Video of 2021 farmers’ tractor rally near Haryana expressway toll plaza shared as recent

Context

The ongoing 2024 Indian farmers' protest, also known as "Farmer Protest 2.0,” builds upon the significant demonstrations by farmers between 2020 and 2021. The protests are currently part of the 'Delhi Chalo' march, with thousands of farmers gathered at the Shambhu border near Delhi to demand higher prices for their produce and a minimum support price (MSP). According to Reuters, police forces have used tear gas and water cannons to disperse them, raising concerns among the public.

What’s the claim?

Amid these developments, a video showing many tractors gathered near a toll plaza has gained traction on social media, with many claiming that it is from the recent protests. One X (formerly Twitter) user shared the video with the caption, “India - Farmers!! Just been sent this by an Indian follower with the caption: ‘Indian Farmers on their way to seize New Delhi’ It’s a Global Fightback against the Globalists & Climate Communism designed to encapsulate all land & resource in handing it over to the State (sic).” The post garnered 229,000 views and about 5,000 reshares. Archived versions of such posts can be accessed here and here.

Screenshot of claims made online. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

What we found

Our research revealed that the viral video is from the 2021 farmers' protests against the three contentious agricultural laws (that were later repealed).

We identified a Share Chat watermark bearing the ID "56050545" on the viral video. We located an identical video on Share Chat with the same ID. Although the precise date was not provided, it indicated that the video was posted three years ago.

A reverse image search of a keyframe from the video led us to a Facebook post by a profile called "True Line ਸੱਚੀ ਲਾਈਨ," dated January 24, 2021. We also found another Facebook post from January 25, 2021, that shared the now-viral clip. According to the post, the video shows a farmers’ rally before the 2021 Republic Day. This confirms that the video is not recent. 

Additional research led us to a report from The New Indian Express containing a representative image resembling the scenes depicted in the viral video. The report specified that it was taken during a farmers' tractor rally at the Western Peripheral Expressway, also known as the KMP expressway, on January 7, 2021. Furthermore, a local Punjabi news outlet called ‘Punjab News’ cited the same image.

Comparison of visuals from the viral video and an image by Punjab News. (Source: X/Punjab News/Screenshots)

We also discovered images posted by the Kisar Ekta Morcha on their Facebook page dated January 8, 2021, depicting the farmers' tractor rally. Among them, one image shows the front side of the toll plaza, featuring tractors exiting through the tollgate.

An image of the tractor rally posted by the Kisar Ekta Morcha. (Source: Facebook/Kisan Ekta Morcha)

With this, we can conclude that an old video from the 2021 farmers' tractor rally at the KMP expressway is circulating as recent.

According to our research, as of February 15, 2024, there is no farmer's tractor rally near the KMP expressway. The 2024 ‘Delhi Chalo’ march organized by farmers was stopped at the Shambhu border near Ambala, Haryana.

The 2021 farmers’ tractor rally

In January 2021, many farmers organized a tractor rally near the Singhu border, connecting Delhi and Haryana. According to a report by The Indian Express, the farmers were protesting against three agricultural laws passed by the Indian government. The laws were controversial, and many farmers believed they would harm their livelihoods.

The tractor rally was a significant event, attracting much attention from both Indian and international media.

The verdict

The viral video predates the recent farmer's protests. It has been online since January 2021 and shows a tractor rally before the 2021 Republic Day. Therefore, we have marked this claim as misleading.