The Network Evening News Covers France Riots, Mostly With Reluctance

Jorge Bonilla
October 20th, 2026 12:39 AM

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The Elitist Media Evening News have been dragged, kicking and screaming, into coverage of the ongoing French riots over “education” and “affordability.” Their reluctant coverage leaves viewers with major gaps in understanding what is going on. Some of that is by design.

The most egregious omission comes via ABC News, with its misrepresentation of the viral “she’s a sister” moment.

 

 

TOM SOUFI-BURRIDGE: And tonight, the dramatic images of this woman defending her store, blocking the entrance as chaos reigns all around. France is still counting the cost tonight. 

Of course, that’s not the whole story. The “woman defending her store” had help from the rioters as they realized that “she’s a sister”, and urged others to leave the store alone. Below is that moment in its full context:

 

 

In another embarrassing moment, Soufi-Burridge vaguely refers to non-student protesters as “trade unions and members of a popular protest movement.” Which of these are waving the Palestinian flag and/or the Hammer and Sickle? Soufi-Burridge doesn’t elaborate. The whole report is an exercise in anti-news. 

CBS puts forth a more serious effort on the Evening News:

 

 

AIDAN STRETCH: Tonight, French authorities are tracking down violent rioters responsible for looting and destruction. Across Europe this weekend, demonstrators clashed with police in Brussels, while hundreds in Milan vandalized storefronts and hurled rocks at law enforcement. The most extreme unrest was in cities across France where protests over poor school conditions and worker pay were hijacked by masked rioters who torched cars, burned down government buildings, and looted stores, stealing most of the inventory from this boxing shop. Owner Yannick said the protesters have gone too far.

YANNICK: It's like a war. It's chaos. So- and it's not over.

STRETCH: Officials said 3000 businesses were damaged or looted. More than 2500 people detained, and nearly 1000 police officers injured.

CBS’s report could best be described as anodyne, not really ruffling any feathers but not as actively bad as ABC’s. The report did cite President Macron as saying the “far left” were responsible for the riots, as opposed to ABC’s weird and vague “popular protest movement.”

NBC’s item by Richard Engel was all over the place. There was the strong intro by Tom Llamas, a proper mention of the burning of the historic Limoges city hall, and then there was this weird close:

 

 

RICHARD ENGEL: Much of the anger in the streets is aimed at French President Emmanuel Macron and a troubled economy. Macron blasted for attending a Celine Dion concert Friday night, said by his detractors to show him to be out of touch. Tear gas is now just falling right around us. We were there earlier this month as student protests over school conditions, initially peaceful, were growing and meeting resistance. Some of the demonstrators are trying to kick it away, to throw it away. Why all of this now? A mix of discontented youth, economic anxiety and politics, with France's far right saying all of the mayhem is caused by illegal immigration- hoping to capitalize on these scenes to win national elections just six months from now. Richard Engel, NBC News.

Engel frets that the right, or “far right”, might “capitalize” on the riots en route to winning the upcoming presidential election. One is compelled to give him some credit for not saying “seize on” the riots, but the language is already evocative of Ye Olde Republicans Pounce.

One theme was consistent: the networks continue to dance around what is really happening throughout these riots. Education may have been at the start of that happened, but those originals protests were co-opted very early on. Now, there is only violence. 

NewsNation’s Leland Vittert sums it up quite succinctly:

 

 

Click “expand” to view the full transcripts of the aforementioned reports as aired on their respective evening newscasts on Monday, October 19th, 2026:

ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT

10/19/26

6:39 PM

DAVID MUIR: We turn now to France. We're also live in that country tonight where violent protests have been sweeping across much of the country. Stores looted, buildings burned. And tonight thousands have been arrested. Now, curfews in effect at this hour, protesters furious over cuts and affordability in that country. ABC's Tom Soufi-Burridge from Paris tonight.

TOM SOUFI-BURRIDGE: Tonight, a wave of riots spiraling into violence across France, from Paris to Lyon and Marseille. In the city of Limoges, rioters torching the nearly 150-year-old town hall. The tower engulfed in flames, collapsing. Protesters angry at public services and the cost of living, setting this tourism office ablaze. In Lyon, an iconic city's groups of masked youths clashing with police, smashing up and looting stores. French officials say more than 3000 businesses ransacked or vandalized. In Paris, rioters stole nearly all of Yannick's stock. He says there weren't enough police officers to stop the violence.

