These Visuals from Greece are falsely linked to Iran’s Protests
Amidst massive protests taking place in Iran (here, here), a clip of demonstrators on the roads taking part in violent protests is being shared on social media (here, here, here), claiming that it shows protests in Iran. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: This video shows demonstrations taking place in Iran.
Fact: The video is not from Iran but of a violent protest that took place near the Turkish Embassy in Thessaloniki, Greece. Hence, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
A reverse image search of the video’s keyframes led us to a clearer version uploaded on 2 November 2025, on an Instagram account based in Greece, which predates the recent protests in Iran.
A keyword search on protests in Greece led us to reports of the Greek media (here, here). The report said that the Hellenic Police arrested 18 people for a Molotov cocktail attack on police outside the Turkish Consulate in Thessaloniki on 1 November 2025. The violence broke out after a concert by Greek rapper Lex ended, following which police used flash-bang grenades and tear gas to control the situation.
Further search led to a video posted on 2 November 2025 on Thestival’s YouTube channel. The footage contains visuals that match the viral video, although they are captured from a different angle. The comparison between the viral clip and the news report can be seen below.
Further, we also geolocated the place shown in the video and found that it is near Agios Dimitriou Street in Thessaloniki.
To sum up, these visuals from Greece are falsely linked to Iran’s Protests.