A video filmed in Paris has sparked widespread backlash on social media, showing a municipal sanitation worker using a pressure washer to blast litter—including plastic bags and debris—directly into the Saint-Martin Canal. The footage, captured by a student and shared on Instagram, shows waste floating on the canal’s surface shortly after local residents had been swimming there amid a severe heatwave.
Swimming Permitted Amid Heat Emergency
French authorities had temporarily authorized public swimming in the Saint-Martin Canal from the previous Wednesday through 4 July as part of emergency measures to help residents cope with extreme summer temperatures gripping the country.
City Denies Protocol Compliance
The Paris City Hall swiftly responded, confirming that the employee did not follow official cleaning procedures. According to city officials quoted in Le Figaro, standard practice requires waste to be swept toward sidewalks for collection by dedicated sanitation teams—not directed into waterways. The incident quickly went viral, prompting formal clarification from municipal leadership.
Mayor Calls It an Isolated Incident
Emmanuel Grégoire, Paris’s newly elected mayor, described the act as an isolated breach—not reflective of established policy. “This is not acceptable and must not happen,” he stated, reaffirming his support for sanitation workers while pledging a full investigation and appropriate corrective action.