AI-generated image falsely shows Paris bookstore spared during protests

A viral image of a Parisian bookseller welcoming protesters during the October 17 demonstrations is fake, originating from an AI-generated video. The image falsely suggests bookstores were spared from looting during the unrest. The image is a screenshot from a Facebook video by a Hong Kong-based creator, clearly labeled as AI-made. Contrary to the viral claim, multiple bookstores in Paris and Strasbourg were vandalized, with manga shops in Nantes particularly targeted. The French Booksellers Syndicate began a census on October 20 to count all affected bookstores, as the exact number of attacked shops remains unconfirmed.