The French Police Video that everybody's talking about

On published social media images, a group of dozens of policemen remove their helmets while standing a few feet away from a crowd of protesters.

Joyful demonstrators welcomed the peace gesture by applauding the police and singing the French national anthem.

The unusual event took place in the town of Pau in southwestern France, not far from the Spanish border.

The video immediately became viral after people rushed to distribute it to social media.

The officers removed their protective helmets in a sign of solidarity with protesters, who oppose new fuel taxes.

However, some local media report it was more an attempt to calm the crowd.

Just hours before the video was made, a large group of angry protesters gathered in front of Paw City Hall.

Some of them reportedly had planned to enter the building, where a council meeting was being organized.

The tense situation led to a clash between protesters and police at one point, but then law enforcement forces decided to resolve the issue peacefully.

The police unit's commander ordered his officers to remove the helmets, as the protesters requested. The crowd then spread peacefully, according to the media.