Video does not show 'riots in Lebanon' after Hezbollah leader Nasrallah's death

What is the claim? 

A video of a clash is being shared on social media to falsely claim it shows riots between the Shia and Sunni Muslims in Lebanon after the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Other users have also shared the now-viral video to claim it shows Paris, France. 

Jitendra Pratap Singh, a user known to spread misinformation, shared the video on X (formerly Twitter), saying, "Shia-Sunni riots have started in Lebanon. Sunni Muslims are now beating up Shia Muslims who are supporters of Hezbollah and driving them out of their areas." This post was shared 3,500 times and liked over 10,000 times. Similar posts can be viewed here, here, and here. Archives of posts claiming the video is from Paris can be viewed here and here. 

Screenshots of the posts linking the video to alleged recent riots in Lebanon and Paris. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

This claim comes after the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrullah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon, on September 28.

However, the video is from 2018, when Hezbollah and Amal Movement (The Future Movement), supporters of the Shia sect, reportedly attacked Sunni-majority neighborhoods in Beirut. 

What we found 

A reverse image search of keyframes from the viral video led us to a May 7, 2018, Facebook post (archived here), which included the now-viral visuals, indicating that the video predates recent events by six years. The Arabic caption stated the video showed clashes between "Hezbollah supporters and Al-Mustaqbal supporters" in Aisha Bakkar. Al-Mustaqbal, The Future Movement, is a Lebanese political party affiliated with the Sunni sect. 

A May 8, 2018 Sky News Arabia report (archived here) also contains the viral video. Hezbollah and Amal Movement supporters attacked several Sunni and Christian-majority neighborhoods in Beirut while shouting sectarian and inflammatory slogans after the parliamentary election results were announced, according to the report. 

Screenshot from the Sky News report, showing scenes from the viral video. (Source: Sky News Arabia)

A May 9, 2018 report by Al-Khaleej (archived here) stated that the young men in the video waved Hezbollah and Amal Movement flags, shouting, "Beirut has become Shia." They also attempted to vandalize a statue of the late Prime Minister Rafic Hariri of the Future Movement. The Future Movement also condemned the spate of violence, according to Al-Khaleej, saying it was an attempt to stir up tension and disrupt peace.  

This incident was also reported by media outlets Horrya, Al-AanTV, and Al-Modan. 

Using Google Street View (archived here), we confirmed that the video was recorded on Al-Rashideen Road in Beirut's Aisha Bakkar, in front of the Al-Qassar Mosque. This debunks the claim that the video is from Paris, France. 

Google Street View imagery of the location shown in the viral video.

In 2018, Hezbollah and its allies won in Lebanon's first parliamentary elections since 2009. A May 7, 2018, BBC report stated that Prime Minister Saad Hariri's Future Movement lost a third of its seats. The report said that Hezbollah and its allies won at least 67 of 128 seats in the parliament, even though the number of Hezbollah MPs remained unchanged at around 13. 

We also found no reports confirming violent clashes or riots between Shia and Sunni Muslims in Lebanon following the death of the Hezbollah leader on September 28, 2024. 

The verdict 

Our research shows that the viral video is from May 2018 and has no connection to recent events in Lebanon. 

(Translated by Vanita Ganesh)