This Image Shows a Kiss-In Protest in Chile in 2011

Dina Faisal

Health

15th December 2021

This Image Shows a Kiss-In Protest in Chile in 2011

This is not an anti-vaccine protest in Germany as claimed (Facebook).

The Claim

Thousands gathered to protest German restrictions by kissing each other, according to a DW article.

News posted on

Geoffrey Montaguesmith

Emerging story

A screenshot of a DW article has been circulating on social media. The image depicts several couples kissing, with the headline "German anti-vaccine protests infuriate public health officials as thousands gather to kiss each other." The claim comes amid tightened restrictions as a result of an increase in COVID-19 cases.

A supporting image within the article body

Misbar’s Analysis

The Misbar team investigated the claim and found it to be misleading. A reverse image search revealed that the image was uploaded in 2013. Upon further research, it was discovered that the photo was taken in 2011 at a student protest against increasing education costs and decreasing education standards in Chile, as pictured below.

The Chilean students' protests were also reported by the New York Times. Furthermore, a scan of DW was conducted, which did not return the article in the claim.

Based on the findings, the Misbar team confirms the claim is misleading. The image is not of the recent German protests but Chilean student protests in 2011. The claim circulating comes at the backdrop of heightened restrictions in Germany amongst a surge in COVID-19 cases, which has led to protests.