The French government has accused the France Insoumise (LFI) party of being behind the violent protests that occurred in recent days. An investigation by Mediapart suggests that territorial intelligence services were instructed to claim objectively false information regarding LFI’s involvement.
On Tuesday, LFI announced its intention to sue Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez at the Court of Justice of the Republic. This comes after an article was published alleging that the government requested intelligence services to implicate LFI in the weekend’s violence.
The announcement followed an article published by Mediapart on Monday evening, citing a commissioner from the intelligence services who claimed he was asked to report that LFI was behind the protest movement, despite this being “objectively false.”
On October 18, one intelligence commissioner remarked that such a request for a false narrative indicated political motives, stating, “When we are asked to write literally that LFI is behind the movement, while this is considered objectively false by the general opinion of the territorial intelligence services, it is evident that we are dealing with political decisions.”
In recent days, the government has repeatedly blamed LFI for the violent protests that shook French cities, particularly on October 17.
“This is Called a State Scandal”
LFI’s national coordinator, Manuel Bompard, stated on Franceinfo that if intelligence services are producing false reports at the request of authorities, “this is called a state scandal.” He added that attempting to manipulate intelligence operations to target LFI and blame it for actions it is not responsible for is utterly unacceptable.
Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure also responded, asserting, “If this is true, it is inadmissible. We have the right to challenge LFI, but in a democracy, truth should not be manipulated to eliminate an opponent. Issues raised by students and workers should be addressed, not obscured.”
Accusations Against LFI
The revelations from Mediapart surfaced amid ongoing accusations from government members and center-right politicians against LFI. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu directly blamed the extreme left party for the chaos during the weekend in France, claiming that LFI had fostered distrust towards the police among protesting students throughout the week.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez also accused LFI of bearing responsibility for the protests, stating that the party does not sufficiently condemn the acts of violence committed.
Marine Le Pen claimed that “legitimate social demands” had been “distorted by the extreme left and Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s rhetoric,” accusing them of fueling chaos through their actions.
LFI has supported protests since the beginning when high school students began demonstrating about a month ago, but the party has denied any responsibility for the violence.
This political back-and-forth occurs against a backdrop of pre-election tensions. Recent polls have indicated that LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon is likely to outpace centrists to qualify for the second round of next year’s presidential elections, alongside Marine Le Pen.
“I See No Connection Between LFI and This Fiasco”
When questioned by Mediapart regarding the intelligence commissioner’s statement, the Interior Ministry denied issuing such instructions. However, this testimony is not the only one supporting these claims.
A national representative from a police union expressed surprise at the accusations against LFI, stating, “I see no connection between LFI and this fiasco. It is dangerous to politicize such a gross failure and especially not to take full responsibility for it,” adding that he does not have a favorable view of LFI due to its relentless attacks on police forces.
A Conflict Between Government and LFI
The mobilization and violence on October 17 followed weeks of exchanges between the government and LFI, with the executive already accusing the radical left movement and its allies of exploiting students’ anger.
After the weekend’s violence, Sébastien Lecornu escalated his accusations, claiming the “extreme left movement” seeks to “organize disorder until the presidential election.” On Saturday evening, he urged the political class, especially LFI, to “choose a side” between the “forces of order” and the “destroyers.”
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin emphasized this issue on Monday morning at France 2, questioning LFI’s “political responsibility” regarding the violence, accusing the party of wanting to “destabilize our institutions” and “throwing a match into a barrel of gasoline.”
Meanwhile, Paris’s public prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, stated on Monday morning at TF1 that based on the initial cases reviewed, she cannot “confirm at all” that those responsible for the violent acts in the capital are “individuals with extreme left political orientations.”
