Video of man washing feet in London’s Thames sparks row over culture, cleanliness and stereotypes

A short video of a man rinsing his feet in London’s River Thames has turned into a big online argument about public behaviour, pollution and how Indians are seen abroad. The clip, widely shared on X and Instagram, claims the man later bathed in the river as well.

The video appears to be shot along a central stretch of the Thames, close to major tourist spots. It shows a man, described in captions as Indian or South Asian, standing on the river’s edge and dipping his feet into the water. One widely shared post labels the act as "stupidity" and questions why "Indians" behave this way, which helped fuel the backlash.

Critics in the United Kingdom called it unacceptable public behaviour in a busy global city. Some argued that using an urban river like a wash basin shows disregard for local n