Footage of French rallies falsely linked to Nepal clashes

Published on September 25, 2025 at 09:28
2 min read
By Chayanit ITTHIPONGMAETEE, AFP Thailand

At least 73 people were killed during violent protests in Nepal in September 2025 -- the country's worst turmoil since the end of its civil war. But footage of a protester blasted by a water cannon in France has falsely circulated in posts linked to the unrest. The video was in fact filmed during a protest in the French city of Montpellier.

"Water blasted at a protestor in Nepal," reads the superimposed Thai-language text on a Facebook video posted on September 13, 2025. It also includes a #Nepal hashtag.

The clip shows protestors being struck by water cannons, with one person falling to the ground after being hit in the head.

Screenshot of the false Facebook post, taken on September 23, 2025, with a red X added by AFP

It surfaced online after the Nepalese government's decision to ban major social media platforms triggered widespread protests that escalated into violent clashes against government corruption and mismanagement (archived link).

At least 73 people were killed, and veteran prime minister KP Sharma Oli was forced to quit in the country's worst unrest since the end of a decade-long civil war and the abolition of the monarchy in 2008 (archived link).

Sushila Karki, a 73-year-old former chief justice, has been appointed interim prime minister and is tasked with addressing protester demands for a corruption-free future ahead of elections in March (archived link).

The footage was also shared by other Thai and Laotian users on Facebook.

But the clip was actually filmed in France.

A reverse image search on Google using the video's keyframes reveals it was shared in an X post by journalist Ricardo Parreira that said a protester was seriously injured in Montpellier during a protest on September 10 (archived link).

Screenshot comparison between the false Facebook post (L) and the X post by Ricardo Parreira

Public broadcaster France 3 reported on September 12 that Montpellier was among several cities where the "Block Everything" demonstrations took place. The article also features a screenshot from the video that Parreira shared (archived link).

Screenshot from the France 3's article

Large crowds gathered in cities including Toulouse, Marseille, Lyon, Rennes, and Montpellier in response to the movement, expressing opposition to current policies. In Montpellier, around 6,000 people joined, and police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd (archived link).

Using visual clues from the video, AFP geolocated the scene to Place de la Comédie, a popular square in Montpellier (archived link).

Screenshot comparisons between the false video (L) and Google Maps' street view imagery of the Place de la Comédie in Montpellier, with similarities highlighted by AFP

AFP previously debunked misinformation related to the Nepal protests.

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