A child made the mistake of getting in the way of British guards outside the Tower of London and ended up getting knocked to the ground. The viral TikTok video shows the guards stoically continuing their march. 

As the guards were on their course, the kid appeared suddenly. One of the guards asked the youngster to make way. However, when he failed to comply with the quick instruction, the guards stepped over the kid, after he got knocked to the ground. The unidentified boy is then seen quickly getting up, once the guards make their way past him. 

A spokesperson for the British army addressed the incident, expressing awareness of what unfolded during the routine patrol. Speaking to LBC, the spokesperson stated “The soldier tried to step over the child and continued on his duty. Following the incident, the soldier checked on the child and was reassured that all was well.” 

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TikTok commentators have, however, expressed mixed feelings over this accident. One said, that nobody should defend the soldiers saying they were just doing their jobs. According to the enraged viewers, if a job involves trampling over children, then there’s something wrong with the nature of work itself. 

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Another viewer opined that if it was an adult in the way, the guards’ reaction would have been justified, but they could have made an exemption for the child, and walked around him. 

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Notably, the Queen’s Guard is a company of sentries or fully functional soldiers, who are tasked with guarding the royal residences. Though their duties include protecting the Sovereign, they have ceremonial tasks as well. The sentries have strict rules about not drinking, eating, sitting, lying down, or standing easy during their work hours. 

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People are also warned not to get in the way of the guards, while they’re marching since they are instructed not to stop or change their course for anyone impeding the progress. Usually, a warning is issued by them, so people can clear a path for them to continue.