The BBC is being flamed for calling the riots engulfing France “mostly peaceful,” while airing footage of masked looters torching cars and clashing with cops.

The British national broadcaster’s Paris correspondent, James Waterhouse, was reporting on the French protests Monday after a weekend of chaos that saw more than 2,400 arrested across the country.

“In Paris and beyond, half a million people had filled cities across France to protest over the future of their country,” Waterhouse said in the report for the media giant, which is funded by a mandatory TV license paid by UK households.

The BBC faces criticism for describing France’s riots as ‘mostly peaceful’ while airing footage of burning cars and looted shops.

“They were mostly peaceful, but as we saw in the capital, in the wings were those who wanted to take advantage of the disorder,” he added.

But the “mostly peaceful” message was undercut by the BBC’s use of footage showing a clip of a burning car while rioters yelled in the background.

The report then cut to footage of masked crowds fighting cops, starting fires, and storming a wine shop.

“The shops that have been hit have been completely gutted, like this wine shop has been looted top to bottom,” Waterhouse said.

“And this morning, in Paris and across France, there is an anger. Few believe this was at the hands of the genuine protesters, but down to an opportunistic minority who came in and sought to rob and cause carnage,” he added.

---

More coverage of the riots plaguing France’s streets

• French leftists plan major Paris protest Saturday as absent Macron vows no repeat to riots
• French Apple store looters get unpleasant surprise on stolen iPhones: ‘Disabled and being tracked’
• Anarchy in France: Behind the riots and violent protests
• US radicals who traveled to France to join cop-bashing protests reveal plans to ‘raise hell’ on our shores

---

The BBC’s reporting of events in France was mocked for underplaying the violence.

Protesters clash with police near Place de la Republique as fires burn and barricades are erected during a protest in Paris, France, on Sunday. ZUMAPRESS.comBicycles are engulfed in flames after riots erupted in Paris on Saturday. Str/UPI/ShutterstockA fire burning and destroying the city hall after a group of individuals forced entry into the building during ongoing protest action against the “high cost of living,” in Limoges, central France on Saturday. AFP via Getty Images

“If it were not for social media, we would have no idea what is going on in France. The BBC are still claiming it is ‘mostly peaceful’ …” one X user wrote.

“Mostly peaceful protests is how the BBC described the unrest in France. Another narrative to gaslight millions,” wrote another.

“We’ve seen this movie before. Fake News CNN stood in front of a burning Kenosha in 2020 and told America the same thing,” wrote a third, referencing an infamous report during the riots following the death of George Floyd, when reporter Omar Jimenez described the scenes as “fiery but mostly peaceful,” while standing in front of several burning cars.