‘Jeffrey Westerfield’ Facebook Post
Viral posts purportedly describing the death of law enforcement officer Jeffrey Westerfield on his 47th birthday circulated in May 2021, co-opting language of the Black Lives Matter movement.
floyd protests
Daily Wire: BLM ‘Fuming’ After Chauvin ‘Guilty’ Verdict
The right-wing blog bizarrely claimed that Black Lives Matter activists were “fuming” after former law enforcement officer Derek Chauvin was convicted for killing George Floyd.
Rep. Maxine Waters Accused of ‘Inciting a Riot’
Multiple hyperpartisan sources claimed that the Democratic Congresswoman “incited a riot” in Minneapolis in April 2021.
‘George Floyd’s Girlfriend Was Daunte Wright’s Teacher, Fred Hampton’s Mom Babysat Emmett Till’
A viral tweet addressed “the violence & collective trauma of systemic racism across families, communities & generations—& know how little has changed.”
On a ‘Scroll That Has 470+ Names of People Killed by MN Police,’ Was Derek Chauvin Involved in Five?
As the trial of the former Minneapolis law enforcement officer for killing George Floyd drew nearer, a popular tweet claimed that Chauvin was involved in four prior incidents.
‘Before Capitol Rioters Beat an Officer to Death, BLM Protesters Formed a Human Barricade Around a Cop Separated From Other Police’
After insurrectionists beat a Capitol Police officer to death with a fire extinguisher, a story about Black Lives Matter barricading a lone cop at a protest recirculated.
Mysterious ‘Piles of Bricks’ in Chicago on Election Day
Conspiracy theories about mysteriously “placed” piles of bricks predictably emerged as voters went to the polls.
Bar Owner Dies by Suicide After Indictment for Allegedly Shooting, Killing Protester?
Business owner Jacob Gardner had been indicted in the shooting death of James Scurlock, a “rioter” who “attacked him.”
Did a Single Gender Reveal in California Cause More Property Damage Than All of 2020’s Black Lives Matter Protests Combined?
A viral Facebook post claimed that a disastrous pyrotechnics display cost more in “property damage” than the widely covered pro-human rights demonstrations.
After ‘Defunding,’ Did Minneapolis Police Advise Residents to Give up Their Phones, Wallets, and Purses to Criminals?
A purported email from Minneapolis police mentioned 100 robberies and 20 carjackings in July 2020, advising residents to surrender their valuables to criminals.