Last Updated on October 16, 2024 by Nivedita
Quick Take
An image has been shared widely on multiple social media protest showing thousands of people gathering in a place. The claim associated with the photo is that it is image of anti-vaccine protest in Italy. We fact-checked and found that the claim is false.
The Claim
“This was the Italian port of #Trieste yesterday. Just one of the huge #Italyprotest demonstrations, as Italian workers strike against #VaccinePassport tyranny. Are you happy that the MSM hide such events from you?” reads the Tweet along with the photo. Similar claims have been put up on Facebook too.
Such claims can be seen here, and here.
Fact Check
Are there anti vaccine protest happening in Italy?
Yes. There are a number of protests happening in Italy since COVID vaccination pass has become mandatory for workers. These protests reportedly took place across in October 2021 and thousands of citizens took part in them.
The intense reactions to vaccination policies, whether in Italy or Australia, highlight the global divide on how such mandates are being enforced and perceived by the public.
The debate over vaccinations is a global issue, as seen in Nigeria where students were reported running away from vaccination sites. Such incidents raise important questions about the effectiveness of public health messaging in combating vaccine hesitancy.
Is this photo of the protestors?
No. The photo is from Europe’s largest annual music festival, Street Parade. The event is held every year in Zurich, Switzerland. Here is an actual source of the photo from the photo gallery of the festival in 2018.
This photo had been viral in the past in multiple occasion associating it to various other events that fact checkers have debunked. Here is an example from 2020, when the photo was circulated claiming it to be a picture of protest against COVID lockdown in Spain.