Albania in place of Paris: when CNews and Franceinfo fabricate the “Muslim crowd” that never existed

N. Rochat — Genève, Suisse — 2026-10-25

The fact, first

On October 24, French youth take to the streets. And what do CNews and Franceinfo show, live on air? Clashes, marches, tensions — filmed in Albania. Footage of Tirana presented as the streets of Paris and Lyon. The information was confirmed by Libération, the Huffington Post, AP and Midi Libre: the French channels “mixed up” footage of a foreign protest with that of a French protest. The correction came, embarrassed, after the fact.

The “coincidence” that is never one

And here is the involuntary confession. Why Albania? Why that country, and not another? Because Albania is a Muslim-majority country. By pasting footage of Tirana over the French mobilization, the French viewer is made to see what they want him to see: Muslims in the foreground, busy “setting France ablaze”. This is not a control-room error: this is the fabrication of an image. An error, when it always repeats in the same direction — Muslims, Arabs, Blacks in the foreground — is no longer an error. It is a method.

The mechanics, once again

Let us recall the sequence, for it is always the same. The aim is to discredit a social mobilization. It cannot be discredited through its demands — the right to study, the cost of living — so it is discredited through its face. So they go abroad to find a Muslim-majority crowd, and pass it off as French. The viewer no longer sees the youth demanding classrooms: he sees “the foreigner”, “Islam”, “savagery”. The trick is done, and Islamophobia has won an evening of airtime.

The conclusion

CNews and Franceinfo apologize, “control-room error”. But the question is not who pressed the wrong button: it is why, in this country, the false image always goes in the same direction — and always against Muslims. An error that manufactures hatred is not an error. It is a production. And those who broadcast it are not clumsy journalists: they are suppliers of fear. The only real question is what they will do tomorrow — and the answer, we already know.

📚 BIBLIOGRAPHY (rule no. 19)

1. Libération, “It wasn't Paris: CNews and France Info air footage of unrest… in Albania”, October 25, 2026 — https://www.liberation.fr/economie/medias/ce-netait-pas-a-paris-en-plein-direct-sur-la-mobilisation-du-24-octobre-cnews-et-france-info-diffusent-des-images-de-tensions-en-albanie-20261025_HURKYDBUWVAKFO76IZRMQTNCIU/

2. Huffington Post, “CNews thinks it is commenting on footage of the Paris protest… but it is Albania” — https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/medias/article/cnews-retropedale-apres-avoir-diffuse-des-images-des-manifestations-en-albanie-a-la-place-de-la-france_344394.html

3. AP News, “French TV channels scramble to apologize after airing Albanian protests as Paris and Lyon” — https://apnews.com/article/france-protests-albania-clashes-footage-paris-lyon-5850458dcbc5249cc3ad5161ccce7103

4. Midi Libre, “CNews and franceinfo mistakenly air footage filmed in Albania” — https://www.midilibre.fr/2026/10/25/manifestation-du-24-octobre-en-plein-direct-cnews-et-franceinfo-diffusent-par-erreur-des-images-filmees-en-albanie-a-la-place-des-corteges-francais-13619552.php

⚠️ Published reservations. (1) The airing of footage from Albania in place of France is a fact documented by Libération, the Huffington Post, AP and Midi Libre. (2) The reading “a Muslim-majority country pasted over the protest” is an editorial analysis, not a fact established by the channels. (3) The article criticizes a media treatment, not a person.