Hugo Gurdon blames extreme left groups for violent French riots

Washington Examiner editorial director Hugo Gurdon stated that far-left organizations including Antifa are responsible for violent riots in France. Speaking on Fox Report with Jon Scott on Sunday, Gurdon claimed these groups co-opted protests that originally began over school conditions to bring down Western society. [1]

Gurdon noted that while the demonstrations are mostly non-violent during the daytime, they escalate into violence later. He added that French authorities recently acknowledged Antifa is one of the largest contributors to the violent turn in the protests. [1]

The Washington Examiner is an American conservative news magazine based in Washington, D.C. As FTMQ News reported earlier, demonstrations began on Sept. 18, 2026, with student blockades in Créteil. French President Emmanuel Macron previously blamed organized ultra-left groups for recent violence, which included ransacking a McDonald's restaurant in Paris. [2][6][7]

Researchers previously reported that Iran and Russia are exploiting the French civil unrest to weaken Western nations. Nationwide arrests connected to the ongoing demonstrations across France have reached 1,800. [6][7]