{"id":32440,"date":"2024-06-28T08:46:04","date_gmt":"2024-06-28T12:46:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/old-video-of-ghana-fire-festival-falsely-linked-to-kenyan-tax-bill-protests\/28\/06\/2024\/"},"modified":"2024-06-28T08:46:04","modified_gmt":"2024-06-28T12:46:04","slug":"old-video-of-ghana-fire-festival-falsely-linked-to-kenyan-tax-bill-protests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/old-video-of-ghana-fire-festival-falsely-linked-to-kenyan-tax-bill-protests\/28\/06\/2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Old video of Ghana fire festival falsely linked to Kenyan tax bill protests"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-loader portrait\" style=\"padding-bottom:149%\"><img alt=\"&lt;span&gt;&lt;\/div&gt;&lt;\/div&gt;&lt;\/div&gt;&lt;div class=\" caption-wrapper=\"\" caption-aligned-with-image=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\"><span>A screenshot of the false Facebook post, taken on June 27, 2024<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p>The claim was repeated elsewhere on <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/3SJP-TL8X\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Twitter;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Twitter<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/3CG3-FZHT?type=image\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Facebook;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Anti-tax protests<\/h3>\n<p>Rallies in Kenya turned deadly on June 25 as protesters breached parliament where legislators were voting on the passage of the 2024 Finance Bill. The tax law proposal was designed to usher in new duties and levies on a range of commodities, including staple goods.<\/p>\n<p>Amid mounting unrest, President William Ruto eventually <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=y_k_YpZx8uw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:announced;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">announced<\/a> the bill\u2019s withdrawal.<\/p>\n<div class=\"caas-iframe-wrapper\" data-embed-anchor=\"8ace9f53-0ecc-5c10-abe3-70ee6b95a4f1\">\n<div class=\"caas-iframe youtube\" style=\"padding-bottom:56%\" data-type=\"youtube\">\n<blockquote data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/y_k_YpZx8uw?si=d1ikToXueeg0RXMj\" scrolling=\"auto\"><p><noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kenya&#039;s President Ruto to withdraw finance bill after deadly anti-tax protests | AFP\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/y_k_YpZx8uw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/noscript><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The youth-led demonstrations were mostly peaceful at first, with thousands marching in Nairobi and elsewhere in the country against the proposed tax increases.<\/p>\n<p>But tensions flared sharply when police officers fired live rounds on crowds that later ransacked the parliament complex.<\/p>\n<p>AFP journalists <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/africa\/20240626-more-than-a-dozen-killed-in-kenya-protests-over-tax-hike-proposals\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:saw;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">saw<\/a> three people bleeding heavily and lying motionless on the ground near parliament (archived <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/A8UH-BPK2\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>As the chaos escalated and crowds started leaving the city centre, reports circulated of heavy police deployment and live rounds being fired in Githurai 45, a short distance outside Nairobi.<\/p>\n<p>The Law Society of Kenya <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=W0rbEweNuOU\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:called;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">called<\/a> for an investigation into the alleged shootings, dubbed the \u201cGithurai massacre\u201d (archived\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/QM2B-CEM5\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Newspapers spoke of confusion and the use of deadly force: headlines like \u201cInside night of terror for Githurai <a href=\"https:\/\/www.standardmedia.co.ke\/national\/article\/2001497922\/inside-night-of-terror-for-githurai-residents\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:residents;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">residents<\/a>\u201d and \u201cConflicting death toll, pain and agony as families <a href=\"https:\/\/nation.africa\/kenya\/news\/conflicting-death-toll-pain-and-agony-as-families-search-4671146\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:search;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">search<\/a> for their loved ones\u201d were used to describe the events in Githurai (archived <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/4E3G-KSHW\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/X5B8-CVE6\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>However, the video of a crowd marching with tiki torches does not show a night vigil in Githurai.<\/p>\n<h3>Fire Festival<\/h3>\n<p>Using the verification tool InVID WE Verify, we located the same video on TikTok <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@zia_abdul\/video\/7129939671869639982\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@dopetrend\/video\/7129627731318312197?_r=1&amp;_t=8nXX07S2UoY\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a>, published on August 8, 2022 (archived <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/E6PT-YNB5\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/B82Q-XCT2\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnnual Dagomba fire festival Ghana,\u201d reads one post. The Dagomba are an ethnic group.