifth night of protesting on Saturday &#8212; 45,000 police were <a href="https://apnews.com/article/france-riots-police-killing-nahel-f9fac88ddc7af57b7686ddeac6827641" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deployed</a> to the streets of France to combat the rioting.
The incident that sparked the rioting <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/france-burns-as-big-city-riots-escalate-in-wake-of-police-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">occurred</a> Tuesday, when a police officer shot and killed Nahel M. during a traffic stop in Nanterre, west of Paris. According to Reuters, the teenager was driving in the bus lane during a traffic jam when he was pulled over, but refused to provide a license and then tried to drive away. The officer shot him in the left arm and chest, according to the Nanterre public prosecutor, who added that the officer feared the teenager would start a car chase and injure others. Police said Nahel M. had been known to ignore traffic stops before.
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“He had to be stopped, but obviously (the officer) didn’t want to kill the driver,” the police officer’s attorney stated.
Video in Paris shows one protester armed with what appears to be a belt-fed machine gun.
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The rioters have belt-fed weapons. This isn’t Gaza or Libya, it’s France. <a href="https://t.co/hZJGTDcss0">pic.twitter.com/hZJGTDcss0</a>
&mdash; TimOnPoint (@TimOnPoint) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimOnPoint/status/1674951285513043968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Witnesses have also captured buildings collapsing and others completely engulfed in fire.
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This isn’t Syria, Iraq, or Afghanistan. This is France where 9% of the population has brought down entire cities!
Where are CNN &amp; BBC now?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FranceRiots?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FranceRiots</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/franceViolence?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#franceViolence</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FranceProtest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FranceProtest</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Marseille?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Marseille</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Immigration?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Immigration</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Francia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Francia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Francja?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Francja</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FranceHasFallen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FranceHasFallen</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Fransa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Fransa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RiotsFrance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RiotsFrance</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Islamophobia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Islamophobia</a> <a href="https://t.co/agGjSTV8f9">pic.twitter.com/agGjSTV8f9</a>
&mdash; MUHAMMAD ZAIN ASIF (@sonicm35) <a href="https://twitter.com/sonicm35/status/1675240936211726339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
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A building burned down after a robbery collapsed in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/France?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#France</a>
 Footage from the small town of Montargis, where pharmacies and boutiques were looted and burned down in the city center on Rue Doré.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FranceRiots?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FranceRiots</a> <a href="https://t.co/CMa3PUkCtb">pic.twitter.com/CMa3PUkCtb</a>
&mdash; Arthur Morgan (@ArthurM40330824) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArthurM40330824/status/1675272576535240705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Further video shows hundreds of protesters who appear to be looting and destroying property, and one video shows a bus driving through flames.
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France is having its very own George Floyd moment as massive riots, sparked by the police shooting death of a 17 year old, occur all across the country. <a href="https://t.co/2wbYYW4xLe">pic.twitter.com/2wbYYW4xLe</a>
&mdash; Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) <a href="https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1674552024938217472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
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On Saturday, hundreds of Muslims in France held a procession for the deceased Nahel M. The Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/france-riots-police-killing-nahel-f9fac88ddc7af57b7686ddeac6827641" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that President Macron canceled his trip to Germany amid the state of the country.
Hank Berrien contributed to this report.

FRANCE-CRIME-POLICE-DEMO

‘Totally Irresponsible’: Emmanuel Macron Attends Elton John Concert While France Burns

