FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show A Bar Fight In The UK The Day Pubs Reopened?

Brad Sylvester | Fact Check Editor

A video shared on Facebook purportedly shows a street fight that occurred in Luton, England, the day pubs reopened after being closed from COVID-19 restrictions.

Verdict: False

The brawl occurred in the Netherlands in September 2020, not in Luton on April 12.

Fact Check:

The 55-second video, posted on Facebook on April 13 shows several men fighting and hurling tables and chairs at each other on a street below. Everyone appears to quickly disperse at the end of the video. “Pub’s opening in Luton went down well today,” reads the video’s caption.

The post appears to be referencing the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in the U.K., which faced strict lockdowns for months. On April 12, pubs and restaurants in the U.K. were allowed to open up and serve food and drinks outside, The New York Times reported.

The video, however, does not show an April bar fight in England. Rather, the footage was taken in the Netherlands in September 2020, according to several media reports, including The Northern TimesBN DeStem and TMZ. (RELATED: Does This Video Show Paris Police Clashing With Refugees?)

The incident occurred in the Dutch city of Groningen, and actually shows supporters of the Groningen football club fighting with fans of Arminia Bielefeld, a German team, according to AD.nl, which included a similar video in its report. At least one person was arrested in connection to the brawl, BN DeStem reported.

Bars and restaurants were allowed to open at a limited capacity in the Netherlands starting in June 2020, but had to close back down in October after a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country, according to the Associated Press. Restaurants and bars are set to reopen for outdoor dining starting on April 28, according to the Dutch government’s website.

Brad Sylvester

Fact Check Editor
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