Ex-France star Petit says migrants who don’t love France should leave

French football great Emmanuel Petit has urged migrants who do not feel any affection for France to “go back to where [they] came from”.

Protests that were largely peaceful at first, driven by concerns over the education system, descended into widespread disorder across the country in recent weeks. Masked and hooded demonstrators smashed windows and torched vehicles as the unrest intensified.

After several days of violence across France over the weekend, the 56-year-old former Arsenal midfielder posted a video on Instagram lasting almost four minutes, in which he addressed the unrest.

Condemning the rioters, Petit said: “Their cowardice is what unites them. They destroy everything, they burn everything, they break everything, they plunder, they steal, they hurt, they aggress, they insult.”

He also defended ordinary citizens who had taken part in legitimate protests, warning against treating them in the same way as those involved in violence. “You shouldn’t mix up the people who protested yesterday, and I understand them strongly because I too am more than fed up of being pressed like a lemon on a fiscal plan,” he said.

The 1998 World Cup winner said he welcomed foreigners who wanted to live peacefully and integrate in France, but argued that those who hated the country should leave.

Petit said: “I love my country, I love all foreigners who love my country and who want to integrate.”

“But all the others, starting with the French who do not wish precisely that France continues to be what it is, go back from where you came, we don’t need you.”

He extended his criticism to French-born people involved in the disorder, saying: “And all those who were born with a French passport, break yourselves [get lost], we don’t want you anymore.”

Petit was equally critical of President Emmanuel Macron and the French government, accusing them of failing to carry out their responsibilities. “To all these people, I have a message to give you: 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,” he said.

“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. Bizarrely, the only thing that works in France, is taxes.”

As officials sought to contain the violence, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced additional curfews, saying restrictions introduced in several cities the previous day had “helped keep the night calm”.

The government, which has faced accusations that it failed to anticipate or control the street violence, had already pledged to restore order and introduced partial curfews in Paris and other cities on Monday.

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“Targeted curfews have contributed to calm overnight,” Lecornu said.

“Tonight new curfews will be decided where the situation requires it. These decisions will be made on the ground, by the prefects, in coordination with the mayors,” he added.

Police said the night passed without any major incidents being reported across France.

Paris, Bordeaux in the southwest and Nice on the French Riviera were among the cities to impose partial curfews on Monday. The measures followed weeks of student demonstrations over poor conditions in high schools, which later developed into wider urban unrest.

Some restrictions, including those in Paris, were initially limited to the night between Monday and Tuesday. Curfews in Bordeaux and Nice, however, were due to remain in place for several days.

During the night, a helicopter flew over the French capital’s Place de la Republique, one of the epicentres of the unrest, sweeping a powerful searchlight across the square to monitor compliance with the curfew.

In Lyon, despite a ban on demonstrations, around 500 people gathered on Monday evening outside the tourism office that was set on fire, to show support for shopkeepers affected by looting, according to organisers.

The word ‘LYON’ had been spelled out on the ground with candles.

A banner hung on a fence nearby read ‘Anti-Rioters Lyon’ and ‘Doucet Resign’, referring to Green mayor Gregory Doucet, an AFP journalist said.

Under pressure, the government scheduled another series of emergency meetings on Tuesday, including talks involving representatives of major social media platforms.

Finance Minister Roland Lescure pledged support measures for shopkeepers and craftspeople.

Patrick Martin, the head of France’s Medef business lobby group, on Tuesday accused the state of having ‘failed’ during the urban unrest that hit at least 3,000 businesses, according to preliminary estimates.