Outdated Video of Pro-Palestine Protest in London Resurfaces Amid Recent U.K. Tensions

Misbar investigated the circulating 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.

Outdated Video Shows Peaceful Pro-Palestine Protest in London

Contrary to social media users' circulating claim, the video was not shot during the recent U.K. riots. It was captured during a pro-Palestine march in London in October 2023. 

Misbar’s investigative team traced the original footage to an October 22, 2023, upload on the Urban Pictures U.K. YouTube channel. The video’s title reads, “10 arrests after 150,000 march in pro-Palestinian protest march in Central London.” The circulating scenes appear in the original video between the 5:59 and 8:23-minute marks.

Around 100,000 Protesters Join Pro-Palestine March Through London

On October 21, 2023, approximately 100,000 people participated in a pro-Palestinian march through central London. The demonstration, organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Protesters, chanting "Free Palestine" and waving Palestinian flags, marched through the city before gathering at Downing Street, the residence and office of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. While the protest was largely peaceful, police reported making 10 arrests.

Officers also patrolled Kensington High Street and Bayswater Road, where groups of protesters had gathered, and maintained a presence outside the Israeli Embassy.

Violence Erupts in the U.K. Following the Spread of Misinformation

On July 29, a tragic knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga event claimed the lives of three girls, with eight other children and two adults injured. Later that day, police arrested a 17-year-old from a nearby village, confirming that the incident was not being treated as terror-related.

However, false claims circulated that the suspect was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the U.K. by boat in 2023, along with an incorrect name being widely shared. In addition, baseless rumors spread that the suspect was Muslim.

In response, riots erupted across England, from Plymouth on the south coast to Sunderland in the North East, with unrest also spreading to Belfast, Northern Ireland. Crowds targeted mosques and asylum seeker accommodations, setting fire to cars and buildings, including a library, and looting shops.

The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) reported that police have arrested 779 people in connection with the rioting, with 349 of them charged.

Following a week of violent disorder, which included attacks on hotels housing asylum seekers and the looting of shops, thousands of anti-racism protesters gathered in towns and cities across the country on Saturday to rally against the unrest.

Israeli Assault on Gaza Kills 39,790 Palestinians in Gaza

Since October 7, the Israeli barbaric war on Gaza has claimed the lives of at least 39,790 people and injured 92,002 others.

The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees reports that over 75,000 Palestinians in southern Gaza have been forced to flee in recent days, just after many were allowed to return to their areas.

Read More

How Misinformation Fuels Hate Speech Surge Against Muslims in Britain

This Girl Was Not Arrested During Recent Riots in Britain