Video does not show illegal migrants being attacked in Liverpool, U.K.

Context

A viral video of a group of men fighting with weapons has been posted on social media with false claims that the fight was started by a group of white British vigilantes who intervened when they saw illegal immigrants attempting to abduct children. 

The video was posted to X (formerly Twitter) on October 23, 2024, with the caption, "Reports are emerging from Liverpool of a shocking incident involving an attempted child abduction. Eyewitnesses claim that a van containing a group of illegal migrants was spotted trying to abduct schoolchildren off the streets."

The caption continues, "In a dramatic turn of events, another van filled with white men confronted the would-be abductors, leading to a violent altercation in which one of the illegal migrants from the first van was reportedly killed." The X post has been viewed over 1 million times.

The video is filmed by someone driving a car and shows four men hitting one another with long poles on a pavement. One man can be seen smashing another's head against the pavement. A man can be heard off camera repeatedly yelling the word "nonce" — a U.K. derogatory term for a sex offender, particularly one whose crimes involve children. 

The same video was posted on Instagram with a similar caption, although this version did not include the claim that one of the migrants was killed. The caption begins, "Gang of child abductors get dealt with in Liverpool." 

The video shows a genuine brawl on a street in Liverpool. However, police have confirmed that there is no evidence of attempted child abductions and that no one has been killed. 

What we found 

A reverse-image search reveals that the video is genuine, and the brawl was reported on by U.K. tabloid The Daily Mail. The article says that the brawl occurred near a primary school on Lower Breck Road in Anfield and that three men had been arrested in connection to it. The article does not mention any of the men being illegal immigrants or any allegations of children being abducted. 

Merseyside Police news officer Paul Turp told Logically Facts there had been a report of a man allegedly acting suspiciously around two children in the Tuebrook area that took place on Monday, October 21. However, the police found no evidence that a criminal offense had happened. 

The fight took place a day later, on Tuesday, October 22. The police arrested three men in connection, who have since been charged with two counts of wounding with intent and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. The police are still looking for another man caught on CCTV camera near the incident. There is no evidence the fight is connected to the incident on October 21. 

Turp told Logically Facts that no one had been killed in the incident, and at this stage, there is no evidence the two incidents are related.

In a press statement released to the public, Detective Chief Inspector Steve Ball warned the public against spreading misinformation on social media that could fuel community tensions.

"I would therefore urge people not to speculate as we continue with our ongoing inquiries. We will provide further updates on our channels and to the media when appropriate," he said. 

The verdict

A video of a violent brawl in Liverpool has gone viral on social media with allegations that it was started by British vigilantes intervening when they saw a group of illegal migrant men attempting to abduct schoolchildren. However, police have confirmed that the allegations of child abduction they received were in relation to a separate incident. Three of the men involved in the brawl have been arrested and charged, and there is no evidence any of them were illegal immigrants attempting to abduct children. We have therefore rated this claim false.