Fact-Check Central

Did video footage capture Muslims rioting in Paris?

What we here is yet another textbook example of confirmation bias fueled not by science, but by reptile brain fear and rage.

It's worth noting that videos like this are becoming the propaganda weapon of choice for hate groups, and for the obvious reasons. Hollywood has long known that nothing circumvents reason and goes straight to the reptile brain like inflammatory images and sound. And even in the age of Photoshop and video editing software packages, people still tend to assume that the camera never lies. Supermodels really do look like their magazine covers and centerfolds... Sound bites are never out of context... if it's been "caught on film" then it must be "true." The problems with this video are obvious to anyone paying attention. But I've repeatedly pointed them out to people on Facebook only to be told, "Did you watch the video...?" [as though I could've responded to it in as much detail as I have without doing so...] "HOW can you deny it??? It's right in front of your eyes...!" Etc. etc. If a picture is worth a thousand words, video and sound are worth ten thousand... And in an uncritical age, those that are designed to inflame passions are worth millions.

To get an idea of how potent this sort of visual propaganda can be, consider a small but representative sample of the comment threads from this video's Facebook and YouTube postings;

"Then trump [sic] gets slated for wanting to build a wall? Wake up Europe they [sic] don't want to live a peaceful life majority [sic] want violence and bloodshed..."

"Send in the army and shoot to kill...!"

"F**K THESE SAND MONKIES [sic]...!"

"Are you kidding me.After [sic] covering the up [sic] they come out with this bull shit.Don't [sic] believe this I [sic] know for fact rapes happened by [sic] migrants and no bull shit story controlled by the people sucking thier[sic] nasty ('''',) [sic] can prove otherwise..."

Clearly thoughtfulness and literacy had little to do with this video's appeal, and the dangers of that are self-evident. Most of this video's Facebook comments had thousands of Likes. A few had more than ten thousand. The thought that any video as laughably flawed as this one could elicit such a viral response on passion alone, without a moment's rational thought by anyone, is sobering to say the least. It cannot be emphasized enough that cameras do lie, and far more effectively than words ever could.

References

BBC. 2017. "Theo 'rape' case fuels clashes with police in Paris area." BBC News Feb. 13, 2017. Available online at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38957953. Accessed Feb. 28, 2017.

CBS. 2017. "Paris suburb simmers after black man allegedly sodomized by police." CBS News Feb. 13, 2017. Available online at http://www.cbsnews.com/news/france-violence-continues-after-black-man-allegedly-sodomized-by-police/. Accessed Feb. 28, 2017.

Evon, D. 2017. "Does a Video Show Muslim Refugees Rioting in France?" Snopes Feb. 15, 2017. Available online at http://www.snopes.com/muslim-refugee-france-video/. Accessed Feb. 28, 2017.

Murray, D. 2017. "L'affaire Théo: Riots against French police look familiar — so does the proposed cure." CBS News Feb. 15, 2017. Available online at http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/murray-france-affair-theo-1.3982365. Accessed Feb. 28, 2017.