Does a leaked photo show ISIS fighters clashing with police in Germany?

A picture depicting Muslims clashing with police is gaining notoriety as many right-wing websites are claiming the “leaked photo” confirms that ISIS have smuggled in operatives into Europe as they posed as refugees.

The threat that ISIS may be able to smuggle fighters into Europe posing as refugees is certainly a concern, but wayward tabloid journalism with a history of exaggerating or exploiting these types of stories has put this threat very much in the public eye.

Case in point a recent article from The Express that appeared to rely on an unconfirmed, anonymous ISIS member who had been interviewed by Buzzfeed back in January 2015 who asserted ISIS fighters could be smuggled in with fleeing refugees.

Following this article we have the below image, which many right-wing and notoriously inaccurate websites are claiming to be a leaked photo showing said ISIS fighters clashing with German police recently. Only it’s not, at all, since the photo itself dates back to 2012.

The photo has been spreading with the caption “And so It begins… ISIS Flag Among Refugees in Germany Fighting the Police [Pictures]”

In fact it shows fundamentalist Salafist Muslims clashing with German police in the city of Solingen during May 2012 demonstrations that turned into violence.

At that time, a right-wing German group called Pro-NRW was holding a contest for drawing caricatures of the prophet Mohammad, which unsurprisingly angered many conservative Muslims who came out in protest. Street demonstrations between the two groups escalated with the police caught in the middle, resulting in 29 officers being injured and a 25 year old being charged with attempted murder.

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Needless to say, since the photo was taken in 2012, it has nothing to do with the 2015 migrant crisis facing Europe.

The photo is bundled with a variety of videos claiming to show refugees attacking various parts of Europe, though many of these videos appear to be either out-of-context, out-dated (like the photo) or impossible to garner information about.

However, regarding the photo itself, no it has nothing to do with recent events in Europe.