Video Showing Police Station on Fire Is Unrelated to Iran Protests
Emerging story
Amid recent unrest in Iran, social media users and websites widely circulated a video claiming to show protesters setting a government building linked to the Iranian regime on fire.
An X user shared the footage with the caption, “January 6—Fardis (Karaj), northern Iran Protesters target regime buildings in response to efforts by the regime's security forces to quell demonstrations.”
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Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral video and found the claim to be misleading; the video was shot in Bahrain.
Outdated Video Shows Bahrain Protests in 2012
Despite its viral spread amid heightened tensions in Iran, the video is unrelated to the country’s recent unrest.
After conducting a thorough reverse image search, Misbar’s team found that the footage predates the current events.
A YouTube channel uploaded a similar video on February 9, 2012, showing protests in Bahrain in 2012. According to the publisher, the footage depicts demonstrators setting a police station on fire after a protester was killed.
Another YouTube video from the same period shows protesters throwing Molotov cocktails at a police station during the 2012 unrest. The video’s title reads, “Bahrain protesters throw in the police building Molotov cocktails. 2012.”
Misbar’s investigative team compared the widely circulated short clip with the Bahrain 2012 footage and found the scenes to be visually similar.
Reports of Bahraini Police Station Set on Fire in 2012
In October 2012, Bahrain put 32 people on trial for allegedly attacking a police station in the Shiite village of Sitra, according to state news agency BNA.
Undersecretary Attorney General Mohammed Al Dosari said prosecutors completed their investigation into what authorities described as a “terrorist attack” on Sitra’s police station, during which attackers used Molotov cocktails to set the facility on fire. He said prosecutors referred 32 suspects to criminal court, while 15 remain at large and face arrest warrants.
Authorities accuse the suspects of setting public property on fire and possessing petrol bombs and knives. Al Dosari said more than 100 people attacked the police station using petrol bombs, iron bars, and stones, attempting to burn down the facility and endanger the lives of officers inside.
Anti-Government Protests Escalate in Iran
Iran’s supreme leader warned of a crackdown as anti-government protests spread for a 13th consecutive day across the country.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate authority in Iran, lashed out at demonstrators, calling them “a bunch of vandals” and accusing them of trying to “please” U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump warned that the United States would “hit Iran very hard” if security forces kill protesters.
The demonstrations began in Tehran on December 28 and escalated after the Iranian currency collapsed.
According to BBC News, Iran appears to be enforcing a nationwide internet blackout. Iranian human rights groups say security forces killed more than 40 people during the protests. BBC Persian has spoken with the families of 21 of the victims and confirmed their identities.
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