A South Korean content creator was verbally attacked while live-streaming in France, setting off a global wave of outrage and prompting a police investigation into the suspected hate crime.
The incident has reignited widespread concern over anti-Asian racism and the safety of live-streamers, especially women, in public spaces.
The attack happened on May 7 in the southern French city of Toulouse. Yoo Yoon-jinn, better known online as Jinnytty, was walking through the city while streaming live to her 1.1 million followers. Without warning, a man riding an electric scooter approached from behind, lunged at her, slapped her camera, and hurled racist and misogynistic insults before fleeing the scene.
The disturbing moment was captured in real time and quickly went viral. Viewers watched as the man shouted offensive slurs, wrongly assuming her nationality and targeting her gender. Yoo, stunned and visibly shaken, remained on camera and tried to make sense of the unprovoked outburst. She clarified she had not been filming the man and was simply streaming her surroundings in a public place.
Though initially reluctant to report the incident to the authorities, saying she doubted the police could help, the backlash online became impossible to ignore. Viewers across the globe condemned the abuse, and many from France expressed deep shame and offered public support to Yoo. Calls for justice intensified, with numerous social media users demanding that French law enforcement take action.
In response to the growing outcry, local police in Toulouse have opened an investigation. Officers are reviewing the footage and searching for the suspect, whose actions are being treated as a possible hate crime. Authorities are working to identify the man involved, and the incident has become part of a broader conversation in France about racism, misogyny, and violence against public figures.
The attack has drawn attention to the risks live-streamers face, particularly women and people of color. While the popularity of real-time content creation continues to grow, the safety of creators remains a pressing concern. Many viewers and fellow streamers are now urging platforms and governments to take stronger measures to protect content creators who are often exposed to unpredictable and sometimes dangerous encounters.
The Toulouse attack is not an isolated case. In recent years, numerous Asian content creators around the world have faced verbal and physical abuse while live-streaming. Many have spoken out about being unfairly targeted due to their ethnicity, with the COVID-19 pandemic further fueling racist sentiments in several regions.
For Yoo, what began as a typical day of filming turned into a painful reminder of the discrimination that still exists in public spaces. But the overwhelming support she received shows that many people are ready to speak out against hate and demand accountability. As police continue their search for the attacker, the world watches closely, hoping that justice will be served.