VERA Files
A clip showing several police cars rushing to a mall in Miami due to supposed alien sightings is circulating among Filipino netizens. This is not true.
On Jan. 12, a Filipino Facebook (FB) user shared a video taken from a multi-story building showing dozens of police cars lined up on a road. The video bore the erroneous text: “UFO IN MIAMI”.
Its caption also read:
“# UFO IN MIAMI FLORIDA? #fypシ゚viralシ #reelsfb #fyp.”
A TikTok user first uploaded the clip on Jan. 8 with the caption:
“Proof of Miami Bayside Aliens? #miami #baysidemiami #aliens #ufo.”
Several netizens have asked about the post’s legitimacy while others believed it to be true.
This is false. The video shows the Miami Police Department (MDP) responding to fights and looting at Bayside Marketplace on Jan. 1.
In a Jan. 5 Instagram post, the MPD clarified that the circulating videos show their response to roughly 50 teenagers “shooting fireworks at people” and some looting incidents at the outdoor mall.
The MPD denied any alien sighting in the area, contrary to claims made in circulating videos and conspiracy theories.
More, a person in the video flagged by VERA Files Fact Check can even be heard saying that the police were responding to young people fighting at Bayside.
Several news organizations have reported on the riot where four juveniles were arrested.
Other fact-checking organizations debunked similar videos from the incident passed off as proof of alien invasion.
The FB reel has 671 reactions, 49 comments, 218 shares and 48,000 views, while the TikTok video has 165,000 reactions, 5202 comments, 9055 shares and 7.5 million views as of writing.
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(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)
