Video shows Louis Tomlinson fans in Argentina, not panicked Israelis

Published on April 15, 2024 at 22:46
4 min read
By Bill MCCARTHY, AFP USA

Israelis took cover after Iran launched its first-ever direct assault on the country, but a video shared online does not show people running for safety. The clip was taken outside the Four Seasons hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where former One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson greeted fans in early April 2024.

"ISRAELIS ARE IN FULL PANIC AFTER MISSILES HIT ISRAEL ..!! #IRAN | #ISRAEL," says an April 13, 2024 post on X.

The post is one of several sharing the video -- which shows a crowd rushing along a street at night -- in numerous languages across X and other platforms, including Instagram, Reddit and Telegram. Prominent accounts such as Russian state news agency Sputnik and US influencer Jackson Hinkle amplified it.

Screenshot from X taken April 15, 2024

The claims follow Tehran's unprecedented April 13 attack on Israel, which elevated tensions in the Middle East to new heights more than six months into a deadly conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The barrage of hundreds of drones and missiles -- countered with the help of the United States and European allies -- came in retaliation for a deadly April 1 strike widely blamed on Israel that hit Iran's consulate in Damascus, the capital of Syria.

Jerusalem residents took cover as blasts rang out and explosions lit up the sky. But the clip spreading online is unrelated.

AFP could not verify the origin of the footage, but numerous comments on X claimed it was filmed outside the Four Seasons in Buenos Aires as fans gathered to see Tomlinson. Some users said they were part of the crowd and hoped to meet him (archived here and here).

AFP geolocated the video to the Four Seasons, matching crosswalks, buildings and other structures in the clip to those captured via Google Maps Street View imagery (archived here).

Screenshots from X taken April 15, 2024, with elements outlined by AFP

Screenshot from Google Maps Street View taken April 15, 2024, with elements outlined by AFP

Delfina Daponte, a public relations manager for the hotel, confirmed in an April 15 email that the video shows "our property located in Buenos Aires, Argentina."

"There are fans waiting for a celebrity that were on the hotel two weekends ago," Daponte said. "Nothing to do with Israel."

Photos across social media captured Tomlinson -- who hails from Doncaster, England -- visiting the hotel and encountering similar crowds at the airport. An official account for the singer, who is slated to perform in Buenos Aires on May 18, also shared video of a daytime visit with fans in the city April 7 (archived here).

@lthqofficial Meeting fans in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Louis will be back next month performing at Velez Sarsfield on his #FITFLatinAmerica ♬ original sound - lthqofficial

The scene in question appears to have transpired April 6.

A video the Argentine online newspaper Infobae published that night shows Tomlinson snapping photos, signing autographs and interacting with supporters in the same area outside the hotel (archived here). So does a video a Tomlinson fan page posted on X (archived here).