Claim: "OVERNIGHT IN LA: Illegal Aliens light themselves on FIRE after dousing Jeep with gasoline and lighting it." This is claimed in a post on X with nearly 2.8 million views. Along with the claim, a video is shared showing a group of young people pouring gasoline on a Jeep before it explodes in flames. The same footage has been widely shared across platforms including YouTube and Instagram, all claiming it shows part of the current unrest in Los Angeles.

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DW Fact check: False. The video is not related to the current protests. It first appeared online in March 2024 and shows a street takeover in Los Angeles' Hyde Park neighborhood, unrelated to immigration raids or migrant protests. A visible watermark in several versions of the clip links it to an Instagram account that regularly posts viral videos of car crashes, explosions and street racing scenes. The video was published on that account on March 9, 2024. A reverse image search leads to a Daily Mail article from March 2024 featuring screenshots from the same video and providing details of the street takeover, referring to when a group of people meet to showcase their cars and driving abilities. Searching keywords related to the Hyde Park incident in Los Angeles also yields additional reports and images from local outlets, confirming the video's original context.

Reviewed by Deutsche Welle ↗ · June 12, 2025