Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has delivered a blistering denunciation of rioters in France, telling those he believes reject the country’s values to “go back from where you came” as widespread disorder, looting and arson intensify pressure on President Emmanuel Macron.
More than 2,400 people were arrested amid scenes of violence across the country, with shops ransacked, vehicles torched and police deploying tear gas against protesters in Paris. Macron said he felt “both anger and shame” at the chaos, as the unrest exposed deepening tensions over public order, taxation and the government’s ability to protect citizens.
Petit, the former France international who won the 1998 World Cup, posted a lengthy video on social media to express what he called his “profound deep anger” at those responsible for the destruction. He argued that the rioters were betraying a country that had offered them opportunities and a place to live.
“It’s thugs because their cowardice is what unites them,” he said. “They destroy everything, they burn everything, they break everything, they plunder, they steal, they hurt, they aggress, they insult.”
The footballer was careful to distinguish the violence from legitimate public protest, acknowledging the frustrations of working people facing the cost of living and what he described as an excessive tax burden.
“You shouldn’t mix up the people who manifested 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.
Petit described ordinary workers who rise early, pay their taxes and try to provide for their families as being repeatedly let down by the state. His comments reflected a wider grievance among sections of the French public that the demands placed on taxpayers are not matched by effective public services or adequate protection from disorder.
He also defended immigration for those willing to embrace France and its values, saying: “I love my country, I love all foreigners who love my country and who want to integrate.”
But his message became more confrontational as he turned towards those he believes actively reject the country.
“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 said.
“And all those who were born with a French passport, break yourselves, we don’t want you anymore.”
The remarks went beyond condemning criminal behaviour, extending his anger to French-born citizens whom he accused of despising their own country.
Petit also directed a warning at Macron and the wider political establishment, accusing politicians of prioritising the pursuit of power over the protection of ordinary people.
“I’m addressing the political class, starting with our dear president, Mr Macron, and all the political classes,” he said.
“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 questioned the resources available to essential public services, declaring: “Because 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,” he added, accusing the government of continually increasing the financial burden on working households.
The unrest has brought those grievances into sharper focus. In Paris, police fired tear gas at protesters near Place de la République as bicycles, bins and other objects were set alight. In Marseille, vehicles were torched and looters targeted Les Docks shopping centre.
Petit’s intervention captures the anger felt by some French citizens over the destruction, but also illustrates how disorder can become a vehicle for broader political and social grievances. For Macron, the immediate challenge is to restore public order while addressing the deeper questions of trust, taxation and the state’s capacity to protect its citizens.
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