Italy: Alleged Brains Behind October 17 Riots Appears in Court

Hat tip Gates of Vienna

Milan October 17, 2026

Youssef Siher

Italian police and prosecutors in Milan have charged 30-year-old Youssef Siher, a second-generation Italian of Moroccan origin, with orchestrating and inciting riots that shook Milan on October 17, similar to those that hit French cities the same day. Siher is considered the creator of an Instagram site, called the Movimento 17 Ottobre (October 17 Movement) which is alleged to have played a major role in inciting disturbances on October 17, largely in furtherance of the pro-Palestinian cause.

The below article from Il Giornale is translated by Fousesquawk.

Youssef Siher goes silent: The creator behind "the October 17 Movement" does not respond to the investigating judge

Today, the hearing to validate the arrest. Judge Tiziana Landoni must decide by tomorrow whether to keep him behind bars, as requested by the prosecution, or apply a less severe measure like house arrest or a mandatory signature.

Youssef Siher remained silent. The 30-year-old researcher and pro-Palestinian activist, considered the creator of the "October 17 Movement" Instagram page, exercised his right not to respond before the judge of instruction during the hearing to validate the arrest. Judge Tiziana Landoni will have to decide by tomorrow whether to keep him behind bars, as requested by the prosecutor, or apply a less severe measure like house arrest or a mandatory signature. At the end of the hearing, his attorneys, Yasmina Abu Sharar and Benedetto Ciccarone, responded to questions from journalists. They did not explain the motivations at the base of their actions because, "he will tell them". Instead, they entered, they explained, into the realm of answers from the legal point of view. In particular, they defined as "absurd," the accusation of terrorism. "He has only expressed his constitutional freedom," the (female) lawyer said. In addition: "He has not done anything. There has been no instigation to violence, no terrorism, no crime, and in the hearing, we have responded to the charges from the legal point of view."

Attorney Sharar responded to questions about Siher's wife, a 32-year-old cultural mediator, under investigation for the same crimes. "She has the right to privacy, she is not charged with anything and is free. She is very upset by the behavior of the press." In addition: "Whether what they are charging him with is attributable to him is yet to be seen. He has exercised his right not to respond." The lawyers continued to explain: "We believe there are no serious indications of guilt, nor exigent precautions, and we contested these profiles during the half-hour hearing," the lawyers explained. 

The charges are instigation to commit crimes aggravated by terrorism and violence during marches.  For prosecutor Francesca Crupi and Deputy Prosecutor Marcello Viola, Siher could flee thanks to his network of contacts, his cultural background, or (could) repeat the same crimes. 

In his posts, disseminated to users, he reportedly reached about 40,000 on his social media and 9,000 on his Telegram page, calling on them to new protests the following weekend. In particular, he reportedly reached thousands of people on chats with violent purposes, according to the magistrates. And he reportedly continued to create agitation in these groups with unpredictable consequences.

It was his last post, in particular, on Friday, October 23, indicating a change in strategy; In cancelling previous appointments and calling on his followers to remain "fluid" while awaiting new signs that would arrive shortly before the demonstrations, he proclaimed himself leader of the group. According to investigators, Siher, is allegedly an agitator capable of putting in place a "revolutionary strategy" to the point of realizing a "clear subversive design". With his statements and his social strategies, he allegedly incited thousands of (social media) users who were following him on his Instagram page, "17 October Movement" and his Telegram chat, the majority of whom had a propensity to "put into action criminal conduct against public order." He also allegedly offered logistical and organized support for concentrating communication and management of the network of various violent groups, a conduct that guaranteed continuous support to violent demonstrators and undoubtedly strengthened their criminal intentions." 

A second-generation Italian, freelance journalist, (with) contacts in the world of social centers, emerging figure in the Palestinian-Italian Youth, founder of the Milanese association, Nascent Sunrise, considered close to the practice of the Muslim Brotherhood, and considered by the public prosecutor a "top figure of the movement." It is precisely because of his "elevated cultural background and his relational contacts which would allow him to take refuge abroad," that it is feared he would flee.

