Was Batman at France Riot? What We Know

A bizarre video purporting to show Batman striding through smoke and cutting through crowds of bemused rioters in Paris has gone viral, as the French city burns amid racial and police brutality protests.

A 14-second clip of a man dressed up in costume as the superhero from the DC Comics and several Hollywood movies was shared to TikTok by user @dave_bateman on Sunday, where it has now been viewed more than 8 million times, with many viewers apparently amused by the incongruous sight. Clad in the superhero's black rubber suit and a billowing cape, thumping music plays as the man is filmed from behind stalking through the smoky air and wandering through crowds of demonstrators—many of whom have also covered their faces with masks; albeit bandanas or COVID-style face coverings. In the video, some people are seen taking out their cell phones to film him as he walks past.

Although some of those sharing the clip apparently believed that it had been shot in France, in fact, Newsweek has learned that the clip is at least three years old and appears to have been filmed at Philadelphia City Hall at a Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest in May 2020. The city was the scene of riots and demonstrations sparked by the murder of George Floyd, who was killed at the time by police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, Minnesota. However, there is no suggestion @dave_bateman was aware the footage was old when sharing it.

The video was first uploaded to YouTube on May 30, 2020, by an account called "Bucks County Batman" with the caption: "Saving My City As Batman At City Hall George Floyd Protest." American voices can be heard calling out, and one of the signs held by a nearby protester clearly reads: "Justice for George Floyd."

That same video has been making the rounds again this weekend on TikTok, which is captioned, "Nah Batman pulled up to france [sic]," with a French flag and three skull emojis. A tag beneath the video dubbed the footage "French Revolution 2.0."

More than 15,000 viewers commented beneath the TikTok video, with many jokingly comparing Paris to Gotham City, the troubled crime-ridden fictional city that Batman strives to save.

One commenter wrote: "At this point, Paris has become Gotham City," while another added, "The Bat signal worked." One amused viewer commented: "Batman working overtime."

Charles Taieb, whose Twitter profile describes himself as a political analyst, shared the footage with his more than 4,000 followers. His caption translated in part as: "I don't understand this revolt anymore. Looting, burning cars...and Batman." There is no suggestion Taieb was aware the footage was old when he shared it.

Newsweek reached out by email to the account known as Bucks County Batman for comment about his footage circulating online amid claims it was filmed in France. He replied, "I'm not annoyed that my content is being re-shared. I appreciate it when people credit me for my work but I understand that a lot of people don't know exactly who the video came from when they re-create memes."

Discussing why he attended the BLM protest he said he wanted to "lighten the mood and try to keep the peace." He added, "I became the Bucks County Batman because I love kids and I feel like the world needed a real-life Batman. I visit local sick kids and I send personalized video messages to them. I also go live every day on Instagram and TikTok spreading my fitness and nutrition knowledge. Trying to make the world a healthier place."

There have been other alleged sightings of Batman in France too.

Another video posted to TikTok by an account called @iaby on Sunday showed dozens of men dressed as Batman storming out of a packed van and charging off. It was unclear when or where that clip was filmed, but the poster claimed it was during the French riots, with the caption: "Nah what's going on in France rn [right now] bro [...] The whole multiverse of batmans had to pull up to stop this. They are going to even the odds."

France has been rocked by riots since last week, when police in the Paris suburb of Nanterre fatally shot a 17-year-old boy on June 27. Nahel Merzouk, who was of Algerian and Moroccan descent, had been stopped by officers conducting a traffic stop. Officers initially claimed he had tried to ram them with his car when he tried to drive away, but footage later emerged that appeared to show the officers were standing at the side of the vehicle rather than in front of it, and that Merzouk was apparently shot at point-blank range.

Riots erupted after the shooting, sparking numerous fires and a ram-raid attack on a mayor's home, while French President Emmanuel Macron—who called the killing "unforgivable"—has desperately appealed for calm. The policeman alleged to have pulled the trigger is currently in custody under investigation, France 24 reported.

Newsweek has also reached out by email to the French Ministry of the Interior for an update and comment on the riots.

Update 07/04/23 12:26 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Bucks County Batman.