YANNICK: It was up and down. No one to- no one to- to stop them. It was completely chaos around the city.

SOUFI-BURRIDGE: And tonight, the dramatic images of this woman defending her store, blocking the entrance as chaos reigns all around. France is still counting the cost tonight. Look at these burnt-out vehicles on street after street in Paris, there is widespread destruction. France is no stranger to violent protests, but these riots were the most violent in years. Protests that began with students last month have now spread to trade unions and members of a popular protest movement. Despite the unrest, an NFL game planned at Paris's Stade de France between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints next Sunday is still going ahead.

MUIR: So let's bring in Tom Soufi-Burridge. He's live in Paris tonight for us. And Tom, you were telling us earlier there are now curfews in effect tonight.

SOUFI-BURRIDGE: That's right. David, there are curfews now in place tonight in multiple French cities. You can see police have closed this main square here in central Paris. The government here now under intense pressure to prevent more violence as the protests are expected to continue. David.MUIR: Tom Soufi-Burridge live in Paris tonight for us. Tom, our thanks to you and the team there as well. 

CBS EVENING NEWS

10/18/26

6:31 PM

TONY DOKOUPIL: And good evening, great to have you with us on a Monday night. We begin with those riots in France, turning even uglier over the weekend. The damage and destruction now among the worst in years. What began as student-led protests over cuts to education has spiraled into widespread arson, looting, and what the French president called “unrestrained violence.” Thousands have been arrested and curfews are now in effect as authorities fight to regain control. Here's CBS's Aidan Stretch on what's fueling the violence and what's next.

AIDAN STRETCH: Tonight, French authorities are tracking down violent rioters responsible for looting and destruction. Across Europe this weekend, demonstrators clashed with police in Brussels, while hundreds in Milan vandalized storefronts and hurled rocks at law enforcement. The most extreme unrest was in cities across France where protests over poor school conditions and worker pay were hijacked by masked rioters who torched cars, burned down government buildings, and looted stores, stealing most of the inventory from this boxing shop. Owner Yannick said the protesters have gone too far.

YANNICK: It's like a war. It's chaos. So- and it's not over.

STRETCH: Officials said 3000 businesses were damaged or looted. More than 2500 people detained, and nearly 1000 police officers injured. The French interior minister conceded that authorities had lost control in some major cities. The unrest comes six months before presidential elections, as both France's far left and far right parties surge in the polls. On Sunday, French president Emmanuel Macron blamed the violence on radical far left groups, saying the rioters will be held accountable. Tonight the French government has imposed curfews in districts across the country, including right here in central Paris, to deter flareups before planned demonstrations resume next weekend. Tony.

DOKOUPIL: Aidan, thank you.

NBC NIGHTLY NEWS

10/19/26

6:38 PM

TOM LLAMAS: We're going to head overseas now to France, where authorities are desperately trying to rein in those violent protests across the country. Today protesters shutting down the Louvre, and tonight, there are new curfews across the country. Here's Richard Engel. 

RICHARD ENGEL: Curfews in cities across France tonight as the government tries to bring calm. Clashes outside the Louvre museum today, closed because of protests. Just the latest dustup between demonstrators and police. In the city of Limoges, the historic city hall went up in flames, set on fire during nationwide protests over the weekend. The gathered crowd cheers when the spire collapses. Across the country, authorities have arrested thousands. Water cannons used in attempts to disperse crowds this weekend. But the prime minister said as many as 3000 businesses were impacted. Some looted. Much of the anger in the streets is aimed at French President Emmanuel Macron and a troubled economy. Macron blasted for attending a Celine Dion concert Friday night, said by his detractors to show him to be out of touch. Tear gas is now just falling right around us. We were there earlier this month as student protests over school conditions, initially peaceful, were growing and meeting resistance. Some of the demonstrators are trying to kick it away, to throw it away. Why all of this now? A mix of discontented youth, economic anxiety and politics, with France's far right saying all of the mayhem is caused by illegal immigration- hoping to capitalize on these scenes to win national elections just six months from now. Richard Engel, NBC News.

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