Riots in France: Who Is David Lisnard, the Presidential Candidate Whose Response About 1961 Went Viral?

Appearing on LCI on October 19, 2026, to discuss weekend violence and looting, David Lisnard sharply rebuffed a student who asked about the October 17, 1961, repression of an Algerian demonstration in Paris. Saying the country had moved on, he sparked widespread reaction on social media. The mayor of Cannes since 2014 and president of the Association of Mayors of France left Les Républicains in 2026 and is running in the 2027 presidential election with his Nouvelle Énergie movement. An Ifop poll published in September gave him 3.5% of first-round voting intentions.