Also in progress in the last hours are investigations on the part of Digos (National Police Special Investigations) as to possible links to those under investigation in the case of the Dda (Mafia/anti-Terrorism Prosecutor) of Genoa as to alleged finances of Hamas. Siher has never been directly involved, but the wiretaps in the case that led to the arrest of the activist and arrest of Api (Association of Palestinians in Italy) president Mohammad Hannoun will be analyzed.  In the indictment, the investigators focus on the "terrorist" aim of his actions. Siher allegedly incited online the commission of new acts of violence such as those of last weekend. The messages disseminated on his webpage, "if on the one hand, instigate the commission of crimes against public order, at the same time, convey a message of strongly symbolic content".  It was a "declaration of a continuing war aimed at instilling profound fear in the population and destabilizing the ordinary course of civil life."  

The prosecutors also explain that the cut-off of communications at meeting places. which were reportedly indicated only in the run-up to demonstrations could be a tactic with different aims: "To elude defensive deployments by law enforcement", "foment violent outbursts by troublemakers", and "instill fear in the population in the context of finding oneself in a real urban belligerence". 

He's Baaack (at Columbia) Mahmoud Khalil Hawks His Book

-Kena Betancur-AFP

Columbia University and its infamous alumnus, Mahmoud Khalil, are back in the news today because Khalil, the Syrian-born agitator who led the anti-Israel, anti-Jewish disturbances on campus in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, will be speaking on campus tonight courtesy of the local campus Palestinian student advocacy group. 

The Columbia Spectator, the campus newspaper, is running an article (without mentioning the event) on Khalil's new book, "No Land to Stand on", which talks about his time spent in ICE custody while the government was trying to deport him. The soapy article is awash in tears for the plight of Khalil and the Palestinian people and their "displacement from their ancestral homeland".

There are demands for Columbia to cancel the appearance. Rather than get into a free speech argument here, I think it is more important to spread the word that Columbia is hosting this event after promising to clean up its act after the Trump administration pulled back funding. Columbia has not learned its lesson.

France: Macron Gets His Own History Wrong

Emmanuel Macron

As we reported yesterday, in the wake of last Saturday's riots which broke out in large French cities all over France, a Frenchman identified only as Kevin, went on a shooting spree yesterday on the outskirts of Paris, killing one person and wounding 5, including a 12-year-old girl. The victims are all described as North or sub-Saharan Africans and were allegedly targeted as such. This is to be condemned by all decent people.

French President Emmanuel Macron has made a controversial statement in response to the shooting to the effect that this incident is the first terrorist attack in France based on skin color or religion. This has led to an outcry from people on both sides of the political spectrum, who point out the number of Jews, Catholics, and whites murdered in France in the past due to their ethnicity/religion.

The article below from Le Monde lists several incidents that Macron failed to mention. For the benefit of the reader, I am adding additional details to each of the attacks mentioned with the exception of the incident described only as "Thomas", which has insufficient information.  

First, there is the 2012 attack by Mohamed Merah on a Jewish school in Toulouse in which 7 people were killed, including 3 students, 2 of whom were brothers, the terrorist attack on the Hyper Casher Jewish supermarket in 2015 in a Paris suburb in which 4 Jewish hostages were murdered, the assassination of Father Jacques Hamel by two Islamic terrorists while conducting Mass in his church in 2016 in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray. (His throat was slashed.) In the 2020 attack on the Notre Dame Basilica in Nice, a Tunisian man stabbed 3 people to death. In the 1982 Rue de Rosier attack on a Jewish restaurant in a Paris neighborhood, 6 people were murdered. Samuel Paty was a teacher who showed his students images of the Prophet Mohammed in his class 2020 in Éragny, Val-d'Oise, Île-de-France. For that, he was attacked and beheaded outside his school by a Muslim man.  In the Charlie Hebdo murders, 12 people were murdered in 2015 in Paris by two Algerian brothers in retaliation for satirical cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammad by the Charlie Hebdo weekly newspaper. One of the dead was a French police officer.

To those, I would add the 2006 kidnap, torture, and murder of 23-year-old Ilan Halimi, a Jewish man in Paris at the hands of a group of young people of various nationalities who called themselves the "Gang of Barbarians", as well as the 2017 murder of Sarah Halimi (no relation) a 65-year-old Jewish woman in Paris who was attacked in her apartment, murdered and thrown from her balcony by Kobili Traore, a 30-year-old man, who reportedly screamed, "Allahu akhbar" while committing his crime, but who was acquitted on the grounds that he was high on cannabis at the time of his crime.

