A video of a huge building engulfed in massive flames is currently being shared with a false claim that it shows how the protesters burnt down the Alcazar Library in Marseille, France.
BOOM found that the video is from the Philippines where the historic Manila Central Post Office caught fire on May 21 this year.
France's Marseille-based news outlet La Provence on June 30 reported that the entrance of the Alcazar library was vandalised by rioters. France has been rocked by widespread riots after a police officer fatally shot an Algerian-origin teenager Nahel M for refusing to stop at a traffic checkpoint.
The video is being shared with a caption saying, "Marseille library on fire, french police chief said "these are not riots for police, it's war". if this is not jihad what is it, They will burn down your knowledge and education and livelihood. They have done this before and will do it till they establish Sharia." (sic)
Click here to view the tweet.
Another Twitter user tweeted the video and wrote, "The Alcazar Library in Marseille is the largest in France, containing an archive of one million historically significant documents. African migrants just TORCHED it."
Click here to view the tweet.
Fact Check
BOOM ran a reverse image search on one of the keyframes from the viral video and found a report by CNN published on May 22, 2023, carrying a picture of the same building engulfed in flames.
The article reported about a fire that broke out at the historic Manila Central Post Office in the Philippine capital on May 21 this year.
Below is a comparison between the visuals from the viral video and an image of Manila Central Post Office in fire published on the CNN report.
An excerpt from the report states, "The fire started around 11:45 p.m. local time and the situation was raised to the highest fire alarm level just before 6 a.m on Monday before it was brought under control about an hour later, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection."
We also found that several international news outlets visuals of the fire. News wire agency Reuters uploaded one such video on its official YouTube channel on May 22, 2023, saying, "A large blaze ripped through the Manila Central Post Office, destroying the historic Philippines building that was rebuilt in 1946 after being damaged during World War II."
Philippines-based news outlet Rappler on June 5, 2023, reported that the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) mentioned the fire incident investigation as 'closed and solved'. The report also quoted a BFP report saying the incident was 'purely accidental in nature' and took place because of a car battery explosion.
On the other hand, we were also able to geolocate the Alcazar library situated at Marseille, France. The location can be seen below.
The Alcazar library looks starkly different from the building in fire as seen in the viral video.
