Last month, the Representative House of the United States passed an act aimed at sanctioning several of Cambodia’s government high ranking officials who are linked to human rights violation in the country. Meanwhile, a more than three-minute video clip was posted on social media along with a claim saying that American police brutally beat African-American protesters, but no rights group condemned such brutality. The video clip had been multiple shared by Khmer-speaking social media users alongside with many comments and reactions. After running Google Reverse Image, however it was found out the claim was false.
Social Media Claim
On June 01 last year, a Facebook user posted a more than three-minute video clip showing a group of African-American in casual clothes were beaten with baton by a group of police officers.
The social media user claimed the video was a brutal crackdown made by the U.S. police officers against African-American protesters, calling the treatment is like “animals” and no human rights group condemned or criticized the brutality.
The claim along with the video clip had been shared thousand times along with mixed comments and reactions. It was reshared on social media after the U.S. House of Representatives passed “Cambodia Democracy Act of 2021” – a bill aimed at restoring human rights and democracy in the South East Asia’s nation and sanctioning several country’s high-ranking officials who are linked with human rights violation and democracy deterioration.
Below is a capture of the claim posted on social media saying “USA: Surprisingly, U.S. police beat protestors like animals, and no rights group condemned it. If it was in Cambodia, it would be criticized at 1,000 times each day.”
(Please insert video here https://www.facebook.com/lokbong.sp/posts/2501638520088196 or archived link below)
Fact Check
Fact Crescendo Cambodia begins verification for the claim by running Google Reverse Image, bring us to see the video and its exactly detailed information.
The video clip was published along with articles reported by local media organizations in the United Sates in early May last year.
A report published on May 06, 2020 by NJ.Com said five people were arrested in Jersey City, northeaster New Jersey, a day ago by the city police who used pepper spray and batons.
The Jersey City police took action after a street brawl broke out in the area. Only 20 people involved in the brawl initially, but the number was even as big as 100 people in just minutes, according to the report of the local media.
Jersey City Public Safety Director Jim Shea was quoted saying his police officers called for backup after one of civilians pulled at one officer’s duty belt where a weapon was stored.
Jim Shea said six police officers arrived at the scene and tried to disperse them, but there were as many as 100 people involving in the street fighting, according to the report.
A witness interviewed by the media said the brawl started from altercation between two groups of people before it turned into street fighting.
A more than five-minute video clip was also published along with the report. The video was recorded by a witness at the scene. The full video clip can be watched on YouTube link here or archived link here.
(Please insert video here by using link attached here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGmzYQicts4)
NJ.COM also published in its YouTube channel another video clip which was recorded by Jersey City police body camera. The full video clip can be watched on YouTube channel link here or archived link here.
(For IT team in India, please insert video here attached here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McAOJjoVTII)
Brutality by Jersey City Police Officers Condemned
The United Kingdom-based media Daily Mail reported that the brutality made by Jersey City police officers against the civilians angered public condemning and criticizing including a leading activist Shaun King. Below is a capture of condemnation made by Shaun King published in a report by Daily Mail on May 6, 2020.
“Now it’s in Jersey City, New Jersey. Police have taken this quarantine as an excuse to ram up their brutality to historic levels. They are mauling and battering us all over the country. All in the name of social distancing. It’s an abomination.”
Two days later a group of civil rights and activists condemned the brutality against African-American and demanded better treatment for them, saying “Let me just say this about my beautiful black people, we are not animals.” Below is a capture of a condemnation made by Pamela Johnson – executive director of the Jersey City Anti-Violence Coalition Movement – who was quoted by NJ.COM.
Conclusion
Fact Crescendo Cambodia found out the claim like mentioned above is false. People seen in the video clip were not protesters. Factually, the U.S. police officers brutally beat African-American who involved in a street brawl in Jersey City, leading to widely condemned from civil rights groups and activists in New Jersey state.
Title:Is this a video, depicting the US Police beat the protestors?
Fact Check By: Jay UdomResult: False
