FACT CHECK: BBC did not lie about anti-lockdown march in London
BBC News lied about the number of people who took part in the anti-lockdown march in London on May 29, 2021. Netizens have shared a screenshot of a purported broadcast by BBC.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 3 Jun 2021 8:15 AM GMT
HYDERABAD: Several posts on social media claim that BBC News lied about the number of people who took part in the anti-lockdown march in London on May 29, 2021.
Netizens have shared a screenshot of a purported broadcast by BBC. It was headlined `An estimated 350 people marched through London today in protest over COVID restrictions and vaccines'.
Click here to view the posts.
FACT CHECK:
This screenshot was taken from a news report from 29 April 2020 that carries the headline on the birth of Boris Johnson's youngest son. (Notice the similarities in the foreground and background). This clearly indicates that the viral image is fake. Not only is the viral image morphed but it is also not recent, thus not linked to the recent anti-lockdown march in London. Apart from this, the headline also uses a different font style when compared to authentic BBC News broadcasts.
The image shows BBC News presenter Victoria Derbyshire and in a response to the viral posts, Ms. Derbyshire clarified in a tweet that the image is fake and that she wasn't working on 29 May 2021.
Evidently, it is clear that the viral image is morphed and that BBC News did not lie about the number of people present at the march. The BBC covered several anti-lockdown protests this year, but none were on the recent London protest.
According to Deccan Herald, hundreds of people marched through London in a weekend demonstration against coronavirus vaccines, mask-wearing and restrictions. A report by Reuters also shares images of several demonstrators walking towards Trafalgar Square.
Thus, the claim is false.