 Dare I not mention the November 2015 Paris attacks by Islamic terrorists, which killed 130 people, or the truck attack in Nice in 2016 by a Tunisian that killed 86 people?

Dare I not mention the Holocaust in France during World War 2?

The article below from Le Monde is translated by Fousesquawk. 

 Murderous attack in Trappes: Emmanuel Macron causes controversy by evoking a "first terrorist act" for reason of "the color of skin or religion," despite previous incidents. The Elysee (Palace) responds by explaining that "the chief of state was, of course, speaking about the first racist attack based on the color of skin committed in the country, as he made clear at the beginning of his statement". 

-Le Monde with Agence France-Presse

Posted today at 08:23, updated at 08:34

Several personalities expressed their disapproval on Friday, October 23, after the remarks from Emmanuel Macron about the attack in Trappes, which the president described as, "the first terrorist act due to 'skin color or religion," despite previous incidents.

From both sides of the political spectrum, and various associations, the president of the Republic is accused of "forgetting", of "denying reality", in particular, the attack committed in 2012 by Mohamed Merah, which cost the lives of 7 persons, including 3 students of a Jewish school, that of the Hyper Casher (Jewish supermarket) in 2015, the assassination of Father Hamel in 2016, or the attack on the Notre Dame Basilica of Nice in 2020.

On Friday, a man suspected of targeting people with an immigration background killed one person and wounded 5 others during an attack between Trappes and La Verriere (Yvelines). He was arrested and placed in custody.

"This is a turning point because it is the first time that there is a terrorist act planned to kill our compatriots, our children by reason of their skin color or the religion they were raised in," affirmed Emmanuel Macron, who went to the scene in the evening. "What happened today is a racist terrorist attack," he asserted. "We will not give in to ideas that are taking root in the Republic that could justify this kind of behavior or could create an atmosphere that could justify them".

A statement "politically problematic"

"Contrary to what you declare, it is not the 'first time' that French people are targeted and killed in the context of a planned terrorist operation 'by reason of their skin color or their religion''', Jordan Bardella, President of Rassemblement National, stated on the X platform, citing previous incidents from the last 15 years. 

"This statement by the President of the Republic is factually false, thus politically problematic," added Essonne deputy Jerome Guedi (Socialist Party), stressing that "identity categorization" had already "been utilized as leverage for terrorism".

Turning back to the Rue des Rosiers in 1982, the Member of the European Parliament, Xavier Bellamy (The Republicans), called on Emmanuel Macron not to "make people believe this is a turning point, to suddenly deny the reality of the tears shed by France for far too long," also mentioning the attack against Charlie Hebdo and the murder of Samuel Paty, "killed for what they did not believe in."

"A tragic evening where the president chose his deaths. He forgets the Catholics, like Father Hamel, (who) died because he was Catholic. He forgets the Jews, like the Sandler children, (who) died because they were Jews. He forgets the whites, like Thomas, (who) died because he was white," the extreme right member of the European Parliament deputy Sarah Knafo (Reconquete party), also rebuked. 

"No pain is above another"

The president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF), Yonathan Arfi, also reacted. "To kill a French person for the color of their skin or supposed religion is to attack the entire Republic. We are all on the side of the victims without reservation," he wrote on X. "Because this unity is sacred is precisely why a statement of the president of the Republic requires a clarification," noting that, "it is unfortunately not the first 'first time' that such an attack has occurred in France''.

During the evening, the Elysee (Palace) responded to the controversy, explaining that, "the head of State was, of course, speaking of the first racist attack based on the color of skin committed in the country, as he made clear at the beginning of his statement".

The president himself stated on X he wanted, "to recall an essential truth and avoid all controversy: The country has known in past years the attacks that have struck Christians because they were Christians and the Jews because they were Jews. None of these victims should be forgotten. No pain should be above another. And (he) did not want anything this evening to add to the pain of the families, to the sadness of the country and the reflection of the nation."

UC Professor Wants to "De-Zionize" University of California

My friend, Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, co-founder of the Amcha Initiative, an organization founded by retired professors from UCLA and UC Santa Cruz to expose and combat campus antisemitism, has written an excellent article in Jewish Journal about a not-so-excellent article by a current UC Merced professor, which is linked in her article. 

The professor in question, Sean Malloy, who is a professor of History and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, has written an essay demanding the-get this-"dezionization" of the entire University of California system. 

He compares this "dezionization to the denazification of Germany after World War 2, which I also find laughable. 

Below is what I wrote in the reader comments to his essay.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As a non-Jew, I taught part-time at UC Irvine from 1998-2026, and I saw first-hand who were really targeted on campus, and it wasn't pro-Palestinian students. It was Jewish students. It was they whose events were routinely disrupted. It was the SJP and MSU who invited radical speakers like Amir Abdel Malik Ali and many others, whose words often crossed the line from criticism of Israel to Jew hatred.

What Mr Malloy is talking about with his absurd claim about "de-Zionizing" the UC system is cleansing the university of opposing political thought. What comes next, "de-conservatizing the university"? What Malloy is talking about is a perversion of what higher education is supposed to be about.

One final point: If Israel wanted to commit genocide against the Palestinians, it could have done it long ago. It has not. It could have done it after the horrific acts Hamas committed on October 7. It did not do so. Malloy should be more concerned about what happened on October 7.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It appears most of the other readers share my negative view of Mr Malloy's essay.

France: Random Shooting Attack Against Africans/N.Africans-One Dead, 5 Wounded

 I'm getting tired of writing about France, but I can't let today's incident in the suburbs outside Paris go by without comment. A French man, while driving through the streets armed with a military-style weapon, fired randomly at African/North African people, killing one and wounding 5 others, including a 12-year-old girl, in what appears to be a targeted attack. He has been taken into custody.

This kind of vigilante action against innocent people, based on their ethnicity or physical appearance,  cannot be condoned.

I truly fear that, given the current government's weakness in the face of the recent lawlessness, some of it committed by migrants and disaffected 2nd- and 3rd-generation immigrants from Muslim-majority countries, a form of civil war may be looming in France. Could today's incident represent an example?

I hope not. My hope is that last Saturday's riots will serve to wake the French government up from its malaise. If it doesn't, hopefully, a new government will be elected next April that will clean up this mess and protect its people and its institutions from attacks from people determined to destroy Western civilization.

French Toast

 

"Merde, Emmanuel. Not even Spiderman can save us now."

France: What Happened in Marseille on October 17

Hat tip Francois Desouche

The French blog, Francois Desouche, has cross-posted a press release by the Archbishop of Marseille, Jean-Marc Aveline, that an unspecified number of churches in Marseille were attacked during the riots of October 17. In addition, FDesouche has also cross-posted a post by member of European Parliament Laurence Trochu, who goes a step further. She alleges that the majority of the attackers of the churches in Marseille were of immigrant origin, which was not mentioned by the Archbishop.

The below post by FDesouche, the press release by Archbishop Aveline, and the post by Truchu are translated by Fousesquawk. All are contained in the FDesouche link.

Marseille (13)

The Diocese confirms that churches were broken into during the riots of October 17- FDesouche

-By Francois

October 21, 2026 at 01:55

Caption: Reform Church in Marseille on 17 October 2026 in the smoke of trash cans set on fire in the surrounding area. The diocese does not specify which churches were broken into.

Churches were broken into in Marseille during the violence of October 17. Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille, reports this in a press release published the following day, along with the looting of businesses, damage to City Hall, ransacking of a police station, and attacks against law enforcement. 

Reacting on October 20 on X, Laurence Trochu denounces the attacks targeting religious sites. The member of the European Parliament believes that they strike at France, her roots, and her identity, and constitute an attack "against our civilization, our roots, and who we are".

She also describes the rioters and looters as "mostly of immigration background". This assertion is her own. The diocese press release makes no indication as to the identity or the origin of the perpetrators.

Cardinal Aveline, for his part, expresses his solidarity with those injured and the merchants, victims of the violence, and calls for the return of peace. His press release does not specify either the number or the names of the concerned churches, nor the extent of the damage.

Sources : communiqué du diocèse de Marseille, 18 octobre · message de Laurence Trochu, 20 octobre.

