Recently, multiple videos circulated on social media platforms claiming to depict Muslim immigrants protesting Christmas displays in various European cities. Specifically, videos from Germany and Italy purportedly show groups waving flags in the streets, with Christmas lights allegedly visible in the background. However, these videos are not new and have been taken out of context, failing to accurately reflect any protest against Christmas.
One such video, which gained over a million views after being shared on the X platform (formerly Twitter) on November 20, 2025, claimed, “Thousands of Muslim immigrants have arrived to the Christmas festivity fair in Germany to protest against the tradition, that goes against their beliefs and Islam.” The 21-second clip depicted a large crowd in a street, waving flags and signs while responding to a call from an unseen person. Upon conducting an image reverse search, it was determined that this video did not originate from a Christmas protest but was actually recorded during a demonstration in Hamburg, Germany, in October 2024.
Details from an uncropped version of the video, shared in the Italian publication Il Giornale on October 13, 2024, indicated that the protest was centered around opposition to Israel and the treatment of Uyghurs in China. Reports confirmed the event took place in the Kreuzweg/Steindamm area of Hamburg, long before any Christmas markets opened in the city. Furthermore, there was no reference to Christmas in any media coverage regarding the event. The organizer, Muslim Interaktiv, faced accusations of anti-constitutional activities and was banned by German authorities recently.
Another video that surfaced on November 25, 2025, claimed to show “Islamists” in Milan climbing a statue and disrupting a family Christmas market. This 48-second clip featured a group of men gathered on the steps of the statue of King Victor Emmanuel II at night. However, an investigation revealed that the Christmas tree in Milan's Piazza del Duomo was not set to be lit until December 6, 2025, indicating the video could not have been recorded recently amidst Christmas festivities. A reverse image search traced this video back to January 1, 2025, suggesting it was part of New Year's celebrations rather than a protest against Christmas.
Additionally, an X post from November 8 circulated a video showing a large crowd in what appeared to be a Christmas market, purportedly cheered by Muslims. A deeper investigation revealed that this footage was actually from a celebration in Essen, Germany, marking the fall of former Syrian dictator Bashar Assad in December 2024. Many individuals in the video were seen waving the Syrian revolution flag, indicating a celebratory event rather than a protest against Christmas. While security concerns regarding Christmas markets have heightened, and some events faced cancellation, investigations indicated that widespread cancellations of Christmas markets in Germany were unfounded.
The surge in security measures has raised the costs associated with organizing Christmas markets, yet reports from credible news sources indicated that most Christmas events were proceeding as planned, including the Magdeburg Christmas market, which opened on November 20, 2025, despite prior security worries. This market had been the site of a tragic attack on December 20, 2024, leading to heightened security protocols across Germany during holiday celebrations.
In summary, while videos claiming to show protests against Christmas by Muslim immigrants have gained traction on social media, they have been significantly misrepresented. The actual context of these videos reveals that they stem from separate protests unrelated to Christmas festivities, affirming the need for critical evaluation of online claims.
