The article examines how recent civil unrest in France is being used to renew attacks on French citizens of Maghrebi and African origin. Its author argues that xenophobic rhetoric has long blamed these communities for everything from minor dysfunction to the gravest national crises. Unrest has shaken mainland France over the past few weeks, and the coverage focuses on the reaction it has prompted. The piece places that reaction within a broader pattern of scapegoating, in which one group is held responsible for a wide range of unrelated problems. Rather than treating racial hostility as a response to disorder, the author presents it as part of the disorder’s political exploitation. The article does not provide figures for the riots or details of the official response.