Yesterday, our city, like other cities in France was the scene of unacceptable violence: on the margins of scheduled demonstrations, stores were looted, churches were broken into, City Hall was stormed and damaged, a police station was ransacked, and members of law enforcement were attacked. Along with the entire Church of Marseille, I wish to express my support and my solidarity to the people who were injured and to the merchants who were victims of this vandalism. An appeal to everyone not to get caught up in this spiral of violence. Our city and our country deserve better than that. With all believers, we pray for an end to the disturbances, and that peace will return.

Marseille, 18 October 2026

Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline

Archbishop of Marseille

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I learn with consternation in a press release from the Diocese of Marseille that churches have been attacked during the riots of the last few days.

In attacking our churches, the rioters and looters, mostly of immigrant origin, have crossed a line.  This is a direct attack against France, against our civilization, our roots, and who we are. Let us not be silent about this reality!

-Laurence Trochu

 

France, Europe and the West

 This article first appeared in New English Review.

The scenes coming out of France on the night of October 17 should serve as a wake-up call not only for the French people, but Europeans and Westerners in general.  But how many times have we said that and for how many years now? And it’s not just Europe that should be taking note.

It was not only Paris; Demonstrations in other French cities, ostensibly to protest the high cost of living, high fuel costs, and poor school conditions spiraled out of control and turned into violent and destructive riots. Several cities witnessed their town halls under attack, most notably Limoges, where rioters overwhelmed police, who literally had to flee for their lives. Once inside, the rioters set the building ablaze, destroying much of the 19^th century landmark structure including its iconic steeple. Similar scenes played out in Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Lille, Rennes, and other large metropolitan areas. Over 1,000 French police officers have been injured.

Limoges City Hall before and after October 17, 2026

-Gates of Vienna

In Paris, while a female Spanish reporter was broadcasting from the scene during the night of the 17^th, she had to suspend her broadcast when several young men, apparently of Arab and African background, hogged the camera and waved their middle fingers and made throat-slashing gestures (below).

-Remix News (Hungary)

If that wasn’t enough, riots also broke out in Italian cities, most notably Milan in front of the famed Duomo cathedral. There was nothing spontaneous or organic about any of this. This was all organized, the latest example of the red-green alliance, the marriage of convenience between Islamist extremists, migrant thugs, Antifa, Black Bloc, anarchists, the Palestinian flag wavers, Marxists, and various and sundry left-wing radicals. It had nothing to do with the high cost of living or poor school conditions. It was about destroying Western civilization from within.  Make no mistake: This is largely the result of Europe’s total mishandling of immigration and asylum policies, policies which, when handled correctly and wisely, can greatly benefit a country. Many of the rioters in France are the children of migrants, second and third generation French citizens, yet unassimilated and disaffected from French society, and mostly Muslim, the perfect deadly cocktail.

Last night, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to the nation on television. I watched a replay of his speech an hour or so later. To me, it was typically weak and pusillanimous. After promising that the rioters would “pay” for their transgressions, he assured (lawful) protesters that the government was listening to their concerns about the high costs of living and fuel and the conditions of schools. He took an indirect swipe at Trump and Netanyahu by referring to rising fuel costs in France due to a war that France had nothing to do with. And, of course, he appealed for calm in the runup to the upcoming elections scheduled for April 2027, which must now seem like an eternity in France.

What he did not do was declare a state of emergency. Not being familiar with French law, I don’t know what it requires for the French military to get involved (as was recently done in Spain with the Ceuta situation), but it is painfully clear that the police cannot handle this alone. It is now just a matter of time before they start getting killed. It is also a matter of time before they have to kill in self-defense.

The mess in Europe, which has been escalating since 2015, when former German chancellor Angela Merkel opened the floodgates to Syrian refugees, has now reached a new level of violence, and it is intolerable. France now has an opportunity to lead the way for the rest of Europe. It must seize that opportunity, or radicals in the rest of Western Europe will taste the blood and rise up.  This uprising must be put down, and the perpetrators and those financing them from behind the scenes must be removed from society and removed from Europe. Personally, I don’t care if France has to send in the French Foreign Legion. I don’t care if France has to bring back the guillotine, and I don’t care if they have to reopen Devil’s Island. France needs to act now, and the rest of the EU needs to support France and act in concert with her.  The more the cancer spreads, the more drastic the surgery will have to be.

