FACT CHECK: Did Pro-Palestine Protesters Burn A Christmas Tree In New York City?

Joseph Casieri | Fact Check Reporter

A post shared on social media purports a Christmas tree in New York City was set on fire by pro-Palestine protesters.

Verdict: False

The claim is baseless. The video is from 2021 and those in the video were not associated with any protest.

Fact Check:

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that 7,000 asylum seekers entered the intake system in just two weeks, CBS News reported. Four busloads of people arrived from Philadelphia, one family said they were fleeing from Venezuela.

An post shared on X, formerly Twitter, purports pro-Palestine demonstrators set a Christmas tree on fire in New York City. The video shows a very tall tree decorated with lights on fire as police and other first responders handle the situation.

The caption reads, “Biden failed America PRO PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATORS SET CHRISTMAS TREE ON FIRE OUTSIDE OF FOX NEWS HQ IN NEW YORK.”

The claim is inaccurate. The video was taken in 2021, predating the Israel-Hamas conflict, when vandals burned the Tree at the Fox News building in New York. NBC News shared the video of the incident.

Fox News reported that Craig Tamanaha was arrested and charged. Tamanaha told officers “I have been thinking about lighting the tree on fire all day long,”  (Did Donald Trump Deliver A Bigger Tax Cut Than Ronald Reagan?)

This is not the first piece of misinformation that has been shared online. Check Your Fact debunked a claim video showed Israeli soldiers stoning Palestinians to death.

Joseph Casieri

Fact Check Reporter

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