Following a far-right gathering in London that attracted as many as 150,000 participants on Sunday, numerous social media updates suggest that comparable protests are taking place throughout Europe.
The pictures are being incorrectly presented as proof that Europeans are more and more adopting the same opinions expressed during the London protest — especially opposition to immigration.
However, Euronews' verification and fact-checking team, EuroVerify, has discovered multiple videos that are not connected to any ongoing protest movement being utilized to support those assertions.
A video captured by a drone depicting a lengthy line of protesters holding the Polish flag has been spreading extensively since Monday, withclaimsIt reveals up to a million individuals demonstrating against "migration" and the "leftist elite" in Poland.
However, a basic reverse image search reveals that the video was filmed in November 2023 and depicts Poland's Independence Day festivities in Warsaw.
It is important to mention that variousanti-migration ralliesheld in approximately 80 Polish towns and cities in July, organized by the far-right group Konfederacja (Confederation), following two deadly stabbings involving a suspect with a migrant background.
However, these gatherings have not drawn the same level of participation as those in London, according to some users.
In the same way, a video depicting a crowded square in the Spanish city of Pamplona during the annual San Fermín festivities has also resurfaced with unclear assertions that it represents the "reawakening of Europe" and its "Christian values." The video actually captures the usual celebrations of the annual cultural event.
Another video cliporiginating from Hamburg in northern Germany, which had already been spreading extensively in August, has come back into focus recently with allegations that it depicts demonstrators chanting against migrants.
However, the video actually captures a group of Hamburg supporters parading ahead of a derby match against FC St. Pauli on 29 August this year.
It is accurate that protests held in the UK had connections to Europe, featuring speakers such as France's far-right figure Éric Zemmour and George Simion, a candidate in Romania's recent presidential runoff.
The leading figures of the London rally, such as Elon Musk, are also actively sharing their opinions with European viewers.
Musk - who has recentlyendorsedright-wing candidates leading in elections in Germany and Romania — also posted an AI-created image of the London demonstration that mistakenly depicted people holding the UK flag with a structure similar to Paris' Arc de Triomphe in the background.
Initiatives to promote the UK flag-raising movement
The "Unite the Kingdom" rally in London was arranged by Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, commonly referred to as Tommy Robinson, a right-wing figure and provocateur who once established the anti-Islamic group the English Defence League (EDL).
The gathering, which some witnesses and anti-hate crime organizations claimed provided a space for hateful rhetoric and conspiracy theories, drew more people than the authorities had anticipated.
It followed a social media-driven campaign that led to several Union Jack and St George's flags being displayed in English towns and villages over the past few months.
The UK government, led by Labour, has promoted the display of national flags as an expression of national pride. For some, this initiative is intensifying conflicts and division during a period of increased debate surrounding migration.
It has sparked online initiatives to gather backing for raising the flag in other European nations, particularly in France.
EuroVerify has observed a surge in online requests for the French flag to be displayed in cities and towns across France on social media platforms over the past week, under the hashtags #OperationTricolore, #PorteTonDrapeau, and #HisseTonDrapeau.
A French reporter from BFMTV hasdetectedthe surge began online on September 1, with up to 10,000 posts featuring the hashtag #OperationTricolore, in contrast to zero such posts the day before.
It has subsequently received backing from right-wing influencers, particularly those who are seen as affiliated with right-wing politician Éric Zemmour.