FACT CHECK: Does This Photo Show Brick Piles Recently Left In Kenosha?

An image shared on Facebook over 400 times purportedly shows stacks of bricks that law enforcement discovered in downtown Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Verdict: False

The photo, which dates back to 2020, was actually taken in Dallas, Texas.

Fact Check:

The claim that the photo shows stacks of bricks in downtown Kenosha circulated amid the final days of 18-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial for the fatal shootings of two men and non-fatal shooting of another man during an Aug. 25 protest last year. On Friday, the jury found Rittenhouse not guilty of all five charges, including first-degree reckless homicide and first-degree intentional homicide, according to USA Today.

In the Nov. 17 Facebook post, a picture shows large stacks of red bricks in what looks like a parking lot. Check Your Fact has previously debunked false claims of bricks being placed in certain cities on Election Day last year and ahead of Black Lives Matter protests.

“The Brick Fairy made a stop in Kenosha,” the Facebook post alleges. “Two places in the downtown vicinity. The cops are having it cleared out.” (RELATED: Did Kyle Rittenhouse’s Mother Drive Him To The Kenosha Protest While He Was Armed With A Rifle?)

In reality, the photo is over a year old and was not taken in Wisconsin. A since-deleted Facebook post featuring it appeared in an article published by The U.S. Sun on June 2, 2020. The article discussed rumors of bricks being left in various locations across the country amid protests following George Floyd’s death. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was killed in late May of last year when then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for over eight minutes, according to The Associated Press.

The Facebook post visible in The U.S. Sun’s article questioned the origins of the bricks and indicated that they were located next to Ashland Street in Dallas. A February 2020 Google Maps street view shows them sitting in that location months before Floyd was killed. A Dallas Police spokesperson told FactCheck.org in June 2020 they “have nothing to confirm that any bricks were intentionally left for use at protests.”

Kenosha Police Department Public Information Officer Lt. Joe Nosalik told Check Your Fact via email that claims of police recently finding brick piles at locations in the city were “absolutely false.” The department also tweeted Nov. 17 that “KPD is aware of numerous attempts by malicious actors to spread disinformation on various social media platforms” and that “there is no credible threat to public safety” to date.

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