False Narrative of Anti-Migrant Protests in Greece Debunked: A Disinformation Campaign Unmasked
A recent wave of social media posts has falsely portrayed large-scale protests in Greece as anti-migrant demonstrations. These posts, often accompanied by a video showing a massive crowd, allege that Greeks are protesting the influx of migrants and refugees. However, a thorough fact-check reveals a deliberate disinformation campaign exploiting the genuine public outrage following a tragic train disaster. The video in question actually depicts a protest commemorating the two-year anniversary of the Tempi train crash, a devastating incident that claimed 57 lives, mostly students.
On February 28, 2025, two years after the horrific Tempi train collision, Greece witnessed widespread demonstrations, not against migrants, but against the government’s handling of the disaster and its perceived failure to address systemic issues that led to the tragedy. Tens of thousands of citizens, joined by public and private sector unions, took to the streets across the country, including Athens’ Syntagma Square, demanding accountability and justice for the victims. Their anger was fueled by a recently released report that attributed the crash to human error, outdated infrastructure, and systemic failures, as well as allegations of a government cover-up and obstruction of justice.
The disinformation campaign has strategically misrepresented these protests, twisting the narrative to falsely link them to anti-migrant sentiment. This manipulation aims to exploit pre-existing anxieties about migration, diverting attention from the real issues plaguing Greece: government accountability, infrastructure safety, and justice for the Tempi victims. The false narrative seeks to paint the protests as a manifestation of xenophobia, thereby undermining the legitimate grievances of the Greek people and their pursuit of accountability.
The epicenter of this disinformation campaign appears to be the social media account ‘Radio Europe,’ notorious for disseminating misleading and false information. One particular post by ‘Radio Europe,’ viewed over 1.2 million times on X (formerly Twitter), falsely claims the video depicts a "massive riot in Greece" sparked by the arrival of "more than 500 illegal migrants by boat every day." This claim is easily debunked by data from the UN’s International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which recorded only 40 migrant and refugee arrivals in Greece during the week of the protest. Further investigation reveals that the ‘Radio Europe’ post was artificially amplified by a network of bot-like accounts, suggesting a coordinated effort to spread the false narrative rapidly and widely.
This disinformation campaign has extended its reach beyond the English-speaking world, with versions of the false narrative circulating in multiple languages, including French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Polish. This multilingual approach suggests a sophisticated and well-organized effort to maximize the impact of the disinformation, targeting diverse audiences and exploiting existing societal tensions related to migration across Europe. The campaign’s reach and multilingual nature highlight the urgent need for robust fact-checking and media literacy initiatives to counter the spread of such manipulative content.
The false narrative of anti-migrant protests in Greece serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of disinformation in the digital age. By manipulating genuine public anger and grief following a national tragedy, the campaign seeks to sow discord, distract from legitimate concerns, and promote a distorted view of Greek society. This incident underscores the importance of critical thinking, verifying information from reliable sources, and resisting the temptation to share unverified content. The battle against disinformation requires a collective effort from individuals, social media platforms, and media organizations to protect the integrity of public discourse and uphold the truth. The protests in Greece were about demanding justice and accountability for the Tempi train disaster victims, not about opposing migrants. The disinformation campaign attempting to rewrite this narrative must be exposed and countered.
