Video of burning vehicle lot in Australia falsely linked to French riots | Fact check
The claim: Video shows dozens of cars burning in Marseille, France, amid protests
A July 3 Facebook video shows dozens of burning cars.
"Parking lot with new cars on fire in Marseille as protests in France continue," reads the video's caption.
The post garnered more than 90 shares in three days. Similar versions of the claim have been shared on Facebook and Twitter.
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Our rating: False
The video predates the unrest in France and shows a storage yard in Perth, Australia, in April.
Video is from Australia, not France
Hundreds of cars and buildings have been set on fire during recent riots in France in response to the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old boy on June 27.
But the video shared on Facebook is unrelated to those riots.
The video in the post is consistent with footage published by the Australian Broadcasting Company, which reported the fire took place at Pickles Auction in Perth. Police said the fire damaged hundreds of vehicles but didn't cause any injuries.
The auction company said it was still investigating the cause of the fire in an April 29 statement.
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Photos and footage of the fire were published by numerous news outlets at the time, including The Guardian and Australian outlets 9News and The Sydney Morning Herald.
USA TODAY previously debunked a claim that the National Library of France was set on fire amid the unrest in the country.
USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
The claim has also been debunked by Reuters and the Associated Press.
Our fact-check sources:
The West Australian, April 28, Tweet
Pickles, April 29, RE: PICKLES BIBRA LAKE FIRE
Australian Broadcasting Company, April 29, Blaze destroys dozens of cars in Pickles Auctions car yard in Bibra Lake
The Guardian, April 29, Giant blaze destroys 60 vehicles at Pickles auction yard in Perth
9News, April 29, Fire erupts at auction yard in Perth with dozens of cars going up in flames
Sydney Morning Herald, April 28, Fire emergency at car auction house
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Video shows burning lot in Australia, not France | Fact check
