He faced criticism from Bill Wanyanyama for supporting French students’ protests

nba San AntonioSpurs Football star Win Benyama publicly supported the French students’ protests, but recent protests turned into violent riots and caused heavy damage. French MPs criticized Vembanayama for saying “send them the bill”, and the mayor of Nice also called for the star to be censured.

Yahoo Sports quoted a report by EssentialSports as saying that Victor Vembanyama not only watched the protests from a distance, but he also sent a message of support. The Spurs star was familiar with the student environment in France growing up, so when protests began in September, he chose to side with the students.

Wembanyama’s support for the voice of young people was not appreciated by some in French politics, and the reaction is now turning sports news into a political storm.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and other media reported that French student protests have devolved into street chaos in recent days. There were reports of arson and many shops being vandalized. On the 16th, Vembanyama posted the famous “rabbit pointing at a ticking clock” meme on his personal X account, symbolizing “the countdown to an inevitable major storm.”

Many politicians were dissatisfied with this. National Assembly member Laure Lavallette wrote in response to Wenbanyama’s post: “Send him the bill!” Nice Mayor Eric Ciotti criticized Wenbanama and other celebrities for bearing “historical responsibility” for this.

When a global star’s social involvement becomes the center of political attention, its influence reaches far beyond the margins. Chiotti wrote, “French celebrities such as basketball player Vembanad Yamama, who called for support for the October 17 riots, bear historical responsibility. They must be condemned.”

The meme posted by Vembanyama on the X platform had no caption, and the post did not mention France or the protests. But since its release fans and politicians alike have been convinced that it is closely linked to the protests that have turned violent in recent days.

After the Spurs lost their preseason opener to the Atlanta Hawks, Wembanya responded to the media and said, “These are systemic inequities, the problems run deep, and really, I’m glad that high school students and young people in general are speaking out.”

“I listen to them, I support them and I hope the same goes for the people at the top.”

Vembanyama previously posted photos of herself in France during the summer. When a fan asked him if he would join the protests if given the chance, he replied at the time: “I would love to.”

Wembanya, who grew up studying in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris, said he had seen these problems before and claimed he was lucky to have “the opportunity to escape the system”. Vembanyama firmly believes that not all students can escape the system, which is why he wants to support.

The wave of protests in France initially erupted over poor school facilities and staffing issues. According to reports, there is an acute shortage of teachers in schools, resulting in students often being without classes for long periods. In mid-September, a group of teachers at the Lycée Saint-Exupéry in Créteil, a suburb of Paris, decided to go on strike due to a lack of manpower. Subsequently, students also started protesting on issues such as poor sanitary environment of the school building. Similar actions spread rapidly and developed into a widespread cultural movement throughout France.

However, as the world’s attention has focused on France over the past few days, the protests have turned radical and chaotic. Many boutiques were looted and vehicles and historical monuments were set on fire during the protests.

Vembanyama has not yet personally responded to criticism from politicians or commented on the current chaos of the social movement.