France: Moroccan Guy Lights His Cigarette From Flame on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Paris

Today in Paris, a Moroccan man with a record of 21 arrests, whose residence permit expires in October, casually walked up to the Arc of Triumph, where tourists were standing at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Jumping the barrier, the man leaned over the flame on the tomb, lit his cigarette, and casually walked off. A tourist recorded the scene on videotape and turned it over to the police. That same afternoon, the suspect was arrested (for the 22nd time, I assume).

Here's the obvious question: Why was this guy allowed to stay in Morocco France in the first place?

(My bad.)

Probably because Morocco refuses to accept its deported criminals back into their country, same as Algeria. 

On this issue, Europe should take a few pointers from Trump.

The article below from Le Figaro is partially translated by Fousesquawk in the interest of time. There are several paragraphs in the lower half of the article that talk about reactions and the background of the memorial. They are not translated. The article contains the aforementioned video.

Arc of Triumph: person with no fixed abode placed in custody after lighting his cigarette with the flame of the Unknown Soldier.

By Clotilde Jegousse

10 minutes ago 

INFO Le Figaro- According to our information, the suspect is a Moroccan, well known to police, and has legal status in the country until October 2025.

Stunned tourists and a man clearly at ease. Since Tuesday, August 5, around  7:30 am, a video posted on social media has raised the ire of internet users. In front of a dozen people who came to contemplate the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, installed under the Arc of Triumph on November 11, 1920, in memory of soldiers who died for France during the First World War, a man passed through the barriers to go and kneel down on the upturned shield where the flame crackles. And he uses the fire to light his cigarette before climbing back over the gates without saying a word or turning around.

The man was stopped and placed in custody, the Minister of the Interior announced Tuesday evening, denouncing the gesture as "contemptible and squalid". The man who desecrated the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by lighting his cigarette with the memorial flame was arrested in Paris for violation of a grave, tomb, urn, or monument erected in memory of the dead. He was placed in custody and admitted to the act," Bruno Retailleau, wrote on X.

21 entries in his police record

According to our information, the suspect is without a fixed abode, of Moroccan nationality, and has legal status in French territory until October 2025, Le Figaro has learned. Arrested on Avenue Grande-Armee, the man initially denied responsibility before quickly admitting the facts. He is well known to the police and has 21 entries in police files, including auto theft, vandalism, violence, and public insults based on race. The arrest took place on Tuesday afternoon,  a police source informed AFP (Agence France Presse). "Following the report issued by the police prefect, the suspect will be brought before the court," according to the Minister of Interior.

According to information gathered by Le Figaro, the video was reportedly turned in by a Latvian tourist on Monday, August 4, shortly before 9 pm, and posted for the first time on TikTok social media immediately afterward. "He did not appear to be drunk or under the influence of drugs. On the contrary, he was clearly conscious of what he was doing and proud of having done it," the person who claimed to have made the video claimed to Le Figaro.----------------------------------------------

*Update (August 6, 2025): Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has announced that the suspect's residence permit is being terminated. That's the good news. The bad news is that France now has to find a way to get Mococco to take him back.