Russian TV Host Mocks France When Comparing Protests to Wagner Mutiny

A Russian state TV host and staunch Vladimir Putin ally denigrated the citizen uprising in France, comparing the violence there to the lack of aggression that occurred during the Russian Wagner Group's recent failed mutiny.

Violence has taken place in France for nearly a week following the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk at the hands of police in the western Paris suburb of Nanterre. While reports originally claimed the teenager attempted refused to comply with a traffic stop, video of the incident later released showed the victim getting shot in the chest at point-blank range.

That shooting occurred four days after the Wagner Group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, threatened Russian military officials and Moscow itself as part of a "march of justice" on June 24. After demanding the resignations of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov over their handling of the war in Ukraine, he ultimately ended the threats by brokering a deal with Putin ally Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus, to seek refuge in his country.

"I look at everything that is happening," said Vladimir Solovyov, Russian propagandist and Russian Channel 1 anchor, in a video posted by Julia Davis, founder of the Russian Media Monitor watchdog group. "The sole statement of the Supreme Commander on Saturday morning, followed by serious diplomatic work, with the understanding of how the country reacted, was enough to nip an armed mutiny in the bud. It was put to rest without extensive bloodshed and without military clashes."

Zartoshte Bakhtiari, mayor of Neuilly-sur-Marne, east of Paris, said last week as violence escalated that police cars had been set on fire, the local housing department burnt out and the cultural center and kindergarten were attacked in his suburb.

That same day, about 20 young men reportedly threw fireworks at a prison in Fresnes, south of Paris. Fireworks were also thrown at police stations.

The officer who allegedly killed Merzouk, who was unarmed at the time, was detained last Thursday and placed under formal investigation by the Nanterre prosecutor's office on charges of voluntary homicide. A GoFundMe campaign in the officer's name has surpassed $1.4 million as of Monday evening—nearly four times the amount raised for Merzouk's mother as part of a similar fundraiser.

"What do we see in France? Everything is burning, everything is exploding," Solovyov said. "The mayor of some city was attacked, along with his family. Can this be compared to Moscow or Rostov? Can this be compared to our cities during difficult times, from Friday night to Saturday night? Not even close!"

That referenced French official is Vincent Jeanbrun, mayor of L'Haÿ-les-Roses in the southern suburbs of Paris, who reported that his burnt-out car was used to attack his home.

He said that "at 1:30 a.m." on Sunday, "while I was at the city hall like the past three nights, individuals rammed their car upon my residence before setting fire to it to burn my house, inside which my wife and my two young children slept."

Solovyov also had harsh words for twice-elected French President Emmanuel Macron, who he instructed to call Lukashenko to aid French rebels "so they don't put too much soap on [Macron's] French hiney."

"They hate you! Your words mean nothing to the French people," Solovyov said about Macron. "But the words of our president mean a lot to the Army and for the people. Because our president was elected by our people. Our people love and respect our president. As for you, who are you? All of you European politicians, who are you?"

Putin delivered two speeches in a three-day span following Prigozhin's failed mutiny, both similar in tone, blaming Ukrainian "Nazis" and the West for aggression against Russia.

Newsweek reached out to Macron's office for comment.