Image of woman applying makeup in riot shield not tied to Palestinian protests | Fact check
The claim: Post implies image shows woman at pro-Palestinian demonstration
A May 2 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows an image of a woman applying makeup while she looks at her reflection in a police officer’s riot shield.
“She’s done more for (Palestinians) than DJ Khaled and Amal Clooney without uttering a single word, whatever it is she’s protesting for,” the post’s caption reads, in part, using a Palestinian flag emoji.
Some social media users took that to mean the protest shown in the image was held in support of the Palestinians.
“True picture representing Gazans … Hands down,” wrote one.
“Our fight for freedom and justice for Palestine is peaceful,” another wrote in Spanish.
The post received more than 130,000 likes in four days. Similar versions accumulated thousands of likes and were shared widely on X, formerly Twitter.
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Our rating: Missing context
The implied claim is wrong. The woman shown in the image was attending a demonstration unrelated to Palestinian causes. That protest in Tbilisi, Georgia, was held in opposition to a bill being considered by lawmakers.
Protest in Tbilisi, Georgia, was held to oppose bill, not Israel-Hamas war
College campuses across the country have been the sites of widespread protests, with students and other young adults voicing opposition to U.S. support for Israel in its war on Hamas. Those demonstrations have drawn significant responses from law enforcement, leading to the arrests of hundreds of students.
But the caption of the Instagram post is misleading. The protest shown in the image is unrelated to the pro-Palestinian protests. Rather, it shows one of several demonstrations held in Tbilisi, Georgia, to oppose a bill there that critics say will quell free speech and hurt its bid to join the European Union.
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The post correctly notes the location of the protest as Tbilisi. A version of the image bearing the watermark of Georgian television network TV Pirveli was shared on April 17 by a Batumi, Georgia, news and tourism media outlet. Its caption, translated from Russian, states that it shows “vivid photographs of yesterday’s protests in Tbilisi.”
A wider version of the image posted to Reddit on April 17