Short Answer: The viral clip claiming to show Muslims chanting in Dublin in Sept. 2026 is false. Reverse-image checks link the footage to Oct. 11, 2025, when FC Schalke 04 supporters marched on Abbey Street ahead of a match. Social posts from that day report an assault on a photographer. No credible news sources corroborate the Sept. 2026 claim.
Fact Check: Viral Video Shows FC Schalke 04 Fans in Dublin (Oct 2025) — Not Muslims Chanting in Sept 2026
Lead Stories says: Schalke Hools
A widely shared video purportedly showing a large group of Muslims chanting in the streets of Dublin in September 2026 is misattributed. Evidence indicates the footage predates that claim and shows supporters of the German football club FC Schalke 04 marching on Abbey Street in Dublin on Oct. 11, 2025.
What Was Claimed
On Oct. 1, 2026, actor and writer John Cleese shared a short clip on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption “The Religion of Peace.” The clip had been circulated earlier on Sept. 30, 2026, with a caption alleging the scene had just occurred in Dublin and implying the crowd were not Irish residents.
What the Evidence Shows
Reverse-image searches and archived social posts link the same footage to posts published on Oct. 11, 2025 — the day FC Schalke 04 fans were in Dublin ahead of a match. Multiple social posts from that date identify the crowd as Schalke supporters and describe an assault on a photographer during the march.
Image source: post by @JohnCleese on X.
“Today in Dublin, I went to photograph what I thought was a parade. They grabbed my camera & pushed Steve over. They then kicked him in the head, unable to get up they continued to kick him. They were Schalke football hooligans. I'm so appalled & disgusted!! #schalkehooligans”
Additional Checks
Searches of Google News and Yahoo News using terms such as "Muslims," "Dublin," and "chanting" did not return credible news reports supporting the Sept. 2026 claim. Lead Stories and other verifiers traced the clip to the Oct. 11, 2025 incident involving Schalke fans on Abbey Street.
Verdict
False: The video does not show Muslims chanting in Dublin in September 2026. The clip appears to be from Oct. 11, 2025, and shows FC Schalke 04 supporters marching on Abbey Street ahead of a match, with reports of violence directed at a photographer.
Why This Matters: Misattributing footage to a different group or date can stoke tensions and spread misinformation. Verifying timestamps, original posts, and reverse-image results is essential before sharing emotionally charged clips.
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