Two reports, one produced by the European Union and the other by France’s Foreign Ministry, have revealed how foreign disinformation networks linked to Russia, Israel and the United States sought to exploit riots in Paris and other French cities to advance their own political agendas, according to Reuters.

The EU report details how a covert Russian network attempted to capitalise on the unrest through social media, blaming the violence on uncontrolled immigration and portraying the French government as incapable of maintaining order.

A separate internal assessment by France’s Foreign Ministry found that social media accounts linked to Israel and the US MAGA movement also promoted “hostile narratives” surrounding the riots, associating them with radical Islamism and immigration.

Operation Overload: The Russian disinformation campaign

According to Reuters, the EU analysis identified a covert Russian network known as “Operation Overload”, which distributed videos targeting French audiences and imitating established Western news organisations.

Some of the videos contained false claims that migrants had raped protesters or that terrorist attacks were imminent.

The EU assessment, covering the period from 7 to 21 October, concluded that Russia had sought to “portray the French leadership as weak and increasingly authoritarian”.

“Such events offer opportunities to weaken national governments, foster fear and division, and shape public opinion ahead of elections,” the EU document said.

The report was prepared by disinformation specialists within the EU’s diplomatic service.

Crucially, the assessment found no evidence that Moscow or other foreign actors had instigated or intensified the protests themselves. Instead, it characterised the activity as the “opportunistic exploitation of unrest”.

Israeli and MAGA-linked accounts attracted millions of views

The French Foreign Ministry’s assessment found that the 10 most-viewed posts on X concerning the riots from accounts originating in “pro-Russian circles” attracted 2.8 million views between 16 and 18 October.

However, that figure was considerably lower than the reach achieved by posts about the unrest from accounts associated with the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement and Israeli officials.

According to the French report, the 10 most-viewed posts on X from MAGA-linked officials, media organisations and influencers generated more than 49 million views between 16 and 18 October.

During the same period, the 10 most popular posts from Israeli officials, government accounts, media outlets and influencers accumulated more than 35 million views, the assessment found.

The findings highlight the differing levels of online engagement generated by narratives about the French unrest, although the reports do not establish that these groups coordinated their activities.

A prolonged “competition of narratives”

Elina Treyger, a senior political scientist at the US-based RAND Corporation, described such campaigns as part of a prolonged “competition of narratives” that could gradually influence perceptions of Western democracies, both within Europe and beyond.

Treyger said the campaigns fuelled anti-immigration sentiment, potentially pushing European voters towards the political extremes.

French officials referred Reuters to comments made by President Emmanuel Macron on 21 October, when he said there were no apparent signs of foreign interference behind the demonstrations themselves.

However, Macron acknowledged that there had been “foreign information manipulation” surrounding the unrest.

The distinction is significant: while there was no evidence that foreign governments had organised the demonstrations, the reports identified attempts by outside actors to influence how the events were perceived and discussed.

A Russian operation active since 2023

According to the EU report, Operation Overload has been active since September 2023, targeting Western “public figures, institutions and media outlets”.

Its objective, the assessment said, has been to “discredit these entities and their support for Ukraine, while promoting content aligned with Russian interests”.

The operation also sought to undermine European backing for Ukraine by suggesting that European governments were prioritising Kyiv over domestic problems.

France’s disinformation monitoring agency, Viginum, published a detailed report in 2024 examining Operation Overload and similar Russian influence campaigns.

French officials have previously warned that such operations tend to resurface during protests, elections and other events that provide opportunities to discredit France.

The latest findings suggest that domestic unrest can become a vehicle for competing foreign narratives, with different actors seeking to exploit the same events to promote their political objectives.