This is how Moscow’s propaganda has crept into the French protests

Paris. David Colon, a lecturer at Sciences Po Paris, where he teaches the History of Propaganda and Persuasive Communication Techniques, is one of the leading experts on information warfare. His latest book is “Infodémie. Comment lutter contre le virus de la désinformation” (Tallandier), an essay on the manipulation of Western media by the Kremlin’s disinformation and propaganda campaigns, but also a handbook on democratic resistance against this insidious war, which is decisive for the future of the West. In recent days, via his X account, Colon has revealed the extent to which the Russian propaganda groups Matryoshka and Storm-1516 – as well as Iranian and Algerian networks – have exploited the protests in France against the cost of living, helping to stoke the anger and discontent of the French people. “On Tuesday, the Russian disinformation network Matryoshka circulated 12 pieces of fake news (9 videos and 3 fake front pages) on X about the demonstrations in France, impersonating several French media outlets, including France24, Le Figaro, BFM TV and Le Parisien,” Colon told Il Foglio, emphasising that the content was also shared on TikTok.

So far, however, there has been no content from Storm-1516 relating to the demonstrations. On the other hand, on Tuesday, the disinformation network resumed its interference in next year’s presidential elections. “Storm-1516, linked to the Kremlin, has circulated a new piece of fake news targeting Raphaël Glucksmann (leader of Place Publique and Social Democratic candidate for the Élysée, ed.), which was spread on X by affiliated – and, in many cases, paid – influencers,” explains the professor at Sciences Po Paris, before adding: “Since Wednesday, thanks to the report published by the NGO Alliance4Europe, we are also aware of the involvement of two other Russian disinformation networks: Doppelgänger and Pravda. We are witnessing an opportunistic exploitation of the protests by Kremlin agents to amplify tensions, exacerbate polarisation and sow doubt about what is true and what is false. A well-established modus operandi.” The new development, Colon continues, is the “highly probable involvement of a group of users from Iran or with links to Iran, and from Algeria or with links to Algeria, who, since Saturday, have been spreading inflammatory content highlighting alleged acts of violence by the French police”.

The journalist Frédéric Martel, speaking on France Culture, cited an emblematic case: that of the Franco-Iranian influencer Shahin Hazamy, who on the morning of 7 October, following Hamas’s pogrom in Israel, posted this message on social media: “Mark the date (…) It is the beginning of the end for the Zionist entity”. “Hazamy holds a press card issued by the Islamic Republic of Iran and is very close to the Iranian authorities and intelligence services. Last September, he was convicted of glorifying terrorism, and even before Saturday’s demonstrations, he had been sharing reports on his social media channels of alleged violence by the police. He did so again during the demonstrations, with an account that reached a very wide audience and was, for the most part, authentic. Why? Because these influencers know how to exploit the characteristics of social media’s algorithmic systems, but they also know how to exploit the demands of the far left for strategic purposes,” says Colon. “In many respects, they are agents of chaos who, on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its representatives, are working to undermine the cohesion of our society at a particularly critical time,” he adds, also highlighting “the role of state media”. “The Algerian media, like their Iranian and Russian counterparts, have presented a view of the demonstrations focused solely on police violence, to the detriment of the protesters’ demands and the actions of the hooligans.”