Hate opens with shots of protests and violence in Paris, along with scenes of police officers putting chain-like protectors onto their car. Many of the protests featured take place in the center of Paris, with Hausmannian buildings in the background. There are scenes of protestors breaking down windows, of tear gas being thrown into the crowd, and people being dragged away from the scene. Indeed, as the film progresses, it follows three main characters: young, immigrant men living outside of the city of Paris in Parisian suburbs. The men have all been involved in local protests against the police in some way. In fact, one of their close friends was injured in a recent confrontation and spends the entire movie in the hospital. By the end of