Post deceives by associating video from 2022 with the beginning of movement against Lula – 05/12/2023 – Politics

A post published on TikTok that presents video of a November 2022 demonstration as if it were a current event is misleading. The protest, held in front of the Army’s 5th Military Region Command, Forte do Pinheirinho, in Curitiba, Paraná, was against the election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and in favor of a coup d’état that would maintain the then President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in power. Similar acts were recorded in several Brazilian municipalities and reached their climax with the events of January 8 in Brasília. The investigated post misleads by taking the November event out of context, describing it as part of a new mobilization named “Movimento Defeats Lula”.

The images, as verified by Projeto Comprova, show the façade of the Army barracks at Forte do Pinheirinho, one of the three that had its surroundings occupied by coup-mongering camps in the capital of Paraná. All of them were demobilized on January 9 of this year, following a decision by Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the STF (Federal Supreme Court).

According to the Municipal Secretary of Social Defense and Traffic of Curitiba, there is no record of recent manifestations of this nature in the entire capital of Paraná. The military headquarters of Forte do Pinheirinho is without any encampment or occupation. This confirms that the video in question was filmed previously, during the acts that took place in 2022, without being a new movement.

Misleading, for Comprova, is content removed from the original context and used in another so that its meaning undergoes changes; that uses inaccurate data or that induces an interpretation different from the author’s intention; content that is confusing, with or without the deliberate intent to cause harm.

Reach

Comprova investigates suspicious content with greater reach on social networks. Until May 11, the video published on TikTok had 664.9 thousand views on the profile, with 59.8 thousand likes, about 6.2 thousand comments and 16.5 thousand shares.

How do we check

The report verified the video images and the content of the audio speech that completes the records. The first step was to identify the location where the video was recorded and the date of recording or even the original video used to compose the piece of disinformation. For this, Google Lens, InVid and Search by Image were used. A comparison was also made with images of demonstrations at the site on different dates, especially with regard to the weather on the day and the banners on the car.

The team then asked the City of Curitiba about the existence of occupations at Forte Pinheirinho and whether there had been new demonstrations there since the demobilization of the camp on January 9th. Research was also carried out on social networks and on search engines about some “Take down Lula” movement, which did not result in positive results for this.

2022 coup movement

The checked video depicts a crowd of people, many waving Brazilian flags and listening to a speech. The narration states that the cities of Brasília and Rio de Janeiro are at a standstill and that the movement is just beginning. A man, who has not been identified, says that the movements “give the necessary message”, but that it would not be enough just to post on social networks, as they would be blocked. On the banners displayed in the images, the words “Federal Intervention” and “SOS Armed Forces – All power emanates from the people” are written.

The main indication of the place where the video was recorded is in the footage of a facade on which there was the word “Forte”. In addition, based on the presence of banners about “Federal Intervention” and “SOS Forças Armadas”, mottos that dictated the 2022 coup camps, and the local vegetation, with the presence of araucarias, it was confirmed that the demonstration took place in the vicinity of the Army’s 5th Military Region Command – Forte Pinheirinho, in Curitiba (PR).

The camp at the site began at the end of the presidential elections in 2022, on October 30, and was demobilized on the afternoon of January 9, 2023, following a decision by STF Minister Alexandre de Moraes. On that day, journalists were even attacked by occupants of the camp when recording the action of the Military Police of Paraná in the removal of structures.

The comparison of images of the demonstrations at Forte do Pinheirinho led to the understanding that the video in question was filmed between the 2nd, when there was the first demonstration with the presence of people who were not camped, and November 5 of last year.

This happens when comparing the tracks present on the sound car and their positions, since the images recorded in similar positions from the 6th onwards show a white band with red words that does not appear in the original video, as can be seen in videos also released on TikTok and Twitter. Recordings on subsequent days, such as the 15th and 21st of November, maintain this track.

The signs have the words: “Power emanates from the people! Beloved homeland Brazil”, “SOS Forças Armadas / Power emanates from the people”, “Federal Intervention! Against socialism” and “Federal Intervention”. All of them also appear in the investigated recording, implying that it is, in fact, the same occasion. The presence of the same churros and pastries stall was also verified in the video analyzed and in the footage taken last November.

The Curitiba Municipal Secretariat for Social Defense and Traffic informed Comprova that there is no record of recent demonstrations of this nature in the city. The Command of the 5th Military Region, based in Forte do Pinheirinho, confirmed that there were no records of demonstrations in front of the site until May 11 of this year.

What the person responsible for the publication says

Contacted by Instagram, the author of the uninformative post did not respond at the time of writing. He identifies himself in the profile as a member of the Brazilian army and a private security guard. On the social network, he also sells a course he describes as “anti-terrorism” — which, according to the sales website, was recently released to civilians. Other videos on his profile also have anti-Lula and pro-Bolsonaro content.

What can we learn from this check

The use of old and out-of-context videos is a common practice of misinformers. Be suspicious when you come across a recording without information regarding the date of filming and location. Try to find out, when watching a video, the context of that recording and, when dealing with a grandiose demonstration, research in the professional press whether the movement actually existed.

Normally, large popular movements generate news and information about the number of people, the reason for the protest and even if the acts caused problems in traffic or in the neighborhood. The use of sensationalist and generic subtitles are also used to reinforce the discourse that the disinformer conveys to those who receive the video, which should also be taken into account when viewing the footage.

why do we investigate

Comprova monitors suspicious content published on social networks and messaging apps about public policies and elections at the federal level and opens investigations for those publications that have achieved greater reach and engagement. You can also suggest checks via WhatsApp +55 11 97045-4984. Suggestions and questions related to questionable content can also be sent to Sheet via WhatsApp 11 99486-0293.

Other checks on the topic

In December 2022, Comprova showed that, contrary to what certain posts said, it is not possible to say that anti-democratic acts against the election result were the biggest protest in history. In April 2023, Comprova showed that the FBI is not in Brazil to investigate the anti-democratic acts of January 8, contrary to what a video on social media claims.

The investigation of this content was carried out by UOL and O Popular, published on May 11 by Projeto Comprova, a coalition that brings together 41 vehicles to check viral content. It was verified by Folha, Poder360, A Gazeta, Correio Braziliense, Plural Curitiba and Estadão.