Sometimes, nature calls. And when nature is calling you to have a smoke, but you don’t have a lighter, well, you have to get creative.
That’s basically what happened when a man decided to light his cigarette off the eternal flame in Paris .
Video of the incident has gone viral and could spell deportation for the person who did it.
- A man in Paris could face deportation for lighting a cigarette off the eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
- Video of the incident went viral, prompting police to arrest the person.
- France’s tomb is not guarded by the military, unlike the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington, DC, which is one of the most heavily guarded in the world.
- Once, JKF’s eternal flame was doused by holy water, and a smoker actually saved the day.
A man is seen casually lighting his cigarette, then walking away
Arc de Triomphe in Paris with traffic, near the Tomb of Unknown Soldier where a man was arrested lighting a cigarette.
Man lighting the flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier while officials and photographers observe nearby.
According to various news reports and the now-viral video, the incident happened at the eternal flame of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
In the video, a man in white pants steps over a thick chain link barrier surrounding the flame, which is maybe 30 centimeters (1 foot) off the ground.
He casually bends forward, lights his cigarette, steps back across the fence, then carries on as if nothing had happened.
Man lighting cigarette on Tomb of Unknown Soldier while tourists watch, facing arrest and deportation controversy.
None of the people who witnessed the event appeared to say anything at that moment.
But when someone posted the video of what happened on social media, it took off.
Politicians and others lambasted the move as outrageous and an insult to a sacred space, calling for his arrest.
A video of the man went viral and prompted his arrest
Man lighting cigarette on Tomb of Unknown Soldier flame while bystanders watch, facing arrest and deportation risks.
Police obliged.
He was taken into custody earlier this week, with police putting out a statement that read in part:
“This individual who lit a cigarette with the flame of the Unknown Soldier was arrested by our #police colleagues,” the statement said.
According to the New York Times , “In France, violating a burial site, tomb , urn or monument can be punished by up to a year in prison and a fine of 15,000 euros (about $17,400).”
Whether the man was aware that he was violating a sacred space is unclear.
Man lighting cigarette on Tomb of Unknown Soldier flame, people watching nearby in public area.
Comment by Diane Aniol emphasizing respect for memorials and sacred spaces after man arrested for lighting cigarette on tomb.
Comment by Teri Lee Fure expressing support for the man’s arrest after disrespectful act at tomb of unknown soldier.
His name has not been released by police.
But they did say he is a 47-year-old Moroccan national, legally living and working in France.
The NY Times article quotes an unnamed source as saying that the man’s residency could be revoked as a result of his wrongdoing.
There are no military personnel protecting France’s Unknown Soldier tomb
Outrageous display of disrespect as a man lights his cigarette from the External Flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Paris, France pic.twitter.com/AhGKQ78wQM — Dacey Media (@chrisdacey) August 5, 2025
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