Urban Polarisation, Algorithmic Radicalisation, and the Securitization of Public Spaces: Assessing the Trajectory of Civil Unrest in France

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 16, No. 8, August 2026 | pp. 163–171

DOI: 10.46882/2026/GJPCS/160812

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: Urban Polarisation, Algorithmic Radicalisation, and the Securitization of Public Spaces: Assessing the Trajectory of Civil Unrest in France

Names of Authors: Jean-Louis Dupont¹, Marie-Therese Haddad²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Centre de Recherches Internationales, Sciences Po, Paris, France; ²Department of Conflict and Development Studies, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

Abstract:
This paper investigates the accelerating escalation of localized civil unrest and identity-based polarization across metropolitan France, exploring the structural nexus between socio-economic marginalization, digital communication networks, and state security architectures up to mid-2026. Utilizing a mixed-methods research framework combining digital network forensics with focus group field insights from marginalized urban perimeters (banlieues), we examine the structural limits of reactive state policing responses. The empirical evidence reveals that automated, micro-targeted alternative narratives engineered to exploit cultural and economic grievances disproportionately saturate local information ecosystems during moments of civil friction. Statistical correlation modeling establishes that a 25% increase in localized online exposure to verifiably false, emotionally volatile social media content precedes spikes in urban street confrontations by a predictable 24-hour window (r = 0.74, p < 0.01). The study highlights how traditional public-order policing models fail to suppress decentralized flash-mob mobilization architectures, which often leads to heavy-handed state containment. We conclude that mitigating urban polarization within metropolitan spaces requires transitioning away from purely militarized security lockdowns toward legally binding algorithmic transparency requirements and targeted, inclusive economic structural investments.

Keywords: Urban Polarisation; France; Algorithmic Radicalisation; Civil Unrest; Securitization; Public Space

Manuscript Timeline: Received: January 08, 2025; Revised: April 15, 2025; Accepted: June 02, 2025; Published: August 31, 2026

Citation: Dupont, J. L., & Haddad, M. T. (2026). Urban Polarisation, Algorithmic Radicalisation, and the Securitization of Public Spaces: Assessing the Trajectory of Civil Unrest in France. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 16(8), 163–171. DOI: 10.46882/2026/GJPCS/160812

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