By Karim Hammam
Two French news broadcasters have issued apologies after mistakenly airing footage of protests in Albania as if they were occurring in France. The error occurred during widespread demonstrations across France concerning school funding and rising living costs.
CNEWS Error and Misleading Commentary
The broadcaster CNEWS first made the mistake on Saturday. While reporting on a peaceful mass march in southern Paris, the channel displayed images of protesters on a street, including individuals waving a red flag and others wearing masks and ski goggles. Although the footage was labeled as being from Porte d’Italie in Paris, it was actually filmed in Tirana, the capital of Albania.
During the broadcast, a commentator suggested the masked individuals might behave like "future vandals" or "rioters," implying the Paris demonstrations could turn violent. Following the error, presenter Olivier Benkemoun apologized on air, explaining that the newsroom had misidentified video feeds received from multiple locations due to a mistake in the control room.
Franceinfo Misidentifies Tirana as Lyon
Public broadcaster franceinfo also committed a similar error. The channel aired footage of riot police using water cannons behind trucks, claiming the images were live from Lyon. The broadcast described the situation in the southeastern French city as "tense" before a presenter corrected the error three minutes later, admitting the footage was actually from Bulevardi Dëshmorët e Kombit in central Tirana.
Context of French Demonstrations
The media errors took place amidst nearly 300 demonstrations nationwide in France. While many marches began peacefully, clashes eventually occurred in some areas, with masked protesters throwing objects and fireworks at police. The French Interior Ministry reported that 1,314 arrests were made following the widespread unrest.
