FACT CHECK: Was A Banner Featuring The Ayatollah Recently Unveiled At The Brooklyn Museum?
Viral videos posted on X, formerly Twitter, falsely claimed to show a banner featuring Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a pro-Palestine protest outside the Brooklyn Museum. The videos, which attracted significant attention, were purportedly demonstrating support from Khamenei, thanking American protesters. However, fact-checking revealed that the videos were digitally manipulated and the banner was created using generative AI, not actually present at the protest. Misinformation analysts and even a spokesperson from the Brooklyn Museum confirmed the inaccuracy of these claims. This instance highlights the important need for scrutinizing the authenticity of content shared online, especially when it seems to convey significant political statements.
Viral videos shared on X, formerly Twitter, purport to show a banner featuring Ayatollah Ali Khamenei being unveiled at a recent pro-Palestine protest at the Brooklyn Museum.
🇮🇷/🇺🇸 NEW: In New York City at the Brooklyn Museum, a giant banner of Ayatollah Khamenei was unvealed by the students, with his message thanking the Americans for their pro-Palestine protests. pic.twitter.com/afh93JmLwD
— El’Gido (@Elg1do) June 22, 2024
Verdict: False
The original video, also shared on X, does not feature the purported banner. In addition, on June 24, Lead Stories reported the video is “digitally manipulated” and the banner was likely created with “generative [artificial intelligence, or AI].” A spokesperson for the Brooklyn Museum denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
Khamenei called for “maximum turnout” ahead of Iran’s presidential election Friday, according to The Associated Press. The Ayatollah’s call follows this year’s parliamentary election, which saw a “record low turnout,” the outlet reported.
The videos, which have garnered over 30,000 views as of writing, purport to show a banner featuring the Ayatollah being unveiled at a recent pro-Palestine protest at the Brooklyn Museum. “[The] Supreme Leader thanks you American boys and girls!,” the text of the purported banner reads.
“NEW: In New York City at the Brooklyn Museum, a giant banner of Ayatollah Khamenei was unvealed [sic] by the students, with his message thanking the Americans for their pro-Palestine protests,” the videos’ caption claims.
The claim is false, however. A reply from misinformation analyst Tal Hagin indicates the banner that appears in the videos is “fake.” In the same reply, Hagin re-posted a tweet showing the original video of the protest at the Brooklyn Museum. No banner featuring the Ayatollah is seen.
“This video has been digitally manipulated to include the Khamenei banner. This event took place 3 weeks ago outside the Brooklyn Museum on June 1st, 2024,” Hagin indicated. (RELATED: Video Claims To Show Recent Explosion In Egypt)
This video has been digitally manipulated to include the Khamenei banner. This event took place 3 weeks ago outside the Brooklyn Museum on June 1st, 2024. https://t.co/lCWplkQfPE pic.twitter.com/eNnHdM8oNT
— Tal Hagin (@talhagin) June 22, 2024
Another reply to the viral X videos states they are a “deep fake.” The reply includes a link to a June 1 article from the Art Newspaper highlighting the protest at the Brooklyn Museum. Neither the article nor the images included in the article mention the purported banner featuring the Ayatollah.
Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. In fact, the opposite is true. On June 24, Lead Stories reported the videos shared via the viral X post were “digitally manipulated” and the banner was likely created with “generative AI.”
A spokesperson for the Brooklyn Museum denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
“No banners with Iran’s leader were seen on the museum’s facade during the May 31 protest,” the same spokesperson said.
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