The video shows a 2013 protest of Italian neo-fascist group tearing down the European Union flag at the European Commission headquarters in Rome, against economic hardship in the country.
Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party (A party with neo-fascist roots) emerged as the winners of the recent election in Italy by setting herself up to become the country’s first female prime minister at the head of the most right-wing government since World War II. In the above context, a video has gone viral on social media showing people tearing down the European Union’s flag from its Rome headquarter on the election-day in Italy.
The caption associated with the video reads: “Italian demonstrators today climbed to the European Union headquarters in Rome, tore down the “Union” flag, and replaced it with the Italian flag (on video). Today the general elections are held in Italy, in which the conservative right wing may win, for the first time since World War II. This is after the victory of the right wing in Sweden. The conservative right already controls Hungary, Sweden and the UK of Liz Truss.”
Several users posted the same video on twitter with the caption “ Protesters went up to the #European Union Head Quarters in #Rome and tore up the Union flag and replaced it with the Italian flag. Italy’s general election today may bring the conservative right for the first time since World War II. #UkraineRussiaWar #Ukraine War”
Fact Check-
We began our search with the key frames of the video, which led us to the channel of CasaPound Italia, an Italian neo-fascist movement, which shared the video on YouTube on 19 December 2013, with the caption: “CasaPound blitz at European Union office-flag stolen, police charges-December 14, 2013.”
The description of the video reads, in part, “CasaPound militants steal the flag of the European Union in opposition to the economic and financial policies of Brussels, for national and monetary sovereignty.”
Later in our search we found a report by the Reuters dated 15 December 2013. According to the report an Italian neo-fascist fringe group scaled the front of the European Commission’s Rome headquarters and tore down the EU flag after a week of protests against economic hardship and austerity in the country. The group had seized on a wave of “pitchfork protests” against economic insecurity and the government to hit Italian cities.
We can understand from this evidences that the video shows an Italian neo-fascist group tearing down the European Union flag at the European Commission headquarters in Rome in 2013 not 2022.
Additionally, following election we could find any incidents of such violence in Italy.
Conclusion:
Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the viral video to be misleading. The video does not show any recent incident that took place after the elections in Italy but shows an incident from 2013. It occurred during a protest against economic hardship and austerity in the country and was not associated with the recent Italian election.
Title:2013 video showing Italian neo-fascist group tearing down EU flag shared as recent election.
Fact Check By: Usha ManojResult: Misleading
