Online posts claim videos of people dressed as the comic superhero Batman were taken during recent protests in France, triggered by an act of police violence. This is false; the clips circulating online were shot in the US and predate the unrest in Europe.

"Even Batman Has Had Enough #Frenchriots ..." says a July 2, 2023 tweet shared alongside a video of a group of men -- all in Batman costumes -- piling out of the back of a U-Haul truck.

"Batman really pulled up to the riots in France!" says a similar July 3 tweet, where a person in a Batman costume walks among a crowd of protesters.

Screenshot of a tweet taken July 6, 2023

Screenshot of a tweet taken July 6, 2023

More iterations of both videos can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and TikTok here and here.

The claims emerged after France was rocked by riots following the death of a teenager, who was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop on June 27 in the Paris suburb of Nanterre. This sparked successive nights of rioting in which cars were set ablaze, businesses looted and protestors clashed with police across Europe.

But AFP determined that neither video featuring the fictional superhero was filmed during these events, nor were they shot in France.

A keyword search on TikTok led AFP to similar videos showing the group of costumed individuals exiting the back of the moving truck from a different angle and versions of the video shared on the platform before the protests. AFP found examples of...

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