Video from music concert in Mexico falsely linked to France protests

By: Ankita Kulkarni
July 3 2023

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Context

Violent protests have erupted in France after a police officer fatally shot a 17-year-old boy named Nahel M in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on June 27, 2023 during a traffic check. 

Following these protests, social media is exploding with visuals of riots, arson, and violence.

One such 11-second video, which depicts a huge crowd gathered at a city square, was shared online with a claim that it was from France. The post caption reads, "You don't see this on TV #FranceRiots #FranceHasFallen #France #Paris #FranceViolence." The text on the video notes, "Nanterre, France Nahel." The post has garnered 5,57,500 views on Twitter and was retweeted by more than 1,500 users at the time of writing this story. 

However, this video is from a music concert held in Mexico on June 3, 2023, and is not linked to the protests in France.

In Fact

A reverse image search led us to a TikTok video posted on June 4, 2023, which was shared with hashtags like #concierto and #losfabulosocadilacs, and stated that the location was "Zócalo de la Ciudad de Mexico- Mexico City." 

Using these keywords, we found a news report published by a Milenio, a national newspaper in Mexico, which reported that thousands of people gathered at Zócalo (common name of the main square) in Mexico City to attend a concert of Argentinian band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs on June 3, 2023. Zócalo is also known Plaza de la Constitución.  

We could also compare the pictures used in the report with the viral video to ascertain that the video was indeed from Mexico. For example: At the 10 second mark in the viral video, we can spot the buildings and a few screens placed between the crowd. The second image in the Milenio report also captures a similar frame and the building. A white tent-like structure can also be seen.

A photograph on Getty Images, captured by the media outlet Medios y Media on June 3, 2023, also showed the same location where the white tents can be seen in the frame. The caption states, "A general view as fans of Los Fabulosos Cadillacs arrive early to see a live concert at Zocalo on June 3, 2023 in Mexico City, Mexico."

We could also geolocate the place on Google Maps.  

The above evidence shows that the location of the viral video is the main public square in Mexico City and the video is not linked to the recent protests in France.

The Verdict

The video shows a crowd in Mexico City gathered for a music concert of the band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, which has now been linked to the protests in France. Therefore, we have marked the claim as false.