Posts circulating on social media this summer falsely claimed that Black Lives Matter activists were responsible for the beating of five elderly white people shown in the posts’ photos. But the pictures have been online for at least five years — and most early uses identify the photos as originating in South Africa.
Posts on social media repeat an error reported by Lou Dobbs on Fox Business in July, claiming that major corporations were donating large sums of money to Black Lives Matter. The companies have pledged support for racial equality initiatives, but haven’t specified Black Lives Matter as a beneficiary.
Experts say there is no evidence that Black Lives Matter protests or Mexicans have caused the spike in coronavirus cases in pockets of the U.S., contradicting President Donald Trump’s assertions.
A viral image on Facebook falsely attributes racist comments to the fashion designer Michael Kors. The quotes were fabricated by a now-defunct satirical website in 2015, but have been circulating as if true ever since.
Social media posts falsely claim donations made on the Black Lives Matter website go “directly” to the Democratic Party, because the group uses ActBlue Charities — an online fundraising platform. Donations go to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation. The funds first pass through a nonprofit that sponsors the group.
Q: Was a Black Lives Matter activist sued after stealing millions of dollars in donations?
A: No. That scandal was made up by a website that calls itself satirical.
Q: Were a dozen or more women found dead in a freezer with “Black Lives Matter” carved in them?
A: No. Versions of that false story have been circulating online for almost two years.
Q: Did Black Lives Matter protesters block emergency crews from reaching Hurricane Harvey victims?
A: No. That false claim was made in a satirical story featuring a 2016 photo of a protest in Atlanta, Georgia.