Paris prosecutors investigate calls to attack delivery riders over their race. What to do in France if you are insulted or threatened because of your origin: where to report it and how to file a complaint
On 31 October it emerged that the Paris prosecutor's office is investigating social-media calls to attack Black and Arab-origin delivery riders. How injure differs from provocation à la haine, when to call 17, what PHAROS does, and how to file a plainte.
What happened
On Saturday 31 October it emerged that the Paris prosecutor's office (parquet de Paris) has opened an investigation for incitement to racial hatred (provocation à la haine raciale). It was triggered by audio recordings shared on social media in which speakers urged others to lure Black and Arab-origin delivery riders to isolated spots and attack them as a group, up to and including calls to kill them. According to franceinfo, some of the exchanges took place in a live session on X.
Uber said it was shocked and sent safety messages to all its drivers and couriers. The riders' union Union indépendant intends to raise the matter with Uber, Deliveroo, X and TikTok, and the Maison des coursiers says some riders are frightened.
The same day, Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire reported pro-"remigration" graffiti on the fronts of several shops: the city is referring the matter to the prosecutor and filing a complaint, and its cleaning teams are removing the tags.
The investigation has only just begun; nobody has been charged.
Three offences that are often confused
French law distinguishes several offences, and the deadlines and steps depend on which one applies (per service-public.gouv.fr):
- Injure (insult). If it is racist or discriminatory and made in public, the rules provide for up to 1 year in prison and a €45,000 fine; in private, a €1,500 fine. A complaint about a racist insult can be filed within 1 year (3 months for an ordinary insult).
- Provocation à la haine, à la violence ou à la discrimination — inciting hatred, violence or discrimination against a person or group, including because of nationality, ethnicity or religion. In public, social media included: up to 1 year in prison and €45,000; if it is a call to murder or violence, up to 5 years. The complaint deadline is short: service-public gives 3 months, or 1 year where the incitement is to commit a crime.
- Online harassment (cyberharcèlement) — a separate offence with its own rules.
The practical point: don't wait. Investigators, not the victim, decide which offence applies, and a missed deadline cannot be recovered.
What to do if it happens to you
1. In danger right now — call 17 (police and gendarmerie). PHAROS does not handle emergencies.
2. Keep the evidence. Screenshots showing the page address (URL), date and account name, links, recordings, witnesses' contact details.
3. Report public online content. Two routes, and you can use both:
- to the platform itself — X, TikTok, Facebook and others have a built-in report button; the host must check the content and, if it is illegal, alert the authorities and take it down;
- to PHAROS (internet-signalement.gouv.fr), the government platform that passes reports of illegal content, including discrimination and threats, to investigators.
PHAROS does not take insults or defamation, nor anything received by private message: for those, go straight to the police or gendarmerie.
4. File a complaint (plainte). A report to PHAROS or a platform is not a complaint. A complaint can be filed at any police station or gendarmerie of your choice — not necessarily where you live. You can also write to the public prosecutor (procureur de la République) at the court where the facts occurred or where the author lives, preferably by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. If the author is unknown, the complaint is filed against X (contre X).
5. Don't stay on your own. The victim support line 116 006 is free, every day from 9am to 8pm. Associations such as SOS Racisme can join the case as partie civile with the victim's consent.
One caveat
Knowingly making a false report about illegal content is itself an offence — report what you have seen yourself. This is a general overview of the rules, not an analysis of any particular situation: for your own case, a lawyer or a victim support service is the right place to ask.
Fiscly is an educational tool to help you understand the French tax system. It is not a substitute for professional tax advice. Tax situations are individual — always verify with impots.gouv.fr or a qualified accountant (expert-comptable) for your specific case.