Indonesian protest footage falsely claimed as 2026 Israeli evacuation
Thai PBS Verify found is disinformation on Facebook
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A post falsely claiming to show Israelis evacuating.[/caption]
Thai PBS Verify traced the misleading claim to a Facebook post alleging that people in Israel were fleeing their area after power and internet outages, while linking the footage to the ongoing conflict.
The post stated:
"Israelis are evacuating. The city has lost power and there is no internet." Along with hashtags related to stockpiling supplies, war, food, fuel, survival and evacuation.
The post was published on Nov 7, 2026, and attracted more than 350,000 views.
Examining the evacuation claim
Thai PBS Verify first analysed the footage using Hive Moderation to determine whether it had been generated by artificial intelligence. The results indicated a relatively low likelihood that the video was AI-generated.
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AI-content assessment results from Hive Moderation.[/caption]
Investigators then extracted still images from the clip and conducted reverse-image searches using Google Lens. The search led to a Threads post published on Aug 27, 2026, identifying the footage as a demonstration in Indonesia calling on the government to take action.
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Google Lens results tracing the source of the footage.[/caption]
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A Threads post referencing the incident.[/caption]
The same user had also shared three additional videos related to the same event in the comments section of the post.
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Other videos linked to the same incident.[/caption]
Information gathered through Google Lens and AI Overview, which compiles information from multiple sources, showed that several social media users identified the event as a protest near Indonesia's parliament building in Jakarta on the night of Aug 27, 2026.
Further searches led to an Al Jazeera report published on Aug 28, 2026, titled "Indonesians march on parliament to demand crackdown on corruption", which described demonstrations calling for tougher anti-corruption measures.
Verifying related footage
Investigators examined additional images and videos posted by the Threads account and identified the DIPO Group building. A comparison with Google Maps Street View confirmed the building is located in Jakarta, not far from Indonesia's parliament complex, matching other clues about the location.
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เComparison between footage related to the Indonesia protest shared by the same account (left) and the actual location near the DIPO building in Jakarta shown on Google Maps (right).[/caption]
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Distance between the location shown in the footage and Indonesia's parliament building according to Google Maps.[/caption]
Map of the area
Checking the location using Google Maps
Investigators compared the angle of the footage and surrounding buildings with images on Google Maps. They found that the building opposite DIPO Group was GP Plaza, matching the position and perspective seen in the viral clip.
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Street View image showing the DIPO building on the left and GP Plaza on the right.[/caption]
Because the original video was low in resolution, Thai PBS Verify searched for additional versions using Google Lens and found a clearer clip on YouTube uploaded by user "司徒文進 CROSSBONE", which also identified the event as a protest in Indonesia.
Investigators also noted that footage recorded from the GP Plaza side would show an orange flashing traffic signal, matching what appeared in the video.
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An orange flashing traffic signal visible in the footage.[/caption]
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Comparison between the video and Street View imagery showing two traffic-signal poles matching those seen in the clip.[/caption]
Nearby map
Investigators found several environmental features that matched between the footage and the area around GP Plaza.
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Comparison of matching environmental features between the footage and the GP Plaza area.[/caption]
Additional clues from related footage
Other videos shared in the same Threads post showed scenes near the BNI building. Checks using Google Street View confirmed the BNI building is located close to the DIPO building, consistent with the surroundings shown in the footage and providing further evidence that the event took place in Indonesia.
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Footage near the BNI building verified through Google Street View.[/caption]
A final video was traced through Google Lens to a report by the Indramayu Info page published on Aug 27, 2026, stating that the incident occurred near the entrance gate of Indonesia's parliament.
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Comparison between the footage and Google Street View imagery near the gate of Indonesia's parliament building.[/caption]
Thai PBS Verify also found AFP video coverage reporting clashes during demonstrations in Jakarta as protesters demanded tougher penalties for corruption offences.
AFP video
What actually happened
The footage being shared as an evacuation in Israel following electricity and internet outages does not show events in Israel. Evidence from reverse-image searches, geolocation analysis using Google Street View, and reports from AFP and Al Jazeera confirms that the video depicts anti-government protests in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Aug 27, 2026, where demonstrators were calling for stronger anti-corruption measures.