 

France: Limoges' Historic City Hall Burned

Limoges City Hall

-MSN

This is truly heartbreaking and truly outrageous at the same time. In France, already suffering from a rash of riots by students, migrants, people wearing Palestinian keffiyehs and waving Palestinian flags, leftists, and other social misfits, October 17 was marked by demonstrations all over France, ostensibly protesting the high cost of living that degenerated predictably into riots in many major cities. In the city of Limoges, hooded rioters overwhelmed police, broke into the old city hall, constructed in 1883, and burned much of it down, including its iconic steeple, as hundreds of townsfolk watched in horror, many in tears.

The below article from today's Le Figaro is translated by Fousesquawk.

"It is largely lost" The terrible images of the fire of the Limoges City Hall at the edge of October 17 demonstration by Camille Aguille with Agence France Presse.

Posted on October 17 20226 at 21:06, updated October 17, 2026 at 22:19

A group of hooded individuals broke into Limoges City Hall before a fire broke out there.

A roof structure ravaged by flames. "This beautiful Limoges City Hall," lamented one internet user  Saturday as a fire engulfed the roof of the Limoges City Hall. The fire broke out after a group of individuals attacked the building when violence erupted at the end of the demonstration against the high cost of living.

The fire spread along one wing of the building and reached the roof, whose beams are in danger of collapsing. Around 8 pm, the firefighters were still fighting the flames, trying to prevent the entire building from collapsing. This historic building was inaugurated in 1883, and its architecture was inspired by Paris' City Hall. "It is largely destroyed," declared the Prefect of Haute-Vienne.

Clashes near the prefecture

From a distance, hundreds of people watched the blaze, distraught. One employee of City Hall was in tears in the arms of an elected official. Several thousand people participated in her demonstration before the violence broke out at the end of the march. After having burned a municipal police vehicle in front of City Hall, hooded individuals broke windows to penetrate into the interior and set the fire.

"The police no longer had sufficient means to disengage, nor did they further have the capacity to contain the thousands of madmen, anarchists, ultra-leftists, and thugs on the boulevards," fumed Guillaume Guerin, the LR (Republican) mayor. 

According to him, the municipal police succeeded in getting out of City Hall, "at the moment that the barbarians entered, while telling them they were going to kill them...those were the terms they used tonight. There are those who will be held responsible, but in any case, the responsibility does not lie with the police."

"This is not stupidity, it is hatred, it's hatred of the French flag, it's hatred of the institutions, it's hatred of the school principals, it's hatred of the cops, it's hatred of the elected officials, it's hatred of everything that embodies authority. It's not small-time delinquents who did this; it's people who are very methodical," the mayor insisted. Four national police vehicles and two from the municipal police were burned or heavily damaged during the violence.

Violence broke out near a highway interchange in the metropolitan area, where rioters set fire to a national police car, according to the daily newspaper, Le Populaire du Centre, while businesses were looted in the city center. Clashes also occurred with police near the prefecture of Haute-Vienne, with the throwing of projectiles, mortars, and tear gas grenades.

Other city halls were also vandalised during this national mobilisation. Individuals penetrated the City Hall of Lille and caused damage. The City Hall of Marseille was also targeted.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fousesquawk comment:

Have you had enough, France?

France: An Interesting Survey on the Presidential Elections

Hat tip Francois Desouche

The French blog, Francois Desouche, has cross-posted an interesting survey conducted by Ifop (Institut français d'opinion publique) for the French site Marianne. It shows that certain segments of the French population would consider leaving France if populist leader Marine Le Pen is elected president in the upcoming elections.  This includes Muslims, Jews, and voters for the far-left politician, Jean-Luc Mélenchon. As the survey itself notes, it is a small sample size, so the results should be viewed with caution. Nevertheless, the results are interesting.

The below FDesouche posting and Ifop chart are translated by Fousesquawk.

If Marine Le Pen is elected, 46% of Muslims and 43% of Melenchon voters would consider leaving France (Ifop) *

* Institut français d'opinion publique 

According to an Ifop survey for Marianne, published October 14, 2026, 46% of people of the Muslim faith surveyed would consider leaving France to settle in another country if Marine Le Pen is elected president of the Republic. This proportion reaches 43% among Jean-Luc Mélenchon voters and 40% of Generation Z voters. 

