Did L’Oréal open its 2026 Paris fashion show with a transgender model wearing a dress that accentuated her male genitalia?
By Isis Blachez and Natalie Huet
What’s happening: With student demonstrations sweeping across France, NewsGuard has identified four false claims that rely on misrepresented videos to exaggerate the scale and violence of the protest movement. Three of the claims are based on videos that are completely unrelated to the ongoing protests.
Context: Starting late last month, French students began blockading high schools throughout the country, protesting what they describe as the woeful and worsening state of public schools, ranging from teacher shortages to unsanitary conditions.
The demonstrations have resulted in dozens of fires, thousands of arrests, and violent clashes between students and police, who at times have deployed batons and tear gas, according to news accounts. French authorities said that as of Oct. 6, 215 students and 715 security forces have been injured.
A closer look: The misleading videos appear aimed at amplifying the chaos in France and portraying the French government as weak and ineffective.
Charging the stock exchange? On Oct. 3, Africa-based social media users posing as U.S. users, including celebrities such as Mel Gibson, shared a video showing a crowd storming the Paris stock exchange, Euronext Paris, claiming that student protests are escalating into a “...
Did L’Oréal open its 2026 Paris fashion show with a transgender model wearing a dress that accentuated her male genitalia? French Student Protests Spark Flurry of Misleading, Mislabeled Videos By I...