Emmanuel Macron Attends Elton John Concert While France Burns

Protests

About 180 people in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/france" target="_blank" rel="noopener">France</a> have been arrested as the country has been rocked with violent riots after a police officer shot a 17-year-old boy in a suburb of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/paris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paris</a>.
On Tuesday, 17-year-old Nahel M. was shot <a href="https://apnews.com/article/france-police-shooting-protests-paris-nanterre-nahel-220e30e596ed6ad28e152be3df03ec98" target="_blank" rel="noopener">during a confrontation</a> with police after they attempted to stop a vehicle he was in. Following the shooting, cities across France filled with protesters, with some turning violent. Dozens of cars and buildings were set on fire as police headquarters were targeted for violence. 
“The professionals of disorder must go home,” French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin <a href="https://time.com/6291145/france-to-deploy-40000-police-officers-amid-violent-protests-following-deadly-police-shooting/">said</a>. “There will be a lot more police and gendarmes present tonight.”
Footage online showed the fires as rioters took to the streets and set off fireworks. 
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Situation extrêmement tendue à <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nanterre?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nanterre</a>. <a href="https://t.co/WGtOt5MCCC">pic.twitter.com/WGtOt5MCCC</a>
&mdash; Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) <a href="https://twitter.com/RemyBuisine/status/1674170244535836678?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
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Un bâtiment de construction en feu à <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nanterre?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nanterre</a>. <a href="https://t.co/GWWrbLFMhZ">pic.twitter.com/GWWrbLFMhZ</a>
&mdash; Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) <a href="https://twitter.com/RemyBuisine/status/1674229100335038464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
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French President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/emmanuel-macron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emmanuel Macron</a> said that the unrest was “absolutely unjustifiable.” 
About 40,000 police officers have been activated to deal with the violence, and Darmanin <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/06/29/world/france-police-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> France had witnessed  “a night of intolerable violence against symbols of the Republic.” He said that about 170 officers had been injured so far during the violence. 
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Tensions toujours très importantes à 1H45 à Nanterre <a href="https://t.co/Pp15EUG1zE">pic.twitter.com/Pp15EUG1zE</a>
&mdash; Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) <a href="https://twitter.com/RemyBuisine/status/1674203144685862913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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According to early reports of the precipitating incident, police attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle Nahel M. was in, but he did not stop and drove through a red light. Police later caught up to the vehicle, then stuck in traffic, and told Nahel M. to get out. As the car attempted to drive away, an officer shot the teen, Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache said.
The officers said they were “threatened” by the car and concerned it might hit someone, Prache said. The prosecutor said, according to his assessment, “the conditions for the legal use of the weapon were not met.” 
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Activists have claimed that the shooting is part of a pattern of violence by French police against minorities. 
The shooting, which was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/28/world/europe/france-police-shooting-paris-nanterre.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">condemned</a> by top French officials including Macron, will be investigated by two magistrates. The officer responsible for the shooting has been suspended pending an investigation. 
“An act like the one that we saw, if the investigation confirms the videos that we have seen, is never justified,” Darmanin said of the shooting. 
A French police union responded to the public condemnation by saying that the officers “like any citizen, have the right to the presumption of innocence,”

France Rocked By Violent Riots After Police-Involved Shooting During Attempted Traffic Stop

Police Brutality

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol definitely surprised everyone when he started singing a classic rock song at a Wednesday dinner at the White House.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden held a dinner for the South Korean leader along with fellow politicians and celebrities like Angelina Jolie, reality TV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines, and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), among many others, the <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/04/27/south-korean-president-belts-out-american-pie-at-white-house-state-dinner-stunning-biden/">New York Post</a> reported.
During the event, Biden turned to Yoon and said that he heard one of the leader&#8217;s favorite songs is Don McClean&#8217;s 1971 hit song &#8220;American Pie.&#8221; Biden said, &#8220;We want to hear you sing it.&#8221; The South Korean leader then took the mic and showed off his singing skills when he belted out a few lines from the popular song.
Accompanied only by a piano, Yoon sang several lines from the famous song. Those in attendance cheered and hollered as he sang before giving him a standing ovation.
WATCH:
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South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol grabbed a mic and sang the Don Mclean classic “American Pie” to an astonished audience at the White House state dinner. 
“I had no damn idea you could sing,” Biden told his counterpart. <a href="https://t.co/MIYlQuZvwk">https://t.co/MIYlQuZvwk</a> <a href="https://t.co/uFhJBymKEP">pic.twitter.com/uFhJBymKEP</a>
&mdash; The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) <a href="https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1651573016810119168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Afterwards, Biden reportedly told him, &#8220;I had no damn idea you could sing,&#8221; the <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/04/27/south-korean-president-belts-out-american-pie-at-white-house-state-dinner-stunning-biden/">Post</a> noted. &#8220;Don’t expect me to sing it!&#8221;
The president then gave Yoon an acoustic guitar signed by McLean. The singer-songwriter was supposed to be at the dinner but was unable to make it, the outlet noted. Yoon took the guitar and held it up looking very pleased with the gift.
&#8220;The next state dinner we&#8217;re going to have, you&#8217;re looking at the entertainment,&#8221; Biden joked with the crowd, referencing Yoon.
Earlier in the day, the Biden&#8217;s welcomed Yoon and his wife Mrs. Kim to the White House for a state visit. The two men later held a joint <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/04/26/remarks-by-president-biden-and-president-yoon-suk-yeol-of-the-republic-of-korea-in-joint-press-conference-2/">press conference</a> in the Rose Garden.
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Yoon thanked the president for the &#8220;special and warm hospitality. I am very pleased to be making a state visit to the United States during this meaningful year that marks the 70th anniversary of the ROK-U.S. Alliance.&#8221;
&#8220;Our two countries have overcome challenges and crises during the past 70 years based on the deep roots of freedom and democracy, building a value alliance that is strong, resilient, and sustainable,&#8221; he added.
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President Biden is scheduled to host his first state dinner at WH for President Macron of France on Dec. 1, I’m told. 🇺🇸🇫🇷 <a href="https://t.co/0TB1ph3hOV">https://t.co/0TB1ph3hOV</a>
&mdash; jim acosta (@Acosta) <a href="https://twitter.com/Acosta/status/1574443653417685002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In December 2022, the Bidens held their first state dinner when they hosted a black tie affair to honor visiting French President Emmanuel Macron.

Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea’s president-1

WATCH: See What Happens After South Korean President Belts Out Classic Rock Song At WH Dinner

Entertainment

Jill Biden

Joe Biden

Music

South Korea

U.S.

White House

Yoon Suk Yeol

This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Louisville Shooting Update
Nearly a dozen people were shot in Louisville, Kentucky, early Monday morning when an assailant opened fire inside the Old National Bank. The shooting happened near Louisville Slugger Field, a minor-league baseball stadium inside the city. The suspect was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wounded-officer-who-helped-stop-louisville-shooter-identified" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly a current or former employee of the bank</a>. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear asked the nation to “Please pray for all of the families impacted and for the city of Louisville” and revealed that several of the victims were his friends:
“This is awful. I have a very close friend that didn’t make it today,&#8221; Beshear said. &#8220;And I have another close friend who didn’t, either. And one who’s at the hospital, that I hope is going to make it through. So when we talk about praying, I hope people will.&#8221; 
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Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) said two of his close friends were killed in the shooting and another was injured. The shooter had a connection to the downtown Louisville bank targeted in Monday’s shooting, authorities said during a news conference.
“I have a very close friend… <a href="https://t.co/X17XagqiO1">pic.twitter.com/X17XagqiO1</a>
&mdash; The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) <a href="https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1645460457728225282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
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White House Recruits Social Media Influencers
The White House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hundreds-of-social-media-influencers-to-tout-bidens-record-ahead-of-2024-election-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">digital strategy</a> team is seeking out hundreds of social media “influencers” nationwide to tout the Biden administration’s record. Daily Wire reporter Brandon Drey has the details: 
<blockquote>DREY: Biden officials told Axios four White House staffers would lean on unpaid influencers and independent content creators to gain support from young voters and mothers ahead of the president’s likely bid for re-election in 2024. Although President Biden has yet to announce his re-election campaign, a White House spokesperson said the digital strategy team would push content on different platforms to reach various demographics. The team of content creators could also potentially have their own briefing room at the White House.</blockquote>
Riley Gaines Reacts To San Francisco State University Downplaying Mob Violence
Last week, former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/swim-champ-riley-gaines-attacked-by-radical-trans-mob-forced-to-barricade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attacked and surrounded by a mob of pro-transgender</a> activists during a speaker’s gig at San Francisco State University.
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In reaction to the negative press and viral videos, the university issued an email statement calling the scene a “peaceful” protest and praising the activists for their “tremendous bravery.” Here’s a portion of Gaines’ response:
​​“What I experienced … wouldn’t even be peaceful in an alternate universe. I mean it was quite literally the exact opposite. I was barricaded in a room where I could not leave for three hours where they were yelling obscene, violent things. … It was terrible, it was atrocious, it was heinous.” 
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Swimming Champion <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Riley_Gaines_</a> responses to the email statement issued by San Francisco State University which described the trans activists who assaulted her and held her hostage as “peaceful” and demonstrating “tremendous bravery.”
Riley has responded by saying: 
“What I… <a href="https://t.co/ZfuxU1UNvE">pic.twitter.com/ZfuxU1UNvE</a>
&mdash; Oli London (@OliLondonTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/OliLondonTV/status/1645243667404189703?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Gaines also announced that she will be pursuing legal action against those who participated — and the university.
Macron Warns Against Following American Way
Following a trip to Beijing, French President Emmanuel Macron said he does not believe Europe should follow the &#8220;American rhythm&#8221; on Taiwan. Here with more is Daily Wire Senior Editor Cabot Phillips:  
<blockquote>PHILLIPS: After a six-hour meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Macron told the media that he believes Europe must reduce its dependency on the United States and avoid getting dragged into a confrontation between China and the U.S. over Taiwan. Macron also stated that Europe needs to, quote, “reduce its dependence on the extraterritoriality of the U.S. dollar.”</blockquote>
Super Mario Bros. Succeeds At Box Office
And “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/super-mario-bros-movie-smashes-records-becomes-biggest-animated-movie-opening-weekend-ever" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defied expectations</a> and smashed records by pulling off the most lucrative opening weekend at the box office ever for an animated film, a title which was previously held by the Disney sequel “Frozen 2” (2019). Daily Wire entertainment reporter Amanda Harding has more:
<blockquote>HARDING: “Super Mario” brought in about $377 million in global box office sales and $205 million in domestic sales between Wednesday and Sunday. That also makes the movie the highest-grossing film of the year so far, beating Disney’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” “Mario” is already the highest grossing video game adaptation all-time.</blockquote>
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Monday April 10

