Fact Check: Old video of Paris protest falsely linked to Raj Thackeray's loudspeaker diktat
Raj Thackeray Effect in Paris…..In Paris, as Muslims pray on roads, blocking streets, they are met with equally loud singing of the French National Anthem by French citizens
By Tejal Sinha Published on 27 April 2022 12:15 PM IST
Hyderabad: Social media users are sharing a video of people praying on the roadside amid protests.
" Raj Thackeray Effect in Paris…..In Paris, as Muslims pray on roads, blocking streets, they are met with equally loud singing of the French National Anthem by French citizens…" reads the post.
The video is viral on Facebook and can be viewed here.
Fact Check
The claim is False.
NewsMeter began its investigation by having a closer look at the viral video. We noticed that at 0:31 seconds, people could be seen holding a banner that read, 'STOP AUX PRIÈRES DE RUE ILLÉGALES'. This can be translated as 'STOP ILLEGAL STREET PRAYERS'.
Taking a cue from this, we performed a keyword search which led us to a video uploaded on the website `VK' on November 22, 2017. We found the video to be clearer.
On further investigation, we found a similar video uploaded on a Youtube channel 'Michel Guerin' on November 11, 2017. The video was titled, 'Et la Marseillaise retentit', which can be translated as 'And the Marseillaise sounds'. "La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France.
Taking a cue from this, we performed another keyword search. The search led us to a news report published by 'The Local France', dated back to November 10, 2017. The report was titled, "French mayor leads protest to stop Muslim worshippers praying on the street".
"The local right-wing mayor Remi Muzeau led the march after growing infuriated by the presence of hundreds of Muslim worshippers praying on the town's market square every Friday for the past nine months. Images relayed from the scene near Clichy Town Hall show around 60 elected officials, including MPs and the president of the greater Paris region of Île-de-France, Valerie Pecresse marching with their Tricolore sashes as they sing the Marseillaise. They head towards around 200 Muslim worshippers who are observing their Friday prayer outside in protest against the town's decision to close a prayer hall. A line of riot police separate the two groups and at one point tensions appear ready to boil over," reads the report.
The report had also published an image with a similar banner that was seen in the viral video.
This was also reported by other mainstream media including BBC, DNA, Dainik Bhaskar, and Los Angeles Times.
Hence, it is therefore evident that the claim is False. 2017 image of a protest in France is falsely being linked to Raj Thackeray's Warning About Loudspeakers In Mosques.
