A man in a wheelchair has been branded a “hero” after he scooped up a smoking tear gas canister and threw it straight back at riot police.
As violent clashes continue to spread across France, the clip of the man was shared widely across social media. Alternative news accounts including Brics News pushed the moment as a symbol of “wheelchair defiance” and growing public resistance amid escalating civil unrest.
Protests rock France
The dramatic scene came as France continues to be rocked by massive, country-wide protests that erupted in mid-September driven by a nationwide high school student movement dubbed “Block Everything”.
Backed by left-wing political parties, university students, parents and major public unions, the demonstrations saw hundreds of thousands take to the streets demanding €10 billion (£8.6 billion) in emergency funding for education. The wheelchair video emerged as scrutiny mounted over the French government’s response to the student strikes.
Police response and backlash
Riot police were deployed in force, with water cannons and chemical tear gas used to push crowds back. Authorities have carried out more than 6,600 arrests, with reports saying the vast majority were teenagers under the age of 18.
The policing has triggered a fierce backlash in France, including from legal and magistrate unions, following several life-altering injuries to minors. In one case highlighted by campaigners, a 14-year-old boy suffered a shattered jaw after an alleged point-blank tear gas grenade launcher shot in Paris.
In another, a 15-year-old reportedly lost a hand to a police stun grenade in Lens, prompting legal action accusing police of disproportionate force.
Social media reaction
As the wheelchair clip spread, social media users flooded timelines with praise and fury in equal measure. One wrote: “I love the French approach“.
Another warned: “Btw , this is a first world country. If can happen there then it can happen anywhere [sic].“Come on people, stand up for whats right “ A third posted: “REVOLUTION TIME.“
A separate individual chimed in: “The whole world has had enough of the rich, powerful, kings, queens, politicians, the bankers, the banks, billionaires, all life can be improved easily if they were not so encapsulated by greed and control, the Epstein class it is.” Someone else penned: “Key words - throwing back. He is a hero “
