Video shows train crash anniversary rally in Greece, not mass protest in Romania

Following the annulment of Romania's presidential elections in 2024 amid allegations of Russian interference, there have been a number of demonstrations in support of far-right candidate Calin Georgescu who had won the first round. In this context, social media users in Greece shared a video in early March 2025 that they falsely claimed showed a huge pro-Georgescu, pro-Russia demo in Bucharest. But the clip actually shows thousands of people rallying in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki on February 28, 2025, on the second anniversary of a deadly train crash. The same video was shared by a Greek media outlet which identified Thessaloniki as the location, and landmarks seen in the video confirm it was filmed there.

Romania's constitutional court annulled the presidential election in December 2024 after allegations emerged of Russian meddling in favour of far-right candidate Calin Georgescu, who unexpectedly won the first round after shooting to prominence virtually overnight. On February 26, 2025, Romania indicted Georgescu on charges including making "false statements" over his campaign financing and starting a "fascist, racist or xenophobic organisation". Georgescu denies wrongdoing. The election is to be rerun in May.

Tens of thousands of Romanians took to the streets in subsequent months to protest the cancellation of the vote. On March 1, thousands again gathered in the centre of Bucharest in support of Georgescu.

An 11-second clip of a huge crowd of demonstrators began circulating among Greek social media users soon after with the claim that it showed a pro-Georgescu rally in the Romanian capital.

"The Romanian people turn their backs on the neo-class elite in Brussels and choose Putin. The Romanian capital Bucharest was overrun by millions of demonstrators chanting 'Russia' and supporting pro-Russian presidential candidate Georgescu, who was recently illegally arrested at the request of the EU president," reads a post on X from March 3, 2025 that has accumulated over 39,000 views.

The same video with the same claim was also shared on Facebook in Greek here and here.

However, these claims are false. The video was filmed in Thessaloniki on February 28, 2025, when hundreds of thousands of people rallied in cities across Greece to mark the second anniversary of the train crash in Tempe, in central Greece, that claimed the lives of 57 people.

Video filmed in Thessaloniki

A reverse video search allowed us to find the same clip posted on X by Greek media outlet News 24/7 on February 28, 2025. The caption reads: "'In the Valley of Tempe', from Thessaloniki, for the 57 people of Tempe". "In the Valley of Tempe" is a song by Greek singer and songwriter, Sokratis Malamas, and it can be heard playing in the clip. The media outlet credits the video to its journalist Alexandros Litsardakis.

A close examination of the video identifies several elements that confirm the footage was indeed shot in the city of Thessaloniki.

Using the magnifier tool of the InVid WeVerify plugin, the dome of a building and a statue in the crowd can be seen, as shown in the screenshots below.

Using Google Maps, we were able to determine that the dome is that of the historic Bei Chamam bathhouse, located on Archaia Agora Square in the centre of Thessaloniki. The statue is of former Greek statesman, Eleftherios Venizelos, located a few metres from Bei Chamam.

At the very beginning of the video, it is possible to see the corner of a red and black building. By comparing it with the surroundings visible on Google Street View, it can be identified as the building located at 76 Egnatia Street, opposite Archaia Agora Square, as shown in the comparison of screenshots below.

Finally, AFP photographers were present at the Bucharest demonstration by Georgescu supporters on March 1, as shown in the photo below.

Many people at the Bucharest protest were seen waving Romanian flags. No Romanian flags are visible in the misleadingly shared video.

Mass rallies in Greece over Tempe train crash

Fifty-seven people, mostly students, were killed on February 28, 2023, when a train connecting Athens to Thessaloniki collided with a freight train in Tempe, near the central city of Larissa.

Anger toward the government has grown, with polls showing that most Greeks believe the authorities concealed vital evidence after the crash, slowing down an investigation which is still ongoing.

On the second anniversary of the accident, the victims' families called for a day of mobilisation. On February 28, 2025, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in cities across Greece, including Thessaloniki, to demand justice for the victims.

On March 5, Greek opposition parties submitted a motion to trigger a no-confidence vote against the government over its handling of the country's worst rail tragedy.

AFP has already verified another false claim about the train crash anniversary demonstrations here.