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 694px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox caas-img-loader\" style=\"padding-bottom:72%\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/8h5dHWi28sUkTWUJyaym2Q--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDA7aD0xNzM0\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/afp_factcheck_us_713\/9e39b64a73b3e4ee260da1c035768419\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview\" alt=\"&lt;span&gt;A screenshot of the TikTok post, taken on June 28, 2024&lt;\/span&gt;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/Jn5kCgZA2iYyz91Gpy5UjA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY5NA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/afp_factcheck_us_713\/9e39b64a73b3e4ee260da1c035768419\"\/><img alt=\"&lt;span&gt;&lt;button class=\" link=\"\" caas-lightbox=\"\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;elm:expand;itc:1\"\/><span class=\"openArrows icon\"><svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\"><path d=\"M12.372 0.92C12.372 0.414 12.782 0.004 13.287 0.004L21 0L20.996 7.712C20.996 8.217 20.586 8.628 20.08 8.628C19.574 8.628 19.164 8.217 19.164 7.712V3.183L12.337 10.011L10.988 8.663L17.816 1.835H13.287C12.782 1.835 12.372 1.425 12.372 0.92ZM1.835 17.816L8.663 10.988L10.012 12.337L3.183 19.164H7.712C8.218 19.164 8.627 19.574 8.627 20.08C8.627 20.586 8.218 20.995 7.712 20.995L0 21L0.004 13.287C0.004 12.782 0.414 12.372 0.92 12.372C1.425 12.372 1.835 12.782 1.835 13.287V17.816Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\"><span>A screenshot of the TikTok post, taken on June 28, 2024<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>In one of the TikTok clips, onlookers use Dagbani, a widely spoken language in northern Ghana.<\/p>\n<p>According to reports in Ghana (see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.modernghana.com\/news\/651380\/northern-region-celebrate-annual-fire-festival.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/kentetv.com\/bugum-chugu\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rekNKA1A5L0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a>), the festival is known as Bugum Chugu and is celebrated annually in the first month of the Dagomba lunar year (archived <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/Q4AG-ZSR8\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/AVG6-4TQE\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/Q75C-4B7B\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>The celebration is marked with singing, dancing, drumming and the waving of flaming torches made of grass.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 359px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox caas-img-loader\" style=\"padding-bottom:37%\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/XBq4X04GLLq.fR8cEw9OTw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDA7aD04OTg-\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/afp_factcheck_us_713\/7d12e58335e0f6e6a3a3245bb20f3333\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview\" alt=\"&lt;span&gt;A screenshot showing reports of Ghana\u2019s fire festival, taken on June 27, 2024&lt;\/span&gt;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/VphqNsJyTsrGjcB_WBmVgw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTM1OQ--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/afp_factcheck_us_713\/7d12e58335e0f6e6a3a3245bb20f3333\"\/><img alt=\"&lt;span&gt;&lt;button class=\" link=\"\" caas-lightbox=\"\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;elm:expand;itc:1\"\/><span class=\"openArrows icon\"><svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\"><path d=\"M12.372 0.92C12.372 0.414 12.782 0.004 13.287 0.004L21 0L20.996 7.712C20.996 8.217 20.586 8.628 20.08 8.628C19.574 8.628 19.164 8.217 19.164 7.712V3.183L12.337 10.011L10.988 8.663L17.816 1.835H13.287C12.782 1.835 12.372 1.425 12.372 0.92ZM1.835 17.816L8.663 10.988L10.012 12.337L3.183 19.164H7.712C8.218 19.164 8.627 19.574 8.627 20.08C8.627 20.586 8.218 20.995 7.712 20.995L0 21L0.004 13.287C0.004 12.782 0.414 12.372 0.92 12.372C1.425 12.372 1.835 12.782 1.835 13.287V17.816Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\"><span>A screenshot showing reports of Ghana\u2019s fire festival, taken on June 27, 2024<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>AFP Fact Check previously <a href=\"https:\/\/factuel.afp.com\/doc.afp.com.32LA3FW\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:debunked;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">debunked<\/a> the same video when it circulated in Burkina Faso alongside claims that it showed a pan-African march.<\/p>\n<p>The owner of <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/B82Q-XCT2\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:this TikTok account;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">this TikTok account<\/a> confirmed at the time that the clip was recorded in Yendi, a town in northern Ghana.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/old-video-ghana-fire-festival-120610861.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A screenshot of the false Facebook post, taken on June 27, 2024 The claim was repeated elsewhere on Twitter and Facebook. Anti-tax<br \/><button class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/old-video-of-ghana-fire-festival-falsely-linked-to-kenyan-tax-bill-protests\/28\/06\/2024\/\">Read More &rsaquo;<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32442,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32440"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32440"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32440\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}