Yes, the "hands cut off" rumor from the 2023 riots traces back exactly to this October 18, 2022 incident.
According to a detailed
AFP fact-check from July 2023, a gruesome video circulated widely during the Nahel Merzouk riots claiming to show a Frenchman who had his hand(s) severed by rioters/migrants while trying to stop his car from being burned. This was
false.
What actually happened:
- On October 18, 2022, a man (a quadragenarian) deliberately threw himself under an oncoming tram on line T9 (between Paris 13th arrondissement and Ivry-sur-Seine, near Porte de Choisy / Halle Georges Carpentier).
- He was severely injured, including losing a hand (severed or crushed by the tram).
- The video shows him lying on/near the tracks at night with a severed hand visible and a pool of blood — exactly as described in the rumor.
- Traffic was interrupted around 8:45 p.m. (or ~20:45–21:30 depending on reports) due to the suicide attempt. Keolis (the transport operator) and Paris police confirmed the details.
The video originated in late 2022 (some people on social media mentioned it at the time), was later deleted from platforms, and then
recirculated decontextualized in July 2023 during the riots to fuel outrage. French authorities (police prefecture and local mayor) explicitly debunked the riot connection.