A video has been viewed tens of thousands of times on Facebook alongside a claim that “American rioters” have set fire to a subway train.
The claim is false; the video shows a burning train in Chile, not the United States; media reports stated the train was set alight during protests over a transport fare hike.
The 10-second video was published in a Facebook post on October 21, 2019.
It has been viewed more than 75,000 times and shared more than 2,100 times.
The caption, written in a mix of traditional and simplified Chinese characters, translates to English as: “[Train] American rioters don’t want to miss out, set fire to a subway train!”
Below is a screenshot of the misleading Facebook post:
The Facebook user lists themselves as based in Hong Kong.
The video has been shared in a misleading context; it shows a burning train in Chile, not the US.
A reverse image search on Google for a screenshot from the video found it was filmed in Elisa Correa station, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile.
The same 10-second video was published on Twitter here on October 19, 2019.
The tweet states: “While more metro stations, trains, bus stops and shops are burning in #SantiagoChile (even more than yesterday) everyone asks: where are the policemen and military forces who are supposed to protect them? #ChileDesperto”.
Chilean media Primera Fuenta reported on the blaze here on October 19, 2019, embedding the same video posted on its Instagram account.
The report’s headline states: “Arson attack hits Elisa Correa station and a subway car in Puento Alto.”
Chilean protesters have demanded economic reforms and the resignation of President Sebastian Pinera since mid-October 2019.
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