An internal European Union assessment has revealed that a covert Russian network attempted to exploit recent riots in France by utilizing social media to attribute the unrest to uncontrolled immigration and depict the government as having lost control.
The EU analysis, which covered the period from October 7 to 21, found that Russia sought to "depict the French leadership as weak and increasingly authoritarian" through the "opportunistic exploitation of unrest." A separate assessment by France's foreign ministry indicated that social media accounts linked to Israel and the US MAGA movement also disseminated "hostile narratives," connecting the riots to radical Islamism and migration. These findings provide insight into how external actors have attempted to leverage France's internal turmoil for political objectives, according to European disinformation specialists.
The EU report detailed how a Russian network, identified as "Operation Overload," disseminated videos impersonating Western media outlets to French audiences. Some of these videos falsely alleged that migrants had committed rapes against protesters or that terrorist attacks were imminent. The Russian foreign ministry has not responded to requests for comment. In August, a spokesperson for the ministry dismissed allegations of disinformation regarding French elections as a "concoction" intended to manipulate public opinion.
Rioting had erupted across France in the preceding month, stemming from protests against the rising cost of living and declining public services, resulting in some of the most severe violence witnessed in the country for decades. The EU document, prepared by disinformation experts within the bloc's diplomatic service, stated that such events present opportunities to "undermine national governments, fuel fear and division, and shape public perceptions ahead of elections." However, the report found no evidence that Moscow or other actors had instigated or escalated the protests.
While posts from "pro-Russian spheres" garnered 2.8 million views on X (formerly Twitter) concerning the unrest between October 16 and 18, these figures were significantly surpassed by accounts linked to the MAGA movement and Israeli officials and influencers. The French foreign ministry's assessment indicated that the top 10 most-viewed X posts from MAGA-linked sources received over 49 million views in the same period, while posts from Israeli officials and related accounts achieved more than 35 million views.
Elina Treyger, a political scientist at the RAND Corporation, described these campaigns as part of a prolonged "narrative competition" that can gradually influence perceptions of Western democracies. She noted that such efforts often fuel anti-immigrant sentiments, potentially pushing European voters toward political extremes. French officials have acknowledged "foreign manipulation of information" behind the protests, though President Emmanuel Macron stated on October 21 that there had been no visible foreign interference in the demonstrations themselves. The Israeli Prime Minister's office and the foreign ministry have not yet commented.
The EU report further elaborated on "Operation Overload," which has been active since September 2023, targeting Western public figures, institutions, and media to "discredit these entities and their support for Ukraine while promoting content aligned with Russian interests." The operation's activities also aimed to weaken European support for Ukraine by suggesting that European governments prioritize Ukraine over domestic issues. A previous report by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue described Operation Overload as a persistent, high-volume Russian information operation that impersonates trusted sources to create discord and distrust. The operation reportedly creates fabricated news reports, clones expert voices using AI, forges headlines, and manipulates images, adapting its focus to exploit various crises and debates across countries.
