Just days before the tenth anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo attack, French authorities arrested an Algerian TikToker based in Brittany for inciting violence in France. Known online as Zazou Youcef, the individual had a following of 400,000 and used his platform to call for violent actions against French citizens and critics of Algeria’s regime.
In one video, posted on New Year’s Eve but later removed, Youcef urged attacks on January 1st, declaring, “We’re going to do to you what we did in the ’90s. Shoot them, we’ve got to use the gunpowder.” Speaking in Arabic, he mimicked shooting motions. His inflammatory rhetoric included antisemitic and anti-French remarks, saying, “Shoot the French, and we’ll bury them with the Jews.”
A second video, still circulating online, escalated his threats. Filming himself in the streets of Brest, he proclaimed, “We are at war,” while making throat-slitting gestures and hurling more insults. These posts went viral, catching the attention of law enforcement.
Youcef, aged 25, was no stranger to legal trouble. In December 2023, he was sentenced to a year in prison for participating in summer riots, during which he and accomplices set fire to a tennis court and damaged sports equipment. However, the sentence did not include immediate imprisonment, leaving him free. Additionally, he was under an expulsion order issued by the Finistère prefecture in April 2024.
On January 3rd, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced Youcef’s arrest, declaring on social media, “Don’t let anything get past us.”
This incident isn’t isolated. Algerian anti-regime activist Chawki Benzehra has identified other individuals promoting similar violent rhetoric, including one influencer whose video, viewed over 858,000 times, called for extreme acts against French citizens.
French authorities hope the Algerian government will cooperate in permanently deporting Youcef and taking action against other influencers spreading hate. This arrest underscores the need for vigilance and swift action to address such threats.