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French President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/emmanuel-macron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emmanuel Macron</a> said over the weekend that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/europe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Europe</a> should embrace an approach of “strategic autonomy” when it comes to tensions between the United States and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China</a>.
The French president said that by allying too closely with the U.S., Europe risks being dragged into conflicts and crises in which it does not have a significant interest. “Strategic autonomy,” as Macron calls it, is his plan to lead Europe into becoming a “third superpower,” according to <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/emmanuel-macron-china-america-pressure-interview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a>.
“The paradox would be that, overcome with panic, we believe we are just America’s followers,” Macron said on Sunday. “The question Europeans need to answer … is it in our interest to accelerate [a crisis] on Taiwan? No. The worse thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the U.S. agenda and a Chinese overreaction.”
Macron’s theory of “strategic autonomy” has found widespread support in Beijing, where top officials in the Chinese Communist Party have endorsed it and often encourage other European nations to embrace it as well.
The president’s remarks came after he visited Beijing last week and spent roughly six hours with Chinese President Xi Jinping discussing the potential for peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Macron’s visit appears to have had little impact on that account.
Macron sought to push China into leaning on Russia to negotiate an end to the war that has ravaged Ukraine for more than a year.
“China is willing to jointly appeal with France to the international community to remain rational and calm,” Xi <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/emmanuel-macron-xi-jinping-china-russia-war-ukraine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a joint press conference with Macron.
“Peace talks should be resumed as soon as possible, taking into account the reasonable security concerns of all sides with reference to the U.N. Charter … seeking political resolution and constructing a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework,” he added.
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Macron’s China visit <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/08/world/asia/macron-xi-france-china.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worked</a> against U.S. interests in “decoupling” the West from China. The U.S. has grown increasingly at odds with China in recent years over complaints about unfair trade practices and China’s territorial aggression, most recently focused against neighboring Taiwan, a key trading partner for the United States.
While projecting an appearance of nonpartisanship in the war, China has strengthened its relationship with Russia, buying increasing amounts of Russian crude while reportedly <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/chinese-companies-are-shipping-rifles-body-armor-to-russia/#:~:text=Chinese%20companies%2C%20including%20one%20connected,customs%20data%20obtained%20by%20POLITICO." target="_blank" rel="noopener">shipping</a> Moscow weapons, munitions, and drone parts. Xi visited Moscow last month, visiting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during what Beijing <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/20/china/china-xi-putin-russia-visit-analysis-intl-hnk-mic/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> a “journey of peace.”

