Recently, accounts on “X” shared a video of a celebration in Spain, claiming it depicted crowds rallying in support of Palestine. The video was accompanied by the caption: “Can you believe this is a scene in Spain in support of Palestine? Watch the Palestinian flags raised above the crowds.”
Kashif fact-checked the video and found that it is old and the claim is inaccurate. The video, which was circulated on 4/8/2024, is actually from the Virgen Blanca Festival in Spain, during which Palestinian flags were raised.
Gasteiz Hoy, TikTok account posted the video on 4/8/2024, and identified it as part of the “La Blanca 2024” celebrations.
The Virgen Blanca Festival is held annually from 4 August to 9 August in the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. Residents gather in La Virgen Blanca Square, awaiting the 6:00 PM fireworks that mark the start of the festival. Upon reviewing Getty Images, Kashif’s team confirmed the event had been covered in August 2022 and 2023.
Upon examining the circulated video, the team noted the presence of the Palestinian flag during the festival. Spanish news outlets reported that, despite security measures preventing the entry of Palestinian flags through certain access points to the Virgen Blanca Square, some attendees managed to raise the flag during the celebration.
Large protests have taken place across Spain since the beginning of the aggression on Gaza, showing solidarity with the Palestinian people. These demonstrations called for severing diplomatic ties with the occupying state and halting the genocide in Gaza.
Sources of Claim | Sources of Verification |
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