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French writer and researcher living in Morocco, France Col, criticized the performance of the French police in dealing with acts of violence and vandalism that reportedly occurred in the country on October 17, praising the performance of the Moroccan police and calling for benefiting from their security management experience.
Col stated in an open letter to the French Minister of Interior, Laurent Nuñez, dated October 23, 2026, that France witnessed unprecedented acts of looting, vandalism, and assaults, describing them as unprecedented. She pointed to the burning of buildings and cars, and the smashing and looting of shops, considering that the police intervention was not up to the required standard. The letter cited the case of a shopkeeper named Jérôme Gremon, whose shop in Paris was vandalized and looted. She added that he contacted the police and waited for about 20 minutes before receiving a response stating that its elements were unable to intervene and that he should manage the situation himself. Col criticized the Minister of Interior's management of security situations, considering that the French authorities failed to contain the events, and also doubted his ability to lead the planned security operations to confront new protests.
In contrast, the letter praised the performance of the Moroccan police, recalling France's reliance on Moroccan security personnel to secure Paris during the 2024 Olympic Games, considering that their participation passed without incidents, according to the letter. The Moroccan security system was also described as a model to be followed, and elements of the French police were called to be sent to Morocco to benefit from the Moroccan training and experience in dealing with complex security situations. The letter also included criticisms of French President Emmanuel Macron for his refusal, according to Col, to accept the resignation of the Minister of Interior, considering that the continuation of officials she described as incompetent in their positions reflects a flaw in crisis management.
