Students return to Jantar Mantar to debunk viral false protest videos
Students in New Delhi are returning to the Jantar Mantar protest site to debunk viral social media videos that falsely claim ongoing protests. These misleading posts have gained millions of views, prompting student organizations to verify the site's status and refute the fabricated narratives.
Why it matters
It illustrates the growing challenge of misinformation and 'fake news' on social media platforms regarding civil unrest and political protests.
A week after the 36-day protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) ended at Jantar Mantar, students continue to return to the site, not to stage fresh demonstrations, but to counter what they describe as a wave of misleading social media posts falsely portraying the protest as ongoing.
Instagram has been flooded with videos claiming to show “live” scenes of students clashing with police and marching through heavy security at Jantar Mantar. Carrying timestamps including August 1, July 31 and July 30, several of the clips have amassed millions of views, fuelling speculation that the protest is continuing despite having officially concluded.
One video claiming to be a 6 a.m. update on August 1 has crossed 2.8 million views. Another, presented as a 6.30 a.m. update on July 31, has received 1.9 million views, while other similarly labelled clips have attracted tens of thousands of views.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in