FACT CHECK: Video Of Protesters Being Run Over By Truck Predates Current Israel-Hamas Conflict
A video shared on Facebook purports to show pro-Palestine protesters being run over by a truck during a recent demonstration in Los Angeles, California.
Verdict: False
The video, shared on YouTube by NBC News, shows Black Lives Matter protesters on I-244 in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2020.
Fact Check:
Israel Defense Forces Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Israel has discovered a four-kilometer tunnel in Gaza, Reuters reported. Israel was unaware of the tunnel’s existence prior to the Oct. 7 attack, as its border defenses “only detected tunnels meant to enter Israel,” Maj. Nir Dinar said, according to The Associated Press.
The Facebook video purports to show pro-Palestine protesters being run over by a truck during a recent demonstration in Los Angeles, California. In the video, a red truck drags two protesters across the highway before other protestors intervene. These protestors appear to knock on the truck’s windows and throw water bottles in its direction. “BREAKING: Truck runs over Pro-Palestinian protesters blocking the LA freeway,” the video’s caption reads.
In addition to Facebook, the video was also shared on X, the social media platform previously called Twitter, where it garnered over 30,000 views.
The video is not linked to pro-Palestine protests amid the current Israel-Hamas conflict, however. The video, shared on YouTube by NBC News, shows Black Lives Matter protestors on the I-244 in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2020.
“A truck plowed into a group of Black Lives Matter protesters blocking I-244 in Tulsa, Okla. Injuries were reported as a result of the incident. This is one of many demonstrations happening nationwide over the death of George Floyd,” the video’s description reads.
In July 2020, Tulsa-based news outlet KTUL reported the man who drove the truck would not be charged for his alleged role in the incident. According to a memo from Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler, “the driver saw someone motion him to go through, following the lead of another car that was allowed to pass through the protesters that blocked the highway,” the outlet reported. The truck was pulling a horse trailer, and the driver’s wife and two school-aged children joined him in the vehicle. (RELATED: Did Protestors Replace The American Flag With The Palestinian Flag At The Golden Gate Bridge?)
No horses were in the trailer at the time of the incident. The outlet also did not publicly identify the driver.
Although the claim made via the Facebook post is false, pro-Palestine protests continue to occur amid the current Israel-Hamas conflict.
Check Your Fact has contacted NBC News for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.