The boy, 14, who has become a social media star by tormenting Paris - from pushing women into canal to squirting cops with water pistols - and is deemed 'a symptom of a failing country'

By PERKIN AMALARAJ, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 14:24, 2 July 2026 | Updated: 14:26, 2 July 2026 France has been left divided by the anti-social antics of a teenage boy who has been tormenting Paris.  The boy, a 14-year-old named by French media as Hamza F., has gone viral on social media for his disruptive actions across the capital that have drawn the ire of people across the nation, with one person describing him as a 'symptom of a failing country.'  He has recorded himself pushing sunbathing women into canals, shooting water at unsuspecting cyclists, getting into water fights with police and carelessly tearing through Paris' streets on a scooter while vaping.  In an interview with CNews, Hamza claimed his father was happy to have him roaming the streets: 'He leaves me alone because he knows I’m not doing anything bad. All I do is water people and the police from time to time.' His father, who was not named, told Le Parisien that Hamza was in fact a 'nice boy', who 'doesn't hurt anyone.'  But Le Figaro reported today that he was arrested yesterday for allegedly taking someone's phone. According to the French newspaper, the alleged theft took place at around 6pm yesterday.  CNews reported that Hamza has been taken into police custody at least ten times since June 2025. In late June, he was taken in by cops for allegedly committing 'acts of group violence and vandalism.' The French news outlet reported that the following day, back at Canal Saint-Martin, he joked to a filming camera that 'there was air conditioning' at the police station.  Hamza (pictured) was seen shooting water into a black Range Rover that had stopped near him He was seen pushing a sunbathing woman intoa Paris canal Asked about the countless comments about his stunts, he dismissively told CNews: 'People say I'm a thug. Most people are just racist.'  His mother, a personal care assistant, made a similar comment, describing criticism for her son's antics as racist. In one clip, Hamza was seen edging closer to two women who were resting on the walls of a canal during a hot day.  One woman pleaded with the boy not to push her in for a few seconds before he pounced.  The other was hit with several pumps of a water gun.  In another clip, he was seen strolling over to a waiting police car in Paris and shooting water at a cop.  He was seen in other clips shooting water at the drivers of cars. One video showed him squirting water at the driver of a Range Rover who had pulled up to the scene of one of his pranks.  When Hamza got close he shot water at the man, forcing him to speed off to avoid getting wetter.  Hamza has been terrorising the city's cyclists, spraying them with water He was arrested yesterday for allegedly stealing someone's phone The boy was seen tearing through Paris' streets on a scooter while vaping Cyclists were also big targets of the boy, who also managed to get others involved in his pranks.  In one particularly cruel clip, he was seen leading a crowd of people towards a Lime bike rider, who was left soaked after the large group threw water all over him, leaving him drenched.  He told French media that he had set up something of a customs post by the Canal Saint-Martin, threatening to soak passers-by with a water pistol unless they give him two euros - a scheme that has landed him the nickname 'La Douane', or The Customs Post.' But many of his pranks are less innocent. In a clip shared by National Rally politician Julien Odoul, Hamza was allegedly seen shouting into a woman's home: 'Shut your mouth, you filthy whore... in the name of Allah, your mother is a whore.'  Odoul said in a post sharing the video: 'Leftists talk about a nice boy who only does water fights at the Canal Saint-Martin. How long are we going to tolerate the actions of this scum?'  He added in another post about Hamza: 'In a normal world, the authorities would already have contacted Hamza’s parents and threatened to suspend their welfare benefits.  'But in France, this young person quickly understands that there is no one to stop him: not parents, or the authorities or the police or the criminal justice system.' One Lime bike rider was soaked by a crowd as he tried to cycle away  Hamza's pranks are reminiscent of those carried out by Mizzy, the young man in London who was jailed for his TikTok stunts across the capital in 2023, which included him walking into strangers' houses leaving them terrified, stealing an elderly woman's dog, pushing a pedestrian into a busy road and asking a passenger on a railway platform if he 'wanted to die'.  In a French debate show about the ethics of Hamza's actions, one person said the teenager is a 'symptom of a failing country.' Pouria Amirshahi, a member of France's national assembly, told Le Figaro TV: 'We're in France in 2026. There are specialised educators... [but] there aren't enough of them. The amount of money given to social services has dropped so much.'  Meanwhile, Abdoulaye Kanté - a Parisian councillor and former police officer - said: 'We expect everything from the state. I think at some point, we are going to have to make parents responsible. We know that sometimes parents are overwhelmed, but they also accept help from the authorities.  'It's easy to have children, but sometimes you have to take responsibility for them.    Many in French media have begun to weigh in. Alexandre Devecchio, an opinion editor at Le Figaro, wrote: 'In a normal country where adults still had the right to exercise their authority, Hamza would quickly be put back on the straight and narrow.  He has been taken into police custody at least ten times since last June, local media reported  Hamza was seen spraying a police car with his water pistol Hamza was allegedly seen stealing a bottle from a shop in Paris 'But in France in the 21st century, in the absence of any limits being shown to him, he risks ending up in prison.'  He added: 'The adolescent has become the face of everyday offending that ruins French people’s lives.' Left-wing newspaper Libération, however, said Hamza was actually a 'kid who needs protection.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.