Misleading Videos Being Shared as Burning Marseille Library of France.

After a police shooting of a teenager of North African descent, there have been violent riots throughout France, primarily led by migrant communities. Despite the depleting tendency of riots, many photos and videos related to the riots are being spread rapidly. Some of such social media posts are misleading. This is our investigation of such a tricky social media post.

Social Media posts

A viral video shared on Twitter depicts the burning library of Marseille, France, which the rioters burned.

The Alcazar Library in Marseille is the largest library in France, containing an archive of one million historically significant documents.

African migrants just TORCHED it. pic.twitter.com/QpGlDB2uNp

— Stew Peters (@realstewpeters) July 5, 2023

Archived

Users commented on it like below.

Video is also being spread on FB.

Facebook | Archived

The videos went viral on FB.

We decided to do a fact-check on this.

Fact Check

First, we looked at whether the rioters burned a library in Marseille, as social media posts suggest.

Then, we found multiple news reports explaining the burning of a library in Marseille, France. Such news reports can be reached here and here and archived and Archived.

However, we could not find that viral video in any recognised mainstream media report about the burning of the library.

Then we tried to find the actual incident of the viral video using Invid- We Verify technology.

We also found a viral video with a few similar keyframes in an Al-Jazeera video. The video can be watched below.

The video is titled” Major fire engulfs historical Manila post office building.”

From keyword search, we were able to find out many details on it.

Media reports about that incident can be reached here, here and here.

The incident related to the viral video occurred in May 2023 in Manila, Philippines.

Follow us and stay up to date with our latest fact checks.

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LINE | TikTok

Conclusion

Our investigation found that although rioters burned down a library in Marseille, the viral video does not depict the actual incident. A viral video is connected with the burning of a post office in Manilla, Philippines, in May this year.