A cell phone video of the asylum seeker from 2019 appears on social media again, most recently on June 27, 2023 .

An asylum seeker who destroys cars - fake or facts?
Screenshot: Twitter from June 27, 2023

Many of our users have contacted us and asked us about the veracity of the video: Is it a staged fake?

The controversial video of the asylum seeker in review

Did what we see on the video really happen, or is it a cleverly orchestrated fabrication designed to advance a particular agenda or narrative?


In 2019, a video surfaced that immediately caused excitement and controversy. It was a cell phone clip that showed the stark reality in a brutal way and sent social media into a frenzy. The video showed a man seemingly randomly breaking the windows of parked cars. His tool: a branch as thick as an arm. We already HERE .

The brutal violence and apparent arbitrariness of the asylum seeker quickly made the video a public sensation. It was shared, liked and commented on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. A lot of users expressed their opinions, their concerns and their lack of understanding, and the video went viral. It became the subject of heated debate and discussion about the alleged perpetrator, his motives and the consequences of his crime.

Four years later, in 2023, the video resurfaced, triggering a wave of uncertainty and speculation. The video raised questions among many users and once again sparked heated discussions.

Fact check: It's not fake!

Police confirmation

In a report from July 10, 2019, the police reported an incident in an asylum seeker accommodation in Donauwörth. A 19-year-old Nigerian broke the windows of several cars and caused damage worth around 50,000 euros. The police wrote in 2019:

“This morning around 8:50 a.m. the police were informed by the security staff at the asylum seekers accommodation on Sternschanzenstrasse that a man in the accommodation was rioting in front of a building. A 19-year-old Nigerian used a branch as thick as his arm to break the front and rear windows of employees' parked vehicles and also climbed onto the hoods of two cars. The resulting material damage was estimated at around 50,000 euros. The man was then arrested by police officers from PI Donauwörth. According to initial findings, the 19-year-old is not housed in Donauwörth, but comes from a branch in the Augsburg district. The background to his actions is currently being investigated in more detail. When he was arrested, he only gave confusing and incoherent information, which is why he was initially taken to the BKH Donauwörth for a medical assessment.

Annotation:

It's not uncommon for a video to resurface years later and go viral again. Often this is a deliberate tactic by content creators or other parties to spread a certain message, push a certain narrative, or simply grab attention. A video that evokes strong emotions – be it horror, anger, pity or gloating – has the potential to spread like wildfire.

The resumption of this particular video could be due to a desire to trigger or influence discussion on issues such as migration, security and social order. But it could also simply serve as click bait to generate more views and interactions.

However, resharing such a video can also have a significant impact on users. It can reopen old wounds, stir up fears or confirm prejudices. At the same time, it can also lead to a re-examination of the facts and a deeper examination of the underlying issues. It's a double-edged sword: while it can trigger negative emotions in some viewers, it can lead to increased awareness and constructive discussions in others. This once again highlights the power and responsibility that comes with creating and distributing content on social media.

Also read: The invisible bait: How scammers on Facebook abuse your feelings and trust


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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )