A post shared on Facebook claims The Guardian purportedly published a headline labeling recent looting in France as “reparations.”

Verdict: False

The purported headline neither appears on The Guardian’s website nor its verified social media accounts. The outlet denied it had ever published the headline in an email to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check:

Twelve- and 13-year-old children have reportedly been detained in connection with recent French protests, according to The Independent. The protests were sparked by the death of Nahel Merzouk, a teenager of North African descent who was allegedly shot by police during a traffic stop, The New York Times reported.

“I fully support the looting in France by the disenfranchised black youth. Call it reparations,” the purported headline from Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu reads. “It’s not looting when inter-generational trauma forces thousands to seek reparations for being sold into slavery,” a purported sub-headline continues.

The claim is false, as the purported headline neither appears on The Guardian’s website nor its verified social media accounts. Mos-Shogbamimu, the headline’s purported author, posted a statement on Twitter labeling it as “fake.”

“Racist fools hide behind anonymity. Falsely writes this in my name – fake @guardian piece. Spreads lies to bigots who believe it. I didn’t write nor think this,” Mos-Shogbamimu wrote in her Jul. 3 tweet. Mos-Shogbamimu also tagged @grauniadmeme in her statement, alleging that the social media user behind the account “incites racist, bigoted abuse to defame & hate.”

Racist fools hide behind anonymity. Falsely writes this in my name – fake @guardian piece. Spreads lies to bigots who believe it. I didn’t write nor think this.@grauniadmeme account incites racist, bigoted abuse to defame & hate. @elonmusk let’s it get away with it on @Twitter https://t.co/Cubvw6d6XR

— Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (@SholaMos1) July 3, 2023

Mos-Shogbamimu’s tweet included a link to a post made by @grauniadmeme, which is no longer visible, as the account has been suspended. Although the post is no longer visible, another iteration of the claim was shared by the grassroots organization National Identity Awareness and has amassed over 100,000 views.

Further, a keyword search using Mos-Shogbamimu’s name reveals the last article she wrote for The Guardian was published on Mar. 9, 2021. (RELATED: Did The Guardian Claim A Former British Politician Won An Award With Russian Money?)

The Guardian denied it had ever published the purported headline in an email to Check Your Fact.

“We can confirm that the link shared has never been a published Guardian headline or story,” a spokesperson from the outlet’s News and Media Press Office said.

This is not the first time a false headline has been attributed to The Guardian. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim alleging the outlet published an article claiming a former British politician won an award with Russian money.