Viral Video of "Lighting Olympic Torch in Paris" Misleading and Incorrect

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The Summer Olympics are scheduled to begin in Paris on July 26, generating significant discussion on social media. However, some posts are misleading, spreading incorrect information about the event.

Social Media Posts

A video circulating on social media claims to show the lighting of the Olympic torch at a church in Paris, accompanied by fireworks.

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We decided to do a fact-check on this.

Fact Check

A keyword on Google revealed an article published on the official Olympic website detailing the traditional torch lighting ceremony. According to the article, the Olympic flame is ceremonially lit months before the Games' opening at the ancient site of Olympia, Greece. The flame is ignited by the high priestess using the sun's rays focused by a parabolic mirror, after which it is transferred to the first torchbearer to begin the Olympic Torch Relay.

For the 2024 Paris Olympics, the official lighting ceremony was streamed live on the Olympic YouTube channel on April 16. A France24 report confirmed that the sacred flame was indeed lit in Olympia, Greece, by Greek actress Mary Mina, who played the role of the high priestess. Due to cloudy skies, a backup flame was used instead of a parabolic mirror. The Olympic torch arrived in Marseille, France, on May 8 and is yet to reach Paris.

Analysis of the Viral Video

The viral video features two distinct segments. The first segment shows a priest lighting a flare inside a cathedral, followed by a device carrying the flame towards the door. The second segment shows outdoor fireworks at night.

Using the InVID We Verify tool, keyframes from the viral video were extracted and subjected to a reverse image search. This revealed that the first part of the video is from the "Scoppio del Carro" (Explosion of the Cart) event held every Easter Sunday in Florence, Italy.

According to a video description from April 2021, this event involves a priest lighting a device that then flies out and back in. The official website of the city of Florence explains that this historical event dates back to the First Crusade and involves a "fire" chariot, called the "Brindellone," escorted by a procession, ending with fireworks set off from the chariot.

The second part of the viral video was traced to concerts by the German metal band Rammstein, known for their elaborate use of fireworks. Through reverse frame searching obtained with InVID We Verify, similar footages from Rammstein's concerts was found. The band has been on a European stadium tour since May, often using outdoor fireworks during their performances.

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Conclusion

The claim that the video shows the lighting of the Olympic torch in a Paris church is false. The video is a combination of two separate events: the Scoppio del Carro in Florence and a Rammstein concert. The actual Olympic torch lighting ceremony for the Paris 2024 Olympics took place in Olympia, Greece.