A video shows recent anti-government protests in Iran amid Israel-Iran airstrikes.
Our verdict
False. This is an old video showing protests in Iran in December 2017.
A video is circulating on social media with claims it shows anti-government protests taking place in Iran amid days of airstrikes between Iran and Israel. But this is an old clip that predates these events.
The video shows a fight amongst a crowd of people, some of whom appear to be police or security forces carrying shields and batons. It has been widely shared in recent days including with the caption: “BREAKING: Protests against the regime have begun in Iran.”
But this footage does not show anti-government protests in Iran amid the recent Israel-Iran airstrikes.
It’s actually footage from protests in Iran in 2017—it was shared on X (formerly Twitter) in December 2017, and also appeared in reporting on the protests by media organisations at the time, including with claims it showed police officers kicking protesters.
These protests, which continued into 2018, were initially concerning economic factors such as living standards and rising prices, but became critical of the regime more broadly, including the government’s interventions abroad.
More than 1,000 protesters were reportedly detained during these protests, although many were subsequently released, and Reuters reported a death toll of around 20 people, according to officials.
Iran’s government has been an Islamic republic since the Iranian revolution...
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