Outdated Video of French Protesters Demanding Macron’s Resignation Resurfaces Online
The Claim
A video shows French protesters demanding Macron’s resignation.
News posted on
Emerging story
Recently, social media users widely shared a short video clip purporting to show protests in France for the second evening, where demonstrators were demanding the resignation of the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.
An X user shared the footage along with the claim, “The native people of France have spoken: French President Emmanuel Macron needs to resign. French citizens take to the streets and chant in unity, "Macron, resign!"”
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the widely disseminated footage and found the claim to be misleading.
After conducting a thorough reverse image search, Misbar’s team found the video making the rounds to be older than claimed.
Old Video of French Protesters Demanding Macron’s Resignation
The original footage features French protests calling for the resignation of President Emmanuel Macron in March 2023.
Misbar's team was able to track down the video's origins back to March 20, when there were protests in France against Macron's pension reform. A user on the X platform shared this video with the caption, "Macron had banned all demonstrations in Paris. But the Paris protests continue. Protesters are demanding the resignation of the French president.”
Another X user also posted an identical video on March 24. In the caption, the publisher writes, “French protestors are now demanding that Macron resigns. The protests were initially premised on opposition to pensions reform but that could have been a ruse for ‘regime change’.”
Protests Against Macron's Pension Reform
In France, Parisian police clashed with demonstrators as thousands of people marched across the country in protest of the government's decision to raise the state pension age without obtaining parliamentary approval. This move has ignited widespread anger. Macron's pension overhaul involves raising the retirement age by two years to 64, a measure the government contends is necessary to ensure the long-term viability of the pension system.
The growing unrest and strikes present President Emmanuel Macron with the most serious challenge to his authority yet. Demonstrators gathered in the Place d'Italie in southern Paris, chanting slogans like "Macron, Resign!" and "Macron is going to break down, we are going to win." Riot police used tear gas and clashed with some members of the crowd, and there were incidents of trash bins being set on fire.
Read More
Niger Demands Departure of French Ambassador Only
Video of Fires in the Philippines Resurfaced After France Riots
