Social media accounts linked to Israel and the American MAGA movement pushed "hostile narratives" about the riots that swept France last month, tying the unrest to radical Islamism and migration, according to an internal French foreign ministry assessment seen by Reuters.
The assessment found that the 10 most-viewed X posts from Israeli officials, government accounts, media outlets and influencers drew more than 35 million views between October 16 and 18. Over the same stretch, the 10 most-viewed X posts about the unrest from MAGA-linked officials, media outlets and influencers received more than 49 million views.
Those figures dwarfed the reach of accounts described as belonging to "pro-Russian spheres," whose 10 most-viewed X posts on the riots collected 2.8 million views during the same period.
A separate internal European Union assessment, also seen by Reuters, concluded that a covert Russian network sought to capitalize on the violence, using social media to blame the unrest on uncontrolled immigration and to portray the French government as having lost control.
The EU analysis, covering October 7 to 21, found that a Russian operation known as "Operation Overload" circulated videos impersonating Western media outlets aimed at French audiences. Some of the material falsely claimed that migrants had raped protesters or that terrorist attacks were imminent. The analysis said Moscow sought to "depict the French leadership as weak and increasingly authoritarian," but found no evidence that Russia or any other actor had instigated or escalated the protests, describing the activity as "the opportunistic exploitation of unrest."
"Such events offer opportunities to undermine national governments, fuel fear and division, and shape public perceptions ahead of elections," said the restricted-circulation EU document, prepared by disinformation experts in the bloc's diplomatic service. Taken together, European disinformation specialists say, the assessments show how outside actors have tried to turn France's domestic turmoil to their own political ends.
The rioting erupted in cities across France last month as demonstrations over rising living costs and declining public services spiraled out of control, in some of the worst violence the country has seen in decades. Asked for comment, French officials pointed Reuters to remarks by President Emmanuel Macron, who said on October 21 that there had been no visible foreign interference behind the protests, though there had been "foreign manipulation of information."
Elina Treyger, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, said such campaigns wage a slow-burning "narrative competition" that over time can shape how Western democracies are seen in Europe and beyond, feeding an anti-immigrant backlash that pushes European voters toward political extremes. Reuters said it could not independently verify the assertions in either report.
The EU report said Operation Overload, active since September 2023, has targeted Western "public figures, institutions, and media outlets" to "discredit these entities and their support for Ukraine while promoting content aligned with Russian interests." The Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a Britain-based think tank, has described it as "a persistent and high-volume Russian information operation" that impersonates trusted sources, uses AI to clone experts' voices, forges newspaper headlines and "pivots from country to country to exploit crises and debates." France's disinformation watchdog Viginum published a detailed report on the operation in 2024.
The Russian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. In August, ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova rejected allegations by a French state watchdog of spreading disinformation about France's 2027 elections, saying they would "not be the last concoction which the authorities will use to manipulate public opinion." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office and Israel's Foreign Ministry also did not respond to requests for comment.
