Video from Morocco viral as Muslim mob stealing goats along Maharashtra-Gujarat border

Several social media users have shared a two-minute video with the claim that people fought and stole goats at Gujarat-Maharashtra border. A Twitter user posted the viral video with the caption, “Today it’s starting with goats. Tomorrow it may start from homes. This is the scene from the Maharashtra-Gujarat border. There’s no one to stop the public robbery of goats.” The clip has been shared as Eid al-Adha or Bakrid concluded last week.

[Translated from : “आज बकरे से शुरू हुआ हैं__कल घरो से भी हो सकता हैं__*गुजरात-महाराष्ट्र बॉर्डर का हैं ये नजारा*__बकरो की खुले आम लूट रोकने वाला कोई नही”]

@UN @HumanCommission @rashtrapatibhvn @SCofIndia @PMOIndia @UdhavThakare @vijayrupanibjp जंगल राज*
_आज बकरे से शुरू हुआ हैं_
_कल घरो से भी हो सकता हैं_
_*गुजरात-महाराष्ट्र बॉर्डर का हैं ये नजारा*_
_बकरो की खुले आम लूट
रोकने वाला कोई नही_
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ pic.twitter.com/envqAu5JAE

— Helpways (@Helpways1) August 3, 2020

An identical post was shared by a Facebook user as well.

The viral video has also been shared with a lengthy text on WhatsApp — “Have you ever seen such robbery? This is from Maharashtra border in a changing India. This is the last straw of the dirty politics in India, a helpless animal is being dragged on the streets. This is a matter of shame. This has happened because of the weakens and carelessness of Indian Muslim politicians and Maharashtra government’s hypocrisy. The public will remember this.”

Alt News received several requests to fact-check the video on our official Android application.

Video from Morocco

Alt News analysed the viral video using InVid, an online video verification tool, and performed a reverse image search of the first frame on Google. We found an identical image posted by a Facebook page called 2M, a Moroccan television network, and a Morocco-based journalist Abdelaziz joubi who works at Souss Plus. This was on July 31.

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We also found a tweet by 2M that offers context to the incident. As per the tweet, the video shows theft and stone-pelting at a sheep market. Twenty people, including eight minors, were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the violence.

#الدار_البيضاء

ضبط 20 شخصا، من بينهم ثمانية قاصرين، للاشتباه في تورطهم في أعمال العنف والسرقة والرشق بالحجارة التي شهدها سوق لبيع الأغنام بمنطقة بمنطقة مدارية بالمدينة.@DGSN_MAROC https://t.co/PinJ4M9sDZ pic.twitter.com/Noa2sedPPm

— 2M.ma (@2MInteractive) July 31, 2020

Using this information, we performed a keyword search and found a report by Morocco World News on the incident from July 31. As per the report, the incident took place at Azmat, a livestock market in Casablanca. The report added that several videos about the incident have gone viral. The videos show people not wearing facemasks which led the government to shut down seven livestock markets.

The report includes a statement from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN). “The thefts were accompanied by an exchange of stone-throwing between citizens and sellers of livestock in the market…Security services have so far not received any complaints about theft in connection with this case, on which research continues.”

Thus, the social media claim that the video shows theft of goats in Maharasthra is baseless and false. The video shows a stone-pelting incident at a Moroccan-livestock market.