What was claimed
A video shows a robbery at knife point in London.
Our verdict
The video is actually from South Africa.
This video of a robbery at knife point did not take place in London
9 July 2019
This article links to a video that is potentially distressing.
A video showing a man being robbed at knife point has been shared hundreds of times on Facebook, with the caption “Meanwhile in Sadiq khans London”.
However the video is not from London, but from Bloemfontein in South Africa. According to police, the incident took place in June 2019, but the victim has refused to press charges.
Violent crime is a major issue in South Africa, particularly murder, with 20,336 murders recorded in the year 2017-2018. (The total number of homicides for England and Wales in that same period was 726.) Recorded robbery rates in South Africa decreased slightly in 2017-18, although evidence from the Victims of Crime Survey suggests that most robberies are not reported to the police.
The video was also shared on Twitter by right-wing internet personality Paul Joseph Watson with a caption saying it was in London. Although Mr Watson did not delete his original tweet, he did clarify the actual location of the robbery in a follow-up tweet.