Old Video of Pro-Palestine Rally in Turkey Shared as 2025 New Year’s Protest
The Claim
A video shows thousands of demonstrators flooding the streets of Istanbul, Turkey, on New Year’s Day 2025 in support of Palestine against the ongoing Israeli genocide.
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Social media users widely shared a video purporting to show thousands of demonstrators flooding the streets of Istanbul, Turkey, on New Year’s Day 2025 in support of Palestine against the ongoing Israeli genocide.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral video and found the claim to be misleading.
A thorough reverse image search found the video making the rounds to be older than claimed.
Outdated Video Shows a Pro-Palestine Protest in Turkey
Contrary to social media users’ claim, the video is unrelated to the New Year 2025 pro-Palestine protest in Turkey.
Misbar’s team traced the original video to its earliest publication and discovered that a TikTok user, @rabihetri, uploaded it on January 1, 2024. The video features the same scenes and background song as the recently circulating footage.
2024 Pro-Palestine Protest in Istanbul
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators took to the streets on January 1, 2024, to protest Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.
Tens of thousands marched in Istanbul, condemning Israel's war in Gaza and the killing of Turkish soldiers.
The rally, organized by a foundation with Bilal Erdogan, son of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, began after morning prayers at iconic mosques, including Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
Protesters, waving Turkish and Palestinian flags, gathered on Galata Bridge along the Bosphorus, chanting pro-Palestine slogans.
Tens of Thousands of Protesters Rally in Support of Palestine in 2025
On January 1, 2025, tens of thousands gathered on Istanbul’s Galata Bridge on New Year’s Day to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
According to AP, demonstrators, waving Turkish and Palestinian flags, chanted “Free Palestine” during the protest.
The National Will Platform, a coalition of over 300 pro-Palestinian and Islamic groups, organized the protest.
The Turkish president's son, Bilal Erdogan, addressed the crowd, urging support for Gaza and condemning Israel’s atrocities. He drew a parallel to the recent ousting of Syrian President Bashar Assad by opposition forces.
Drone footage captured thousands filling the bridge and surrounding districts of Eminönü and Sirkeci.
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli occupation forces have killed at least 45,581 Palestinians and wounded 108,438 others as the genocidal campaign continues.
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