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| - By: Christian Haag
October 29 2024
The video does not show the Uniting the Kingdom rally in London on October 26, but a rally protesting the election result in Belarus in 2020.
Context
Two viral TikTok videos contain false claims stating they show the "Uniting the Kingdom" rally organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson in London on October 26. The videos (archived here and here) have collectively gained more than 800,000 views.
The far-right protest in London was met by counter-protests organized by Stand Up To Racism. There was also another march, an annual event held by the United Families and Friends Campaign, remembering people who have died in police custody. It was attended by the family of Chris Kaba, who was shot by a Metropolitan Police officer in 2022.
However, the viral footage does not show the protests in London on October 26, but an anti-government demonstration in Minsk, Belarus, in 2020.
In fact
Searching for the first keyframe of the video in reverse image search yielded a result of the same video published on Twitter by the Deputy Chief Editor at Bild, Paul Ronzheimer, on August 23, 2020. Therefore, the video far predates the 2024 London rally.
While Paul is most likely the first to publish the exact footage, it is unclear whether he was there or if a source sent him the video from Minsk. However, other local media outlets have published footage that supports the assertion that it was filmed at the protest.
We geolocated the video and found it was shot in Minsk, overlooking the protest on Praspiekt Niezaliežnasci, or Independence Avenue. Several distinct buildings, such as the Central Post Office, the Mingorispolkom (Minsk City Hall), and the Minsk Metro, correlate with the footage used in the viral videos.
Image comparison between the viral footage and photos uploaded by users on Google Maps.
Notice the entrance with the columns, letters, and carved symbols above the entrance.
(Source: X, Google Maps/Screenshot/Annotated by Logically Facts)
Image comparison between the footage and photos uploaded by users on Google Maps.
Notice the identical entrances on the Mingorispolkom and the symbol above it.
(Source:X, Google Maps/Screenshot/Annotated by Logically Facts)
Image comparison between the footage and photos uploaded by users on Google Maps.
Notice the sharp edges and shape of the high Minsk Metro.
(SourceX, Google Maps/Screenshot/Annotated by Logically Facts)
Further examining the video, many white and red flags are visible, which may be mistaken for the Saint George's Cross, England's national flag.
However, the flags visible in the video do not include a cross, indicating they are the flag of the Belarusian opposition, which uses a flag with a red stripe on a white background. The government uses a red and green striped flag with an embroidered pattern. The former was first used when Belarus gained independence in 1918 and later in 1991. When President Aleksandr Lukashenko came to power in 1994, the country reverted to the latter flag.
The protest in Minsk was held after Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in a disputed election.
The same video has been used to make false claims before. In August 2020, it was also used to claim to show a protest against coronavirus restrictions in London. AFP fact-checked this claim.
The verdict
The video does not show the Uniting the Kingdom rally in London on October 26, but a rally protesting the election result in Belarus in 2020. We have, therefore, marked this claim as false.
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