Henri d’Anselme, a 24-year-old philosophy graduate, is being hailed as the “backpack hero” in France after he intervened in a knife attack in a playground in Annecy, potentially saving lives. Using his backpack to disarm the attacker, d’Anselme then pursued him out of the park, stating later that he acted on instinct to prevent further violence. 

Key Points: 

1. Henri d’Anselme is credited with intervening in a knife attack that occurred in a playground in Annecy, France, where an armed man attacked four children and two adults.
2. D’Anselme, using his backpack, chased the man out of the park in an attempt to disarm him.
3. The 24-year-old philosophy graduate, who was nine months into a walking tour of French cathedrals, said he had acted instinctively to prevent further bloodshed.
4. D’Anselme pursued the attacker across the park, dropping his heavy backpack to gain speed. He later commented that anyone in his position would have done the same.
5. Although referred to as a “national hero,” d’Anselme emphasized that his actions were inherently human and dismissed any religious motivations the attacker might have claimed.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/09/france-backpack-hero-henri-annecy-knife-attack