Paris Street Medic Speaks Out: 'I'm Alive' Despite Viral Death Hoax

A video showing French riot police violently beating a 26-year-old street medic in Paris has gone viral, with social media users falsely claiming he died from his injuries. But the street medic is alive, and spoke to FRANCE 24. The rumour was fuelled by confusion with a separate incident that same day: a man died of cardiac arrest in the same area, causing online users to conflate the two events. In this episode of Truth or Fake, Vedika Bahl explains how the misinformation spread and why it's important to verify claims before sharing. The street medic's survival highlights the dangers of conflating separate incidents and the real-world consequences of viral falsehoods. Watch the full video to hear directly from the medic and learn how fact-checkers are working to set the record straight amid the chaos of the Paris protests.