Fact-Check: Viral Video Showing Muslim Riots in Sydney is Ten Years Old!

The video dates back to September 2012, and shows Muslims protesting in Sydney over a controversial film.

Fact-Check | The video dates back to 2012 when people from the Muslim communit were protesting in Australia's Sydney against a controversial film. 

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

A video of a crowd rioting on the streets is being circulated on the internet as Muslim riots in Australia's Sydney. Those sharing the video have targeted Indian and international media houses for not airing these visuals.

An archive of the post can be seen here.

(Source: Twitter/Screenshot)

The post is being widely shared on Facebook. The Quint received multiple queries on our WhatsApp tipline.

(Archives of similar posts can be seen here, here, and here.)

Are these claims true?: No. While the video shows Muslims protesting in Sydney, it dates back to September 2012.

• The protests took place over a controversial film which reportedly insulted Prophet Mohammad.

• The Quint found several news reports about the protests.

Why is the claim misleading?: Since the protests happened around 10 years ago and were covered by several media organisations, the claim along with the video then becomes misleading.

What is the truth?: A keyword search led us to a similar and longer version of the video uploaded on an unverified YouTube channel named 'Channel 10', which was uploaded on 15 September 2012.

• The video's description said, "Dozens of people have been injured in Sydney as protesters join global outrage over a movie mocking Islam."

• We noticed that the video did not contain any text over it, as one could see in the viral one. It also reported about a similar incident in Cairo, Egypt.

News reports on the protests: A report published on The Sydney Morning Herald said that around 400 protesters clashed with police personnel at Sydney's central business district (CBD).

• The protestors were outraged by an 'anti-Islamic film'.

• The police personnel had to use batons, capsicum spray and the dog squad to thwart the protests.

• According to the report, around six police personnel were injured during the entire incident.

The report was published on 16 September 2012.

(Source: The Sydney Morning Herald/Screenshot)

• A report in 9News mentioned that around eight people were expected to be charged after the violent protests.

• It added that 17 people were "treated for the effects of capsicum spray."

• The report further said that several demonstrations had also happened in the Middle East, Britain and other parts of the world.

Protests around the world: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) published a report on 14 September 2012 which talked about the violent protest taking place in the Middle East, Bangladesh, London, and several other locations over the controversial film.

• It further said that at least seven people lost their lives in these demonstrations.

• According to a India Today report published on 28 September 2012, thousands of Muslims protested outside the American consulate in Kolkata against the film.

• It added that a similar protest took place in Chennai, where nearly 90 people were arrested for allegedly pelting stones at the United States consulate office.

Conclusion: The video shows protests happening in Sydney in September 2012 over a controversial film. The incident was covered by several news organisations.

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