Clarifying the Misleading Video Claims

Recently, there has been a surge of inquiries regarding a video that portrays a group of young individuals throwing stones at two police vehicles, allegedly occurring in Ceuta. However, the claims circulating on social media are unfounded. In reality, the footage was captured in Morocco, specifically in the border town of Castillejos.

The video in question, spanning 40 seconds, features a group of youths targeting police vehicles in a coastal area during the night. This recording surfaced alongside a Facebook post dated July 31, which states in Italian, "They just arrived, and they are already making their intentions clear by throwing stones at the police vehicles. Thank you, Pedro Sánchez, the Spaniards appreciate it." The same footage has been disseminated across various platforms including Facebook, YouTube, and X, in multiple languages, misleadingly attributing it to the city of Ceuta.

Upon conducting a reverse image search, we discovered that other posts shared the same video on July 31, incorrectly labeling it as "disturbances at the Ceuta border" or "disturbances in the city of Fnideq." Through precise geolocation, we have determined that the images were actually filmed on the P4700 road in Castillejos, situated at the border with Ceuta (35.861303015802314, -5.34608870107726). You can verify the similarities between the social media video and images from Google Maps, noting recognizable features such as the street lamp and wall.

Analyzing the Vehicles and Context

Another critical point that establishes the video's false attribution to Ceuta is the identification of the police vehicles depicted in the footage. It is evident that the dark blue van belongs to the Moroccan police, as it displays the colors of the Moroccan flag. Similarly, the gray vehicle is identified as belonging to the Royal Gendarmerie of Morocco. This distinction is crucial in debunking the narrative suggesting the events unfolded in Spain.

The mass entry of migrants on July 30 has been a fertile ground for rumors and misinformation. At VerificaRTVE, we have clarified that there has not been a mandate for halal and pork-free menus in Ceuta's schools following the massive influx, nor are there plans to relocate migrants from Ceuta to London. This ongoing situation underscores the importance of discerning fact from fiction, especially in an age where misinformation can spread rapidly across social media platforms.

As reported by rtve.es.