By: Toibah Kirmani
July 4 2023
No, France has not imposed a lockdown or internet blackout amid protests
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Fact-Check
The Verdict False
The official Twitter account of the French government has denied issuing any such circular.
Claim ID 6ffd7a55
Context
Violent protests erupted in France over the death of 17-year-old Nahel M, who was shot by the police at a traffic spot Tuesday, June 27, 202. Amid the growing social media attention on the protests in France, a circular claiming to be issued by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has gone viral. The circular suggests that internet services will be suspended in the country in response to the ongoing unrest.
On Twitter, a user posted the circular (archive here) with the caption, "FRANCE FULL LOCKDOWN TOMORROW (TODAY) INCLUDING INTERNET BLACKOUT France is about to go into Full Lockdown with a complete internet blackout tomorrow. You have until midnight to prepare. Food, Water & Supplies. Shooting the 17-year-old boy was the way to slip this in. Prepare now, France."
Several verified accounts and media outlets had also reported on this supposed "internet ban." However, many outlets have issued clarifications after the claim was found to be false.
In Fact
In research, we found no credible news sources reporting such an announcement. We also checked the ministry's official website, but no press releases or circulars announcing the shutdown of internet services were found.
As this claim went viral, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs clarified on their official Twitter account on July 3, 2023. They dismissed the viral circular as fake news: "A 'press release' from the French national police force @PoliceNationale claimed that temporary restrictions were imposed on internet access in certain neighborhoods. This claim is FALSE: no such decision has been made."
We found the same tweet by the Ministry of the Interior and Overseas Territories France, dated July 2, 2023, labeling the circular as fake.
As reported by France 24 on Ist July, more than 2,000 people have been arrested nationwide for rioting in response to the killing of teenager Nahel M by the police. The victim was buried on Saturday in his hometown of Nanterre, where family and friends gathered to mourn.
The Verdict
The French government has not imposed internet shutdowns in response to protests in the country. Multiple official sources have confirmed the viral circular as fake news. Hence, we have marked this claim as false.