This holiday season, social media is flooded with misleading claims linking Muslims and migrants to threats against Christmas traditions. DW Fact check investigated several viral examples.
One widely shared video allegedly showed Muslims "invading" German Christmas markets. In reality, it was footage from a peaceful demonstration in Essen in December 2024 celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Another clip claimed Muslims disrupted Brussels' Christmas market opening, forcing families to flee. Police confirmed it was a static pro-Palestinian protest, held every Friday, with no incidents reported.
A picture of a tiny Christmas market surrounded by heavy security was AI-generated, evident from distorted faces, gibberish text, and a visible watermark from Google's Gemini tool.
Why are these narratives so persistent? Watch our DW Fact check video for a deeper dive.