A video of a man caught spitting on a pizza while preparing it was shared across social media platforms. Several people have identified the man as ‘shantidoot’ (peaceful), a derogatory term used for the Muslim community. It is being suggested that he is an Algerian refugee in London. Twitter user Shefali Tiwari shared the clip, writing, “Scenes from a London restaurant. This peaceful is a refugee from Algeria. It’s simple, avoid this place as soon as you discover who owns it or risk eating saliva-tainted food.” The caption also encourages others to boycott ‘Muslim-owned businesses’. It had racked up more than 5,000 views at the time of writing. (Archive link)

Facebook user Amit Kumar Tiwari also posted the video with this claim. (Archive link)

 

यह लंदन का दृश्य है और यह शांतिदूत अल्जीरिया से आया हुआ एक शरणार्थी है

सीधी सी बात है जैसे ही पता चले कि इनकी दुकान है चुपचाप कट लो वरना इनका थूक वाला खाओ🤭🤭

Posted by Amit Kumar Tiwari Amit on Wednesday, February 24, 2021

The visuals and accompanying claims are viral on Facebook and Twitter.

Fact-check

Alt News performed a keyword search and found the same video uploaded on YouTube on September 25, 2018. CBS Miami reported that the incident took place in Detroit, US.

According to AP News, the man in the video is Jaylon Kerley, who was fired from his food service job after the clip went viral. The court sentenced him to four years in prison on two food violations.

Detroit news channel WXYZ-TV also uploaded a video story on the incident where the individual who recorded the video mentions that Jaylon was going through a difficult time. The Food Safety Department of the city also demanded he undergoes a medical evaluation. AP News reported that the test results confirmed that Kerley did not have any infectious diseases.

None of the reports mentions his religious identity.

A three-year-old video of a man spitting on pizza dough in Detroit, US was shared on social media with a false communal spin. In a similar incident, a video from 2015 was circulated targeting the Muslim community over the coronavirus. An old clip of a Muslim man licking fruits in Madhya Pradesh was shared earlier during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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About the Author

Kinjal Parmar holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. However, her keen interest in journalism, drove her to pursue journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. At Alt News since 2019, she focuses on authentication of information which includes visual verification, media misreports, examining mis/disinformation across social media. She is the lead video producer at Alt News and manages social media accounts for the organization.