Among the general population queried, 21% would consider leaving under this hypothesis. Among Muslims surveyed, 20% responded that they would "certainly" leave the country. More than 8 out of ten fear an increase in attacks and discrimination against them in the event of a victory by Marine Le Pen.

Marianne also reveals that 44% of respondents of the Jewish faith would consider leaving France, while noting that the (small sample size) means the results should be interpreted with caution.

41% say they would refuse to respect laws (they) consider "unjust" 

The investigation also measures the reactions to eventual Le Pen power. 41% of those surveyed express themselves prepared to refuse to respect laws that they judge to be "unjust". This response applies to three out of four Jean-Luc Mélenchon voters and 45% of public workers queried. In addition, 38% of workers said they would be prepared to participate in a general strike.

Chart

Imagine if Marine Le Pen was elected President of the Republic. In this context, could you...

Cease wearing religious signs on the street:

Yes                                                                Among Muslims

30%                                                                      26%

Hide your religious affiliation in everyday life

Yes                                                                Among Muslims

25%                                                                       27%

Refuse to respect laws you judge to be unjust

Yes                      Among public workers               Jean-Luc Mélenchon voters

41%                              45%                                                         75%

Participate in a general strike upon a call from the unions

Yes                    Among public workers                   Jean-Luc Mélenchon voters

38%                            43%                                                         77%

Leave France to settle in another country

Yes                      Muslims                                          Jean-Luc Mélenchon voters         

21%                         46%                                                             43%

Methodology: The investigation was carried out by a self-administered online questionnaire from 25- 30 September 2026 with about 9,689 people aged 18 and above, constituting a representative sample of the French population. These results describe the stated intentions given a hypothetical scenario and not actual departures.

Source: Marianne, Hadrien Mathoux, October 14, 2026

(Subject to subscriber block)

Belgium: Three Pakistanis on Trial for Gang Rape

Hat tip Gates of Vienna)

Mons, Belgium

A sickening case out of Belgium: A trial is in progress against three Pakistani men accused of gang-raping a university student at the University of Mons. According to the charges, the proprietor of a 24-hour food shop in Mons and two other men allegedly raped a university student after she stopped in to purchase cookies and a drink late at night. The exact details are contained in the newspaper article below by L'Avenir, which is covering the trial. (The article is translated by Fousesquawk.)

Without prejudging the eventual verdict in the trial, what I find shocking is the fact that the prosecution is only asking for sentences of 4-5 years on charges of gang rape. After reading hundreds of reports of rape in various Western European countries and the ridiculous sentences handed down, I really question whether they consider rape a serious offense.

A night of horror for a student at the University of Mons, who tells of being kidnapped and raped in a 24-hour store: "They are sexual predators".

Three men of Pakistani origin are being prosecuted for the rape of a student in the back room of a 24-hour store in Mons. They all deny the crime. The prosecutor's office is demanding 4-5 years in prison.

-By Cedric Ketelair

Posted October 13 2026 at 14:12

The 12th of December 2025 will also remain etched in the memory of Laura (first name is not her own). That night, the student of Mons University reportedly experienced a veritable nightmare in the back room of a 24-hour store situated on rue de la Cle in Mons. Since then, her life has turned upside down: nightmares, tears, isolation, fear of men; the wounds are still present.

It all began around 1:30 am. Laura, who spent the night in town, decided to go home to study. The exams were approaching. On the way, on the rue de la Cle, she entered a 24-hour store to buy some cookies. Leaving, she goes to the restrooms at a nearby cafe, then returns to the shop at 1:42 to buy a drink.

The shopkeeper invites her to have a drink at the rear of the shop. The young woman doesn't understand what he is saying and uses a translation app. She then follows him.

At 2:29, the shop closes its doors. Laura is still inside with the owner, who asks his employee to serve her a whisky and coke. Laura has her doubts. Worried, she sends several messages to her roommate. "I am at the all-night shop. If I don't come back, call the police," she writes.

The young girl drinks. Her vision becomes blurred. Then, everything goes black.

Underwear recovered in the store

It is 06:34 when Laura regains consciousness. She is alone in the back room. Disoriented, she leaves the premises and encounters some trash collectors. They will later describe having seen a terrified young woman who was looking constantly over her shoulder.

