A wave of social media posts is falsely claiming that riots recently occurred in Paris, France, with some users alleging the events occurred in 2026. However, available evidence indicates that the images and videos shared on the internet are from December 2022, not 2026, prompting fact-checkers to debunk the claims.
As early as Saturday, April 13, 2024, users shared images purportedly showing widespread destruction, including burning vehicles and damaged infrastructure, with claims that the French government and media outlets were covering up the events. Posts on X (formerly Twitter) were viewed over a million times and shared widely. These posts used the images to paint a picture of chaos, with some users expressing xenophobic sentiments in the comments section.
The initial post that sparked the viral misinformation contained internal contradictions. The post claimed the images were being covered up while simultaneously asserting that they were being widely reported in international media. This tactic is often employed in conspiracy theories that suggest that what is public is, in fact, hidden.
The images circulating online show scenes of destruction in Paris, including overturned and burning vehicles, damaged bus shelters, and debris-strewn streets. Some images also depict armed or hooded individuals. These events, however, occurred in December 2022 during protests following a racist attack on the Kurdish community, and were widely covered by various news outlets,...
Although on appeal the court distinguished that there was new information in the claim, the court ultimately found the new information was not material, nor was it plead with particularity. The U....