Original article (in Albanian) was published on 11/9/2024; Author: Pustina Patris
Claim: This video shows the arrest of protesters against immigration in the United Kingdom.
Verdict: Missing context
A video being shared on social media shows British police arresting several young individuals, accompanied by the assertion that those arrested were protesting against immigration policies.
The post refers to a series of anti-immigration protests that occurred in the United Kingdom at the end of July 2024, following a knife attack that claimed the lives of three young girls in Southport on July 29.
However, through Google Lens, Faktoje found that the video in question was published on June 27, 2024, a month prior to the protests.
According to British media, the video actually shows the arrest of activists from the environmental group ‘Just Stop Oil’ on June 27, 2024.
This same video was also shared by the Just Stop Oil Twitter account on that date.
According to a statement from the Hackney police, the activists were arrested on charges of conspiracy to disrupt national infrastructure:
‘We know that Just Stop Oil plans to vandalize airports and disrupt thousands of holidaymakers this summer. Tonight, our officers made six arrests during an event at a community center in East London. We believe some of those arrested are key organizers for Just Stop Oil. All arrests were made under a section of the Public Order Act, which makes it illegal to conspire to disrupt national infrastructure. We will continue to work with airport operators and others to prevent significant disturbances. Activists do not have the right to engage in criminal acts that could endanger themselves or others. Anyone who jeopardizes airport security will be swiftly and firmly dealt with.
On June 20, 2024, two activists from Just Stop Oil were arrested for allegedly throwing orange paint on private jets at Stansted Airport in Essex. The organization claimed they were ‘demanding an urgent treaty to end fossil fuels by 2030’.