Her clothes were disheveled. She was no longer wearing underpants. 

Upon returning to her roommate. Laura tells of having suffered sexual violence in the back room. The two women go to the hospital for a medical examination at Mons, then at Charleroi. DNA of a man is discovered in her vagina.

The police quickly raided the business. Two men were present. The third was found hiding in a closet. The investigators also recovered Laura's panties left on the floor. Tests would reveal the presence of sperm belonging to one of the three suspects, discovered during a second search by the police.

The young woman has only partial memories of that night. Nonetheless, she has identified the three men who were arrested and placed in detention.

Monday morning, the three defendants appeared before the criminal court of Mons to answer charges of aggravated rape and false imprisonment.

One of them is already charged with an attempted rape of another client in July 2025. According to the charges, this woman, who simply wanted to buy a cigarette, was allegedly led to the back room. The defendant then allegedly tried to force a kiss on her with his tongue.

The prosecution does not believe them

At the hearing, the three men denied the charges.

The owner of the business told a completely different version. According to him, the young student reportedly tried to rob him of 7,000 euros that he had in his pockets. He did not explain the irrefutable scientific analyses.

The public prosecutor does not believe this explanation and believes that the three defendants are co-perpetrators of the rape. "None of the three can explain the closure of the store while this young woman was inside," notes the prosecution, which is demanding sentences of 4 and 5 years in prison.

The court also opened the argument for an eventual requalification of the charge of non-assistance to a person in danger for two of the defendants. 

The defense attorneys, for their part, argued for an acquittal

A young woman destroyed

In the courtroom, Laura can hardly contain her emotions. The tears flow. At moments, she has to leave the courtroom; the account of that night remains painful.

Since the incident, the young woman tells of having lost part of her life. She describes the nightmares, the fear of being approached by a man, the isolation, and the weight gain. She also lost her student job not being able to bring herself to leave her home.

In spite of her difficulties, she succeeded in finishing her first year at the university. However, it was necessary to adjust her schedule in order to continue her studies.

"I have the feeling of being thrown away like a broken toy that night. They took away my dignity, my body, my friends, my family, my education, and many other things. I demand justice," she declared.

Fortunately, the young woman can count on the support of her family and her mother.

Her attorney, Odile Maes, believes that the three defendants must be held accountable for what occurred in the store.

"That night, the three men knew very well what was happening in the back of the store. They all share responsibility," she argues.

The attorney also recalls the accusations brought by another client against one of the defendants. For her, the denials of the three men are not credible.

"They are sexual predators," Attorney Maes concludes.

The court will render its verdict at the beginning of November.

 

France: Update on the School Shooting

Aubagne

The French blog, Francois Desouche has posted three updates from French newspapers on this week's school shooting in Aubagne, France (outside Marseille) involving a 14-year-old boy. I have translated Fdesouche's updated headline as well as his summaries of the aforementioned three French newspaper reports. If you read French, all of the links are accessible. They are all dated October 14.

Aubagne (13): The schoolboy shooter said he prepared his attack and cited "revenge". He admitted the influence of the TCC (Update): He is of Ethiopian origin and had a keffiyeh in his guitar case that allowed him to conceal his weapon.

-Francois 10-14-2026 at 16:59 

The search of the guitar case in which the schoolboy had concealed his weapon to enter the school also led to the discovery of several objects that drew the attention of the investigators, namely: a scarf, three balaclavas, three fleeces (wool or wool-like material), a keffiyeh, and a cell phone. 

-TF1

According to one close source, the father is a former soldier and a possessor of weapons and ammunition as a sporting shooter. The adolescent is French, of Ethiopian origin through his mother, and has two older brothers. "It is a family that has never drawn any attention," one source notes.

-AFP

Questioned while in custody, the 14-year-old adolescent admitted to the facts and admitted having planned the project for several months, according to the national Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office (PNAT. He denied, however, having wanted to kill people he targeted.

The minor explained that he acted out of a "desire for revenge" due to harassment he attributed to teachers and classmates. The PNAT noted that, at this stage, these statements have not been corroborated by the investigation. 

Asked about the "True Crime Community", he admitted having been influenced by this movement but denied having acted in their name. His placement in pre-trial detention has been requested.

Le Parisien

10-14-2026