Clips show Italian Easter tradition and gig by German band, not Olympics 'torch-lighting ceremony' in Paris
- Published on July 9, 2024 at 05:48
- Updated on July 9, 2024 at 06:12
- 4 min read
- By Tommy WANG, AFP Hong Kong, AFP Mexico
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"Paris church lights the Olympic torch," read the traditional Chinese caption of a TikTok video shared on July 2, 2024.
The 24-second video comprises two clips.
The first shows a man in religious garb igniting a bird-shaped rocket that flies down the aisle and out the building's entrance. The second clip shows projectiles setting off fireworks and other pyrotechnics above a large crowd.
The same video was shared alongside similar claims on YouTube and Facebook. It was also shared in other languages, including English, Spanish, Thai and Tamil.
The video circulated ahead of the start of the Olympic Games in Paris, which will officially start on July 26 with the lighting of a cauldron at the opening ceremony (archived link).
The Olympic torch -- which harks back to the ancient Olympics when a sacred flame burned throughout the Games -- arrived in France from Greece on May 8.
The arrival of the flame marked the start of a 12,000-kilometre (7,500-mile) torch relay across France and its far-flung overseas territories (archived link).
But the torch will not reach Paris until July 14, and the clips circulating online are unrelated to the Olympics.
Florentine tradition
A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the first clip led to a TikTok video uploaded on April 9, 2023 about an Easter tradition in Florence, Italy (archived link).
The Italian-language caption of the clip, which was uploaded by local broadcaster Firenze TV, reads: "Once again this year the flight of the Colombina was perfect. An extraordinary spectacle, Happy Easter."
Below is a screenshot comparison of the clip used in the false post (left) and the video from Firenze TV (right):
According to a Florentine tourism website, the lighting of a dove-shaped rocket -- the 'Colombina' referred to in the caption -- is part of a ceremony that has its roots in the first crusade, and is now held every Easter Sunday at the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (archived link).
The "Scoppio del Carro" (Explosion of the Cart) sees the Colombina -- which symbolises the Holy Spirit -- fly down a wire to a cart rigged with fireworks. According to the website, if all goes smoothly, good luck is ensured for the city.
An AFP photo from inside the cathedral shows the same architecture, stained glass windows and organ pipes seen in the falsely shared clip.
Below is a screenshot comparison of the clip used in the false post (left) and the AFP photo (right), with corresponding elements highlighted by AFP:
Rammstein concert
A reverse image search and subsequent keyword searches on Google found the second clip used the false post corresponds to footage of a performance by German metal band Rammstein that was uploaded to TikTok on May 23, 2023 (archived link).
According to fan site rammsteinworld.com, the clip was filmed during a show in Vilnius, Lithuania, on May 22, 2023 (archived link).
Below is a screenshot comparison of the clip used in the false post (left) and the TikTok video from May 2023 (right):
A photo uploaded on May 23, 2023 by the German band's official Facebook account shows a similar stage setting, and Rammstein's logo -- a capitalised 'R' and a 'T' -- can be seen on the screen (archived link).
AFP has debunked other misinformation related to the 2024 Olympics here.
This story was amended to correct a typo in the first paragraph.July 9, 2024 This story was amended to correct a typo in the first paragraph.
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