GENERAL

Does this video really show vendors selling stolen luxury goods in Paris after riots? Fact Check

Claim: A video allegedly shows stolen goods being sold cheaply by street vendors in Paris following the riots. 

Conclusion: The claim is false. The video does not show Paris but rather street vendors selling goods along Madrid’s busy Gran Vía street in Spain. This is confirmed by visible “Gran Vía” signage and the distinctive backdrop of Farmacia López Vicente, which matches the location on Google Street View. 

Rating: False


Several social media users have shared a video and claimed that it captures a street in Paris filled with vendors selling luxury goods for cheap after France’s recent riots. Verified X user ‘GenKiszczak’ shared such a post with the caption : “We need to hurry to Paris for the sale of stolen luxury goods!” Attached to the post is a 37 second video which allegedly showcases this moment. View the post below – 

Other users have shared similar claims that can be seen here and here

FACT CHECK

DigitEYE India decided to investigate this claim and found it to be false. The footage was not filmed in Paris, as claimed, but on Gran Vía, a prominent street in Madrid, Spain, where vendors can be seen selling various items. The location was verified by matching the “Gran Vía” signage and the façade of Farmacia López Vicente in the video with the corresponding features on Google Maps Street View. 

Details:

We first examined the video and identified several visual clues to determine whether the footage was filmed in Paris. At the beginning of the video, a pharmacy is visible with the word “Farmacia” on its signboard. This is the Spanish word for “pharmacy,” whereas the French equivalent is “pharmacie.” This discrepancy raised doubts about the claim that the video was filmed in Paris and prompted us to investigate the location further.

Next, we observed that several buses in the video had the word “Madrid” displayed on them, further raising doubts on the claim that the footage was filmed in Paris. We also identified a clearly visible “Gran Vía” sign beneath the metro station indicator, suggesting that the video was filmed along Madrid’s well-known Gran Vía street. View screenshots of these below – 

Using these clues, we further investigated the location through Google Maps Street View and identified a match in central Madrid, Spain. The background of Farmacia López Vicente, visible in the video, matches the pharmacy’s appearance and surroundings on Street View. We also found the same Gran Vía Metro station signage and buses displaying the name “Madrid”. View the evidence below – 

Lastly, we searched about Madrid’s Gran Via street and learned that people can “see street vendors, also called “manteros”, selling all types of goods, including fake luxury goods.” The report also notes that the sellers “are quick, always ready to wrap everything up and run if the police come.” View a section from the report below – 

Thus, the video does not show Paris but rather street vendors selling goods along Madrid’s busy Gran Vía street in Spain.

Hence, the claim is false.


Read More :

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Shelton Rozario

Shelton Rozario is a final-year graduate student from the St. Xavier's College, Kolkata, enthusiastic in pursuing a career in journalism. He has joined Digiteye India in July 2025 as an Intern. He can be reached at sheltonr@digiteye.in More »

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