Serbia protest video misrepresented as Turkish unrest over Istanbul mayor arrest
The video refers to an anti-government demonstration in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, in December 2024
CLAIM
A video purported to show a large nighttime protest in Istanbul following the arrest of the city’s mayor this March is from an anti-government demonstration in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, in December 2024.
BACKGROUND
Crowds took to the streets across Turkey to protest following the detention of opposition politician and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19.
Authorities ordered Imamoglu’s arrest and issued detention warrants for some 100 people amid an investigation into alleged corruption and terror links, according to reports.
Critics say the arrest, a day after a search of Imamoglu’s home, comes amid an ongoing government crackdown on the opposition after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party suffered significant losses in recent local elections.
Istanbul University revoked Imamoglu’s bachelor’s degree, a condition for running in elections under Turkish law, days before he was expected to be selected as a presidential candidate.
According to media reports, more than 1,400 people have been detained, including journalists, lawyers and students, as thousands of people have turned out for daily protests since Imamoglu’s arrest.
A video started being reshared on social media on March 20, described as showing a large protest in Istanbul.
El Nacional in Paraguay shared this video on its social media platforms, saying, “Huge demonstrations took to the streets of Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, in protest against the arrest of the city’s mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu”.
El Nacional compared tensions in Turkey to the unrest in Venezuela following the contested July 2024 presidential election, when opposition leader María Corina Machado was briefly arrested amid a government crackdown on dissidents.
Venezuelan outlet Guanta News also shared the video, saying the protest took place in Istanbul, incorrectly calling the city the capital of Turkey.
One social media user picked up on the mistake, saying the capital of Turkey is Ankara, not Istanbul, while others called on Venezuelans to be inspired by Turkish protesters and take to the streets.
Another account, called The Global Beacon, self-described as open-source intelligence on breaking news and politics, also shared the video, saying protests broke out in Turkey, without mentioning a location.
Protests erupted following Imamoglu’s arrest on March 19, despite a four-day ban on public gatherings in Istanbul, amid reports of clashes between protesters and police as demonstrations began to grow.
Images verified from social media of the protests on March 20 did not match those shared by the Latin American outlets nor the so-called OSINT account.
METHOD
A Google Lens search returned several results from a similar location, the most recent being described as showing the protest in Turkey.
Older results pointed to videos shared on December 22, 2024, relating to an anti-government protest in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade.
Demonstrations erupted in Serbia last year after part of the railway station in the northern city of Novi Sad collapsed on November 1, 2024, killing 15 people.
Protesters have blamed the deaths on what they say is government corruption and lack of accountability, calling for change as nationwide demonstrations continue.
A better quality version of that video was shared last December by X account Mila Kupovina, The National Independent, which reports on the western Balkans, and an Instagram account named Best Of Belgrade, among others.
The Social Newswire team verified a video from the same location that day, showing matching images of the protest in Belgrade.
A geolocation analysis of the video also shows landmarks in Belgrade’s Slavija Square.
RATING
A video purported to show a large nighttime protest in Istanbul following the arrest of the city’s mayor this March is misrepresented. The video refers to an anti-government demonstration in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, in December 2024.
SOURCES
Instagram (2025) Available at: El Nacional PY [Accessed 26 Mar. 2025].
Instagram (2025) Available at: Guanta News [Accessed 26 Mar. 2025].
X (formerly Twitter). (2025). Available at: The Global Beacon [Accessed 26 Mar. 2025].
X (formerly Twitter). (2024). Available at: Mila Kupovina [Accessed 26 Mar. 2025].
X (formerly Twitter). (2024). The National Independent [Accessed 26 Mar. 2025].
Instagram (2024) Available at: Best Of Belgrade [Accessed 26 Mar. 2025].
Social Newswire (2024) Available at: SERBIA: Anti-government protesters fill Belgrade square over train station accident
Social Newswire (2024) Available at: VENEZUELA: Opposition leader risks arrest to join rally against Maduro inauguration
Google Earth – Belgrade Slavija Square [Accessed 26 Mar. 2025].