Video does not show pro-Palestinian protest in France

A video clip circulating on social media which some claim shows a “massive” pro-Palestinian protest taking place in France actually depicts a sporting event in Brazil. 

The clip, which has been shared multiple times on Facebook and also appears on X (formerly Twitter), is accompanied by posts suggesting that it shows a large protest taking place in France “in support of Palestine” despite the country having banned such events. 

Although it is true that France has banned pro-Palestinian protests on the grounds that they might lead to public disorder, the video attached to the post was not filmed in in that country.  

As others have pointed out, the clip actually shows tens of thousands of fans of the Brazilian football team Palmeiras, accompanying the squad bus on their way to a match at the Allianz Parque stadium in Sao Paulo in Brazil. The video was filmed in early October, before the outbreak of the current conflict between Israel and Hamas. 

This is not the first time Full Fact has seen videos falsely claiming to depict events associated with the Hamas-Israel conflict which began in October 2023. Other examples include footage which does not show an attack on the Israeli embassy in Bahrain and another video which claims to show scenes from Gaza but was actually filmed in Algiers. 

Misinformation spreads quickly during significant global events and can be difficult to contain. It is especially important to consider whether something shows what it claims before sharing it—you can read more about this in our guide Israel-Gaza conflict: How to fact check misleading videos.

Image courtesy of Governo do Estado de São Paulo