Macron Says Europe Must Not Become ‘America’s Followers’ In Confrontation With China

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<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/france" target="_blank" rel="noopener">French</a> activists stormed the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/paris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paris</a> offices of financial giant <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/blackrock" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BlackRock</a> on Thursday amid ongoing protests against the nation’s recent pension reforms.
Citizens have been protesting for nearly two weeks after French President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/emmanuel-macron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emmanuel Macron</a> overrode a provision of the nation’s constitution to advance a bill through Parliament that raised the retirement age from 62 to 64. Labor <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/labor-unions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unions</a> and other entities have organized nationwide strikes and protests in response to the move, which came amid concerns about the state retirement fund’s looming insolvency.
Demonstrators briefly entered the historic Le Centorial building in central Paris, where BlackRock has a third-floor office, and lit firecrackers as they chanted slogans. BlackRock is one of the world&#8217;s largest retirement and pension management companies.
&#8220;The government wants to throw away pensions, it wants to force people to fund their own retirement with private pension funds, but what we know is that only the rich will be able to benefit from such a setup,&#8221; Françoise Onic, a teacher, said in an <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/pension-reform-protesters-briefly-invade-paris-blackrock-building-2023-04-06/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with Reuters.
The outlet added that the protesters remained in the building for roughly half an hour, leaving smoke from the firecrackers hanging in the air inside the atrium.
Dozens of people, some of whom were representatives of labor unions, entered the ground floor of the building.
“The meaning of this action is quite simple,” Jerome Schmitt, a union spokesman, said in an <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/06/business/blackrock-office-stormed-paris-protests/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with CNN affiliate BFM-TV. “We went to the headquarters of BlackRock to tell them: the money of workers, for our pensions, they are taking it.”
BlackRock has faced criticism in the United States over the firm’s support of the environmental, social, and corporate governance movement, also known as ESG, which is more widely accepted in Western European nations such as France. Skeptics of the movement contend that the investment philosophy intermixes political and social causes, such as decreasing carbon emissions or diversifying company leadership with respect to race or sex, in a manner that compromises or distracts from profitability.
The aggressive protests over the past several days have led to police deploying tear gas and otherwise seeking to mitigate more violent demonstrations. The town hall of Bordeaux was set ablaze at the outset of the protests last month, according to a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65057249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from BBC News.
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The pension reforms increased the retirement age for workers in more labor-intensive sectors from 57 to 59 years old. Sanitation workers therefore went on strike, causing several tons of trash to accumulate in the streets of Paris, according to a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/paris-macron-trash-retirement-france-unions-5e2488aee3675d5c2335243101b48a4c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The Associated Press. The French Constitutional Council will issue a ruling on the validity of the reforms next week.
Several developed nations face overburdened pension systems as birth rates fall and more individuals enter retirement age. The United Nations recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-nations-alerts-policymakers-to-brace-for-an-aging-population" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> upon governments to increase retirement ages while investing in healthcare and education that permit older people to be more self-reliant and economically productive.
“Based on current global trends, future cohorts of working-age and older persons are likely to be healthier and better educated, and therefore more productive, compared to earlier cohorts,” a report from the organization said. “Eliminating age-related discrimination and barriers to formal employment are other critical measures for older persons to make continued contributions.”

