"The ARD investigation highlights several examples. One widely shared video shows people waving Syrian flags and singing near a Christmas tree, with captions claiming, "Muslims stormed the Mainz Christmas market, shouting 'Allah' and 'Islamic jihad'." Similar claims have circulated about events in Berlin and Essen, but these demonstrations were not attacks on Christmas markets. Instead, they were peaceful, registered protests marking the anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, and notably, they didn't take place at Christmas markets."
"In Essen, for instance, the chant was "One, one, one, the Syrian people are one" - not a religious slogan. In Stuttgart, a video described as "Arabic music blares over the Christmas market" was actually filmed on a shopping street in the city centre, 250 metres from the market itself. As The Local reported, numerous misleading social media posts were spread earlier this year"
Numerous misleading videos and posts have appeared on social media in Germany, many aiming to reinforce negative stereotypes about Muslims and migration. Some of these videos have been viewed millions of times and may form part of a coordinated campaign to spread false claims and stoke anti-Muslim prejudice. Several widely shared clips presented peaceful, registered protests as attacks on Christmas markets, including footage of people with Syrian flags whose chants were political rather than religious. Other clips were filmed away from markets. Viral images of heavily guarded markets were found to be AI-generated or misrepresented. Security measures were strengthened, yet only two markets were cancelled for security reasons.
Read at The Local Germany
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