A video shared on X purports to show large pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses in the U.S.
Verdict: False
The claim is false. The original video, also shared on X, shows a January 2024 protest against “racism and far-right extremists” in Hamburg, Germany. Misbar debunked the claim via an April 28 article.
Fact Check:
Police recently cleared an “unauthorized encampment” and detained “about 100 people” from a pro-Palestine protest at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, according to NBC News. Similar protests have been occurring on college campuses throughout the U.S., including Columbia University and the University of Southern California, the outlet reported.
“The flood at Columbia University began, expanding, and will not end with the students being threatened with expulsion from the university,” the X video’s caption reads. The video, viewed over 1,000 times, shows large outdoor protests and claims they are pro-Palestinian protests taking place on university campuses in the U.S.
The claim is false, however. The original video, also shared on X, shows a January 2024 protest against “racism and far-right extremists” in Hamburg, Germany.
“Approximately 100 thousand people gathered in Hamburg, Germany, to protest racism and far-right extremists in the country,” a translation of the video’s caption reads.
Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the X video referenced in any recent credible news reports about pro-Palestine protests occurring on university campuses in the U.S. Actually, the opposite is true. Misbar also debunked the video, indicating it showed the German protest via an April 28 article.
According to the outlet, demonstrators protested against the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party at the time. The claim is corroborated by similar reports from Reuters, The Washington Post, and The Guardian, among others. (RELATED: Will Classes At Columbia University Be Remote For The Rest Of The School Year Due To Anti-Israel Protests?)
In addition, the X clip does not appear on the website of Germany’s Ministry of the Interior nor the Ministry’s verified social media accounts.
Check Your Fact has contacted Germany’s Ministry of the Interior for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.