Vandalism affects thousands of businesses

At least 3,000 businesses in France were affected by acts of vandalism over the weekend, according to the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises, Trade, and Purchasing Power. This occurred in the context of the October 17 anti-high-cost-of-living demonstration, which saw widespread protests across the country.

Video shows someone claiming to protect a restaurant

A video surfaced showing a man wearing a white chef's jacket with a multicolored collar, shouting "Mollo, mollo! C'est mon restaurant" (Slow down, it's my restaurant) toward what appears to be demonstrators and law enforcement. The man also expresses concern that "They are going to burn it," according to the person filming the video.

Social media post claims the man is Philippe Etchebest

A Facebook post summarized that "Philippe Etchebest is trying his best to protect his restaurant during the demonstrations." However, the authenticity of the video has been questioned, leading to further investigation into its origins and content.

Video was found to be manipulated

A reverse image search revealed the original video on TikTok, uploaded by an influencer with nearly 650,000 followers. The video was viewed over 2 million times, but the person in the video is not Etchebest but a young man with black hair and clothing. The image of Etchebest was altered using artificial intelligence.

Philippe Etchebest is not connected to the restaurant

Etchebest is not listed as a director of the Parisian restaurant, 808 Mac And Cheese, visible on a map at the intersection of Rue de Saintonge and Boulevard du Temple in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris. According to his personal website, Etchebest is the owner of five establishments, all located in Bordeaux. A post on his Facebook page dated October 19 states that he is "at the end of the world," indicating he is far from the current unrest in Paris.