McDonald's manure dump was about French meat imports, not Israel-Hamas war | Fact check
The claim: Protestors dumped manure at a French McDonald's for its support of Israel
A Nov. 24 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) shows a truck dumping a large pile of manure in the parking lot of a McDonald's.
"Protests have taken place in France by dumping animal dung in front of a McDonald’s branch supporting Israel," reads the post's caption.
The post was liked more than 2,000 times in four days. Similar versions of the claim were shared on Facebook, Instagram and X, formerly Twitter.
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Fact check roundup: Israel-Hamas war sparks many misleading claims online. Here's what's true and false.
Our rating: False
The demonstration shown in the Instagram video isn't related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. A French farmers union was protesting McDonald's decision to use imported meat.
Video shows agriculture union protest
Similar pictures of a truck dumping manure at a McDonald's were shared on Facebook and X on Nov. 24 by a French farmers union based in Haute-Saône, France. The red truck and the exterior of the McDonald's are identical to those shown in the Instagram video, and the scenery matches that of a McDonald's in Vesoul, a commune in Haute-Saône, according to Google Street View.
Neither post shared by the union mentions anything about the Israel-Hamas war.
Instead, the Nov. 24 posts focus on fast food chains' use of imported meat.
"Union action of the farmers of Haute-Saône against Mac Donald's (sic) and Burger King in Vesoul," reads an English translation of part of the posts' captions. "The number of farms is constantly decreasing in France as in Haute-Saône. At the same time, French beef consumption continues to open the door to imported meat arriving in out-of-home restaurants, especially in 'fast-food.'"
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Margaux Wacheux, a spokesperson for McDonald's France, told Paste BN in an email that the video shows "a local farmers' demonstration that took place (Nov. 24) against several fast-food chains."
Several French outlets reported on the demonstration, including L'Est Républicain and Ouest France, which also noted the protest was over meat imports.
Paste BN reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Reuters also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
- Margaux Wacheux, Nov. 30, Email exchange with Paste BN
- FDSEA Haute-Saône, Nov. 24, Facebook post
- FDSEA Haute-Saône, Nov. 24, X post
- Google Maps, October 2020, McDonald's Vesoul, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
- L'Est Républicain, Nov. 25, Manure dumped in front of McDonald's and Burger King: "These brands lie to consumers"
- Ouest France, Nov. 24, Des agriculteurs déversent du fumier devant les McDonald’s et Burger King de Vesoul
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