FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show Cars Overturned during Recent Protests Against Pension Reform?
A video shared on Twitter claims to show burning cars overturned during protests against pension reforms.
Cars are burning in Paris after the protest about new pension reforms. #Paris #parisprotest pic.twitter.com/tSJTR4x5yl
— 👑 Queen Nat 👑 (@QueenNat_35) March 23, 2023
Verdict: False
The video circulated in December 2022 during protests after a Kurdish center was attacked.
Fact Check:
Protests broke out across France after French President Emmanuel Macron pushed a bill that would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, according to NPR. More than 1 million people protested Mar. 23, which was marred by widespread violence, the outlet reported.
The Twitter video claims to show burning cars overturned after protests against pension reforms. The video received tens of thousands of views.
The video, however, predates the pension reform protests. Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found that the video is from December 2022, months before the current protests. The video was posted by Remy Buisine, a journalist with Brut FR, on Twitter Dec. 24, 2022.
Chaos dans le centre de Paris, des véhicules retournés et incendiés. Affrontements en cours. pic.twitter.com/h5JvCTZo94
— Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) December 24, 2022
“Chaos in the center of Paris, vehicles overturned and set on fire. Ongoing clashes,” Buisine tweeted. (RELATED: Does This Image Show Alcohol That Was Smuggled Into The World Cup?)
The Guardian posted a video showing a different angle of the burning cars. The video’s headline reads, “Paris police use teargas on protesters calling for justice over Kurdish centre shooting.”
Protests erupted in Paris in December 2022 after a gunman killed three people at a Kurdish community center, according to Reuters. Police fired tear gas at protesters who demanded answers about the killings, The Guardian reported.
This is not the first time videos have been falsely linked to recent French protests. Check Your Fact recently debunked a video allegedly showing damage and littered streets from the protests in Paris.
