Fact Check: Does this video show Chinese cops arresting Coronavirus patients?
By Satya Priya BN Published on 18 March 2020 8:40 AM GMT
Hyderabad: Many countries have banned public gatherings and temporarily closed down schools and universities in view of the Coronavirus outbreak. A video allegedly showing armed Chinese policemen attacking and arresting train passengers has gone viral on social media. The police, carrying pepper sprays and batons, are reportedly trying to arrest people infected with Coronavirus.
A text in Hindi which is being shared along with the video reads, "हम यहां बैठकर.. व्हाट्सएप और फेसबुक पर.. *कोरोना वायरस* का मजाक उड़ाने में लगे हुए हैं अगर.. कोरोना का असली कहर देखना है तो चाइना से आई इस वीडियो को देखें कि इस महामारी में फंसे हुए लोगों को पकड़ने के लिए.. वहां पुलिस प्रशासन को कितनी दिक्कतें झेलनी पड़ रही हैं ". In English it translates to, "We are sitting here using WhatsApp and Facebook and making fun of Coronavirus. If you want to see the real havoc of Corona, then watch this video from China not once, not twice … watch it carefully. The police are facing so many problems to catch people in the grip of this epidemic. You will be shocked watching this video."
The video has gone viral on Facebook.
Fact Check:
The above claim is FALSE.
NeswsMeter took screenshots from the video using Invid tool and performed a reverse image search on Google. The video is from September 2019 when Hong Kong police tackled suspected protesters after thousands of people marched in the city protesting against an extradition bill.
South China Morning Post, the Daily Mail UK, and other mainstream media had also reported about the incident.
On 31 August 2019, pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong entered the mass transit railway (MTR) and started vandalizing ticketing machines and the control room window. The special tactical squad, The Raptors, entered the Prince Edward station at the request of the MTR and attacked the protesters.
Hong Kong protests started in June 2019 against the extradition bill that would allow people in the city to be sent to China for trial. Thousands joined hands in violent demonstrations, demanding full autonomy to Hong Kong. The bill was revoked in October 2019.
Hence, the viral video is NOT related to the Corona infection in China. It shows police brutality against protestors in Hong Kong. So, the claim that this video shows Chinese police arresting Coronavirus-infected patient is FALSE.
