Old video of protest in London falsely shared as Brits asking Indian to boycott Pakistan

by Kinjal

A video of a crowd of demonstrators calling for an economic boycott of Pakistan is viral on social media. It has been claimed that the visuals are from London. Twitter user Shefali Tewari tweeted the video and wrote, “People are calling on Indians to boycott Pakistani restaurants and businesses in London. We must also impose a complete economic boycott on jihadis. If such steps are taken, we will provide our full support.” It amassed over 2,500 views as of this writing. (Archive link)

Twitter user Vishwas Rajput shared the clip with the same message. (Archive link)

It is widespread on Facebook and Twitter.

Fact-check

Alt News performed a keyword search and discovered that the original video was uploaded by Outlook Magazine on February 29, 2019. According to the outlet, British Indians gathered in London to stage a protest against Pakistan following the Pulwama attack. The event also witnessed anti-Pakistan sloganeering.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37FAMZ-FFGA]

NMF News and Zee News also covered the demonstration.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnJldgQQgOs]

The video is therefore two years old but has been shared as recent. It has been falsely claimed that people in London were encouraging Indians to boycott Pakistan when, in fact, the protest was observed by British Indians after the Pulwama attack.

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.