The 47-year-old Moroccan man who lit his cigarette by the flame of the Unknown Soldier monument and until now has been legally residing in France with a residence permit until October 2025 has been taken into custody. As announced by the French Ministry of the Interior, he will have his residence permit revoked.

The incident took place Monday night under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris when the man approached the flame, knelt down and lit a cigarette. It was all captured on video by a tourist from Latvia, who posted the footage on TikTok. The snapshot quickly made the rounds on social media, sparking strong reactions.

The tourist’s testimony, who spoke to Le Figaro newspaper, said the man did not appear to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, but seemed “fully aware and proud of his actions.”

Authorities say the 47-year-old man is already known to police and judicial authorities. He admitted his action.

The interior minister wrote on platform X: “This act, undeserved and deplorable, insults the memory of those who fell for France.”

The Monument to the Unknown Soldier has stood under the Arc de Triomphe since 11 November 1920, in memory of the soldiers who died for France during the First World War.