A post companying a photo showing a group of men stamping on and burning the flags of India, Israel, and the United States is being widely shared across social media platforms (here, here, and here). The claim accompanying the photo suggests that it shows Palestinians insulting the Indian national flag. The post further expresses disappointment that many in India continue to support the Palestinian cause despite such actions. Let’s verify the authenticity of the post.
Claim: Photo shows Palestinians insulting the Indian national flag.
Fact: This viral photo shows a protest held in Karachi, Pakistan, not Palestine. It shows members of a group burning flags of Israel, the U.S., and India during a demonstration in support of Palestinians held in Karachi on 11 May 2021. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
To gather more information about this viral photo, we conducted a reverse image search. This search led us to a news report featuring a similar photo published on ‘US news’ website on 11 May 2021. According to the photo description, it shows members of a group burning flags of Israel, the U.S., and India during a demonstration in support of Palestinians after a round of violence in Jerusalem. This event took place in Karachi, Pakistan, on 11 May 2021.
According to reports, on 11 May 2021, shortly after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned Israel’s use of force against Palestinians, various political and religious organisations in Pakistan held a demonstration in front of the Karachi Press Club to support Palestine. The protest was also joined by the Palestine Foundation Pakistan, an organisation established by former Karachi University students.
To verify the claim in detail, we searched for the Karachi Press Club and cross-checked the locations featured in the viral video. During this search, we found a protest video posted by Samaa English Channel on Facebook. A comparison of the viral video with Samaa’s new video can be seen below.
To sum up, the visuals of a protest held in Pakistan are being falsely shared as Palestinians insulting the Indian flag.
