He lit a cigarette from the flame of the unknown soldier and was referred to the French judiciary

Social media users circulated a video showing a man lighting his cigarette from the flame of the unknown soldier.

Despite the barriers around the grave of the unknown soldier, which suggest that approaching is prohibited, the man crossed them without caring about the laws.

The video was filmed by a tourist who was present at the scene and later posted it on TikTok.

Later, the clip was widely circulated on platform X, revealing that the woman is indeed a photographer for the newspaper “Le Figaro.”

The Minister Delegate for Memory and Veterans Affairs, Patricia Miralles, ordered the case to be referred to the judiciary to identify the person. The minister stated in her post: “This flame is not for lighting cigarettes, but it honors the sacrifices of millions of our soldiers.”

She added: “What happened is not just an uncivilized act, but a blatant insult to the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for France,” and emphasized that “the memory of France will not be insulted without consequences.”