Video of French police car being destroyed is from 2016, not 2021

A video showing protesters attacking and destroying a French police car is circulating online with the false claim that it shows protests against COVID-19 restrictions in September 2021. But it’s old footage of protests in Paris against labor reforms and police violence in 2016. Let’s take a look at the facts.

The video in this tweet does not show civil unrest in France in September 2021.

It is footage of protesters attacking and destroying a police car in Paris in May 2016 during a demonstration against labor reform and police violence.

Protesters have been demonstrating against France’s COVID-19 “health pass” requirements for more than two months following their introduction in July.

Health pass protesters have clashed with police and opposition groups, including in recent weeks.

Here is a full copy of the video:

NewsLit takeaway

Videos and photos of protests are commonly presented out of context online, often to try to bolster or minimize a more recent but unrelated demonstration or cause. Be wary of such visuals, especially when shared by accounts with no standards for verification or accuracy. A quick reverse image search — using a still from the video or a video search tool like the InVid Verification Plugin — can help you find the source of videos you’re not sure about.

Featured Fact-Checks

“Fact Check-Footage of protesters in Paris attacking police is from 2016“ (Reuters Fact Check).