18.10.2026 15:20
During protests in France, a couple over the age of 80 was attacked in the middle of the street, robbed, and left half-naked. Footage of what the elderly couple experienced drew a huge backlash, while the incident prompted sharp criticism of President Emmanuel Macron and the government's security policies.
An incident alleged to have occurred during protests held in Paris, the capital of France, on October 17 drew attention.
According to reports in the French press cited by BFMTV, a woman and a man over the age of 80 near Place de la République were attacked by a group of people.
The attackers forcibly took the elderly couple's jewelry, valuables, and some of their clothing.
LEFT ALMOST NAKED
The attackers also took some of the clothes the elderly couple were wearing and fled the scene.
It was reported that the couple, said to have been left almost naked in the middle of the street, were later rescued with the help of people nearby.
It was learned that the incident occurred during the hours when clashes took place between security forces and some groups around Place de la République.
"THE MOST HORRIFYING IMAGE OF OCTOBER 17"
In a social media post shared about the incident, what the elderly couple experienced was sharply criticized.
In the post, saying "For me, this is the most horrifying image of October 17," it was conveyed that the couple was robbed in the middle of the street and left half-naked.
The message also referred to the looting of stores of brands such as Rolex, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Dior, and Sephora and expressed outrage that elderly people were also targeted.
HARSH CRITICISM OF MACRON
The person who made the post also targeted French President Emmanuel Macron over the incident they claimed occurred.
The user, arguing that Macron could not ensure security in the country, also criticized the radical left and immigration policies. The post claimed that what happened served as a warning for Western countries.
Meanwhile, while it was confirmed that looting and violence occurred around Paris's Place de la République during the demonstrations held in France on October 17, not all details of the claims that the elderly couple was attacked have yet been verified by independent sources. No official investigation statement regarding the incident could be reached either.