FACT CHECK: Does This Image Show A Farmer Stealing The Dutch Prime Minister’s Jet?

An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows a Dutch farmer using a tractor to steal Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s private jet. 

Verdict: False

The image was taken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, not the Netherlands. The photo has nothing to do with the recent protest in the Netherlands.

Fact Check: 

Dutch farmers have formed “freedom convoys” to protest against proposed emissions regulations that could limit the number of livestock a farmer can possess, according to Fox News. The Dutch protesters were joined by groups in Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland last weekend, The Washington Examiner reported.

One image shared on Facebook claims to show an image from the Dutch protests. It shows a man using a tractor to tow a plane out of a hangar. “Private jet used primarily by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and other officials stolen from government hanger by angry farmers,” reads the image’s caption.

The image predates the current protests and was not taken in the Netherlands. A reverse image search revealed it is actually a screen grab from a short video that can be found on the stock photo website Pond5. The video shows the same man towing the plane. It is dated to March and includes a description that indicates it was filmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“Jet being towed by tractor from hanger (sic) in African airport – Lubumbashi, DRC,” reads the video’s description.

There are no credible news reports to suggest a private jet belonging to Rutte has been stolen. (RELATED: Does This Video Show German Farmers Protesting Against Vaccine Mandates?)

Social media users have been using old images and presenting them as new photos of the Dutch protests. Check Your Fact recently fact-checked one image that was linked to the current protests but was actually from 2019.

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