FACT CHECK: Facebook Video Shows Pro-Palestine Protest In Norway, Is Not Linked To Columbia University
A video shared on Facebook purports to show a recent pro-Palestine protest that occurred at Columbia University.
Verdict: False
The claim is false. The video, which appeared on Instagram Mar. 20, shows a pro-Palestine protest that occurred in Norway at the time. The claim was also debunked by Logically Facts and The Quint.
Fact Check:
On May 6, Columbia University announced it was canceling its “main graduation ceremony” as a result of pro-Palestine protests taking place on its campus, citing “security concerns,” according to Reuters. Although the May 15 graduation is canceled, the university “will still hold smaller, school-based events,” the outlet reported.
“This is what happens when you suspend 15 students for supporting Palestine @ Columbia University,” both the video’s caption and text overlay on the video read. The video shows multiple angles of a large outdoor pro-Palestine protest and claims the protest occurred recently at Columbia University.
The claim is false, however. The video, which was shared on Instagram on Mar. 20, shows a pro-Palestine protest that occurred in Norway at the time. “We continue every day for Palestine in Norway,” the video’s caption reads. The clip has garnered over 10,000 likes as of writing.
View this post on Instagram
Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the clip referenced in any recent credible news reports highlighting pro-Palestine protests that have occurred at Columbia University. Actually, the opposite is true. Both Logically Facts and The Quint reported the clip is not linked to protests at the university but rather a protest in Norway. In addition, The Quint reported it’d contacted a journalism graduate student at Columbia University regarding the clip, and the student confirmed the clip was not linked to the university in any way. (RELATED: X Post Purporting To Show Mugshots Of Student Protestors Is Digitally Altered)
Furthermore, Columbia University has neither issued a press release nor a social media statement publicly commenting on the Facebook video.
Check Your Fact has contacted Columbia University for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