French Unions Renew Strikes to Push Macron Into Pension U-Turn

Activists Storm BlackRock Headquarters In Paris Amid Pension Reform Protests

BlackRock Headquarters In Paris Stormed Amid Pension Reform Protests

BlackRock

Economy

Labor Unions

Marlene Schiappa, who serves as the secretary of state in charge of the Social and Solidarity Economy in France, made her name by championing legislation to outlaw catcalling and street harassment of women.
Now she&#8217;s set to appear in Playboy, the nudie magazine. One photo released from the April 8 edition shows Schiappa in a low-cut white bodysuit that exposes her cleavage and spread legs.
Four photos will be accompanied by 12 pages of text, in which Schiappa, 40, will muse on women&#8217;s rights and feminism. The mother of two defended her decision to pose for Playboy in a Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/MarleneSchiappa/status/1642166509630898177">post</a> on Saturday.
“Defending the right of women to have control of their bodies, that’s everywhere and all the time. In France, women are free. With all due respect to the detractors and hypocrites,&#8221; she wrote.
So she&#8217;s appearing in Playboy in various states of undress after spearheading a law to ban harassment of women? Talk about hypocrites.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
France’s moronic government strikes again:
Marlène Schiappa, 🇫🇷 Secretary of State to the Prime Minister, in charge of the Social and Solidarity Economy and Associative Life, poses on the front page of Playboy. <a href="https://t.co/Jdp5CVag2y">pic.twitter.com/Jdp5CVag2y</a>
&mdash; Daniel Foubert 🇵🇱 (@d_foubert) <a href="https://twitter.com/d_foubert/status/1642341362484772873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Under her anti-harassment law, men who catcall women could face immediate fines of up to $871.
&#8220;What’s key is … that the laws of the French republic forbid insulting, intimidating, threatening and following women in public spaces,” Schiappa said in 2018 when the law was passed, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/04/03/french-pol-marlene-schiappa-blasted-for-playboy-cover/">reported</a>.
Some female leaders in France were not at all happy with Schiappa&#8217;s decision to appear in the girlie magazine.
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Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne told Schiappa that her decision &#8220;was not at all appropriate, especially in the current period,&#8221; the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-65163135">reported</a>.
France has been in the throes of revolution after President Emmanuel Macron unilaterally raised the retirement age by two years. Hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets, and garbagemen have refused to pick up trash for weeks.
Macron rammed the age hike through using Article 49.3 — which just so happens to be featured on Schiappa’s cleavage in the Playboy photo. That article grants executive privilege to pass a bill without a vote in parliament.
One politician complained about the politician&#8217;s tin ear.
“We are in the middle of a social crisis, there is a subject on the maintenance of order, there are people between life and death, and I have the impression of a smokescreen,&#8221; said Sandrine Rousseau, deputy to the National Assembly for Paris&#8217;s 9th constituency.
&#8220;Where is the respect of the French people, of the people who are going to have to work two more years, who demonstrate, who lose days of wages, who cannot eat because of inflation,&#8221; she said, <a href="https://www.leparisien.fr/politique/schiappa-en-une-de-playboy-pas-du-tout-approprie-dans-le-contexte-actuel-deplore-elisabeth-borne-01-04-2023-XZTFKKQRIRDCJN4ZVCK4XJIPQQ.php?dicbo=v2-0HhyUo2">according</a> to Le Parisien.
&#8220;Women&#8217;s bodies should be able to be exposed anywhere, I don&#8217;t have a problem with that, but there&#8217;s a social context,&#8221; she said.
And maybe, just maybe, appearing scantily clad in a nudie magazine isn&#8217;t the best approach to sell policy.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

PARIS, FRANCE – APRIL 03:  French politician Marlene Schiappa attends the French Cup – Semi Final match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and FC Nantes at Parc des Princes on April 3, 2019 in Paris, France.  (Photo by

French Politician Who Championed Ban On Catcalling Set To Appear Scantily Clad On Cover Of Playboy

French Politician Marlene Schiappa Who Championed Ban On Catcalling To Appear Scantily Clad On Playboy Cover

Feminism

Playboy

French law enforcement officials raided the offices of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/emmanuel-macron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emmanuel Macron&#8217;s</a> political party Tuesday as part of two investigations into alleged campaign finance violations related to the country&#8217;s last two presidential elections.
Financial prosecutors at the Parquet National Financier said that the police searched the headquarters of the Renaissance party and the offices of consulting firm McKinsey &amp; Co., which stemmed from a previous investigation into alleged tax-fraud and money-laundering by McKinsey.
&#8220;The prosecutors are investigating whether presidential campaigns properly accounted for any role consulting firms played in their activities,&#8221; The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/french-police-raid-offices-of-macrons-political-party-11671034165" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. &#8220;Another investigation is exploring whether campaigns concealed any improper favors.&#8221;
The conspiracy allegations that prosecutors are now investigating involve &#8220;downplaying of costs linked to consultancy work in campaign accounts during the 2017 and 2022 elections,&#8221; Bloomberg News <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-14/macron-party-s-hq-mckinsey-raided-in-campaign-funding-probe?leadSource=uverify%20wall">reported</a>. They are also looking into allegations of favoritism.
Macron is immune from criminal prosecution as president.
The initial investigation into McKinsey that began back in March came after the French Senate discovered that the amount of taxpayer dollars the firm was receiving had more than doubled from 2018, which was shortly after Macron won his first term, to 2021, The Telegraph <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/12/14/emmanuel-macrons-hq-searched-prosecutors-investigating-use-consultants/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-president-unveils-massive-green-power-development-proposal-as-energy-crisis-continues" target="_blank" rel="noopener">French President Unveils Massive Green Power Development Proposal As Energy Crisis Continues</a>

French President Emmanuel Macron Receives Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, president of Peru At Elysee Palace

Police Raid The Headquarters Of French President Emmanuel Macron’s Political Party: Report

Police Raid The Headquarters Of French President Emmanuel Macron's Political Party: Report

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