2019 video of anti-CAA protests in Gorakhpur shared as 'violence in Sambhal'

What is the claim?

A viral video showing a large crowd being chased and beaten up by police is circulating on social media, accompanied by a claim that it was filmed in the city of Sambhal, in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

An X user shared the video with the caption: “UP police in action against rioters in Sambhal. Repost if you support the police action against rioters to maintain law and order.” Archived versions of this and similar posts are available here, here, here, here, and here.

Screenshots of similar claims posted on social media. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

The viral video began circulating following clashes between protesters and authorities in Sambhal on November 24, triggered by a court-ordered survey of the historic Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid. The violence resulted in the deaths of at least four individuals and injuries to around 20 police officers.

However, our investigation found that the video originates from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, and was filmed during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protests in 2019.

What are the facts?

A reverse image search of keyframes from the viral video revealed several user-generated clips on social media, indicating that the footage is from an anti-CAA protest in Gorakhpur in December 2019.

One such video (archived here) was posted by X user '@imMAK02' on December 31, 2019, with the caption, "This video is from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. UP Police using brutal force against unarmed Anti-CAA Protesters." The visuals show police beating individuals, alongside the same road and shops visible in the viral video, confirming that it is unrelated to the recent events in Sambhal.

Screenshot of a similar video shared by an X user from December 2019. (Source: X/@imMAK02/Modified by Logically Facts)

Another video (archived here), shared by “Judge Advocates Pidit Organization - JAPO” on Facebook on January 25, 2020, also identified the footage as part of the anti-CAA protests in Uttar Pradesh.

These findings were supported by videos from multiple media outlets, including ETV Bharat and UP Tak, which captured similar scenes from different angles (archived here). A video posted by Live Hindustan on December 20, 2019 (archived here), titled "Gorakhpur: Two injured in stone pelting and lathi charge during protest against CAA (translated from Hindi)," features notable similarities with the viral clip. These include a white building with a blue shutter and a red banner, as well as the video being shot from a perpendicular road where the same building is visible at the crossing.

Comparison of a video from a news outlet from 2019 and the viral video. (Source: X/Live Hindustan/X/Modified by Logically Facts)

Further analysis and geolocation identified the location as Nakhas Road, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. Distinctive elements in the video, such as a shop sign reading “Maa Vaishno Stationers (translated from Hindi)," nearby buildings, an electric pole, and a curved road with a blue-shuttered shop displaying a “Mangla Wedding Collection” banner, matched Google Street View images.

The verdict

The viral video depicts an anti-CAA protest in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, from December 2019. It is unrelated to the recent violence in Sambhal.