Paris honors last newspaper hawker with national knighthood
Pakistan-born vendor Ali Akbar receives French Order of Merit for five decades serving Paris streets
PARIS (MNTV) — French President Emmanuel Macron has awarded Ali Akbar, believed to be Paris’s last newspaper hawker, the rank of Chevalier in the National Order of Merit, recognizing nearly five decades of service to public life in the French capital.
At a ceremony held at the Élysée Palace, Macron praised Akbar’s “extraordinary life journey,” noting that the Pakistan-born vendor has spent close to 50 years selling newspapers in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district, where he became a familiar and widely admired figure.
The French president thanked Akbar for bringing political news to Parisian cafés and streets, describing him as the “voice of the French press” and a defining presence of the capital’s 6th arrondissement.
Macron highlighted Akbar’s role in keeping print journalism alive through his booming calls and improvised, often humorous headlines.
Akbar, now in his seventies, arrived in France decades ago after fleeing poverty in Pakistan. His early years were marked by hardship, including periods of homelessness and extreme financial insecurity.
He first worked as a sailor and later as a dishwasher in the northern city of Rouen before settling permanently in Paris.
His life changed after meeting French satirist Georges Bernier, who helped him begin selling publications such as Hara-Kiri and Charlie Hebdo.
Over time, Akbar became a neighborhood legend, known for his sharp wit and distinctive style along some of Paris’s most iconic streets.
Macron described Akbar as a powerful example of successful integration, saying such stories strengthen and enrich France. He noted that Akbar had mastered the French language and made it his own, carrying both the wider world and France “in his heart.”
Speaking after the ceremony, Akbar said he was deeply moved by the honor and joked that he already knew what he would shout to customers in the coming days: “That’s it — I’m a knight!”
Despite receiving a modest pension of about 1,000 euros a month, Akbar continues to work daily, selling around 30 newspapers on average, compared with 150 to 200 at the start of his career.
He has said he has no plans to stop, insisting that sharing news and entertaining people remains his passion.
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