This video is from a Black Lives Matter protest in Philadelphia last year
- This article is more than one year old.
- Published on January 8, 2021 at 13:34
- Updated on January 11, 2021 at 09:44
- 2 min read
- By AFP India
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The short video was shared in a Facebook post here on January 6, 2021.
“BREAKING NEWS: Batman has arrived at the capitol building in DC,” the caption reads.
The video circulated online soon after supporters of US President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol during a session of Congress on January 6, 2021 to certify Joe Biden's victory in November's election.
The video circulated widely on social media, including here, here and here on Facebook; here and here on Twitter; and here and here on YouTube alongside an identical claim.
However, the claim is false.
Near the end of the footage, a person holding a white placard that reads: “Justice George Floyd” is visible.
The placard refers to the killing of George Floyd by a police officer on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis. Floyd’s death triggered anti-racism protests around the world.
A keyword search found a shorter version of the video published on the Facebook page of Russian broadcaster RT on June 5, 2020.
“Not a scene from Christopher Nolan's movie 'The Dark Knight Rises', but a viral video of an unidentified Batman impersonator at a protest in Philadelphia,” the post’s caption reads in part.
Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the misleading posts (L) and the RT video (R):
The video of the black cape-clad figure walking through crowds was widely shared online on May 31, 2020, including here on Facebook, here on YouTube and here on Twitter.
A higher quality version of the video, entitled “Saving My City As Batman At Philadelphia City Hall George Floyd Protest” was posted on YouTube on May 30, 2020.
The location corresponds with Google Street View imagery of Philadelphia City Hall here.
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