FACT CHECK: Does This Image Show An April 2021 Anti-Lockdown Protest In London?
An image shared on Instagram claims to show thousands of people at an anti-lockdown protest in London on April 24.
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Verdict: False
The image actually shows an October 2018 march in London calling for a Brexit referendum.
Fact Check:
The image shows what appears to be an aerial shot of thousands of people packed tightly together along a series of wooded streets. “UK Anti Lockdown 24.04.21,” reads the image’s caption. “Aerial View, My word, that is some Epic amount Of Conspiracy Theorists. Long Live Freedom.”
A large anti-lockdown protest did take place in London on April 24 and saw about 10,000 people, according to Reuters. The U.K. continues to have regulations in place to limit the spread of COVID-19, including not allowing indoor dining and requiring people to wear face masks in shops and places of worship, according to the government’s website. (RELATED: Does This Video Show An Anti-Lockdown Protest In London?)
The image in the Instagram post, however, is not from the recent protest. Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found the photo published in an October 2018 article about the “People’s Vote March” on ITV News with the caption, “Huge crowds marched through London.” Crowds gathered in London in favor of a Brexit referendum, and supporters estimated 700,000 people attended, BBC News reported. The Metropolitan Police said they were not able to estimate crowd size, according to the outlet.
This is not the first time photos from protests have been incorrectly captioned as being anti-lockdown protests. In March, Check Your Fact debunked the false claim that an image showed an anti-lockdown protest in London, when it actually showed a 2019 Brexit-related event.
