Grok, which has had a track record of giving false and misleading answers, answered: This footage appears to be from an anti-lockdown protest in London's Trafalgar Square on 26 September 2020, during clashes between demonstrators and police over Covid restrictions. The answer was quickly picked up and amplified by X users, including the Daily Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson, who tweeted: This was my suspicion, before asking: Did the Met claim footage of clashes in summer 2020 took place yesterday?
A total of 26 police officers were injured in clashes as projectiles were hurled, and the Metropolitan police confirmed on Sunday that 24 people were arrested for a range of offences including common assault and violent disorder. The force added that a post-event investigation was under way, with officers working to identify other people involved in disorder with a view to making further arrests.