Misleading video falsely claims US Muslims involved in National Guard shooting, actually from Germany

Following an incident near the White House where an Afghan national allegedly shot two National Guard members, killing one, a misleading video spread on social media. Right-wing users claimed the clip showed Muslim residents of Dearborn, Michigan, chanting for a "revolution." In reality, the footage was recorded at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Berlin, Germany, several days before the Washington attack.

A post on X from November 27, 2025, falsely stated: "After DC National Guard shooting by Afghan national, Muslim in Dearborn calls for 'Revolution' against America." The post also urged authorities to prioritize deportations from Dearborn. The video features a man in a black jacket and Nike hat speaking into a microphone while walking backward at night, with a van following behind him. Variants of the clip, misattributed to Dearborn, circulated in English and Spanish across X, Facebook, and Instagram.

The false narrative emerged after 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal was charged with murder for allegedly shooting two National Guard members near the White House on November 26. Lakanwal had entered the US under a resettlement program after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. In response, US President Donald Trump deployed National Guard troops to Washington and other cities and froze all asylum decisions, announcing plans to "permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries."

Investigations traced the video back to TikTok account @omarelhajj90, which posted it on November 22, days before the National Guard shooting. The footage shows a high-visibility vest labeled "Ordner," German for marshal, indicating it was filmed in Germany. The account frequently shares clips from pro-Palestinian protests, including other videos featuring the same individual incorrectly claimed to be in Dearborn and some explicitly labeled as Berlin demonstrations.

Additional posts on Instagram confirmed the same person's presence at the November 22 march. Berlin-based journalist Ryad Aref also posted footage of the demonstration, describing it as a rally supporting Gaza that started at Platz der Luftbrcke. The man and the van seen in the false Dearborn posts appear in Aref's videos.

AFP verified the location by comparing landmarks, storefronts, and streets in the videos to Google Street View images in Berlin, including Mehringdamm, Blcherstrae, and Prinzenstrae. Mapping the march route further confirmed the footage was from Berlin, not Dearborn.

This case adds to previously debunked misinformation linking unrelated events abroad to US political incidents.

Author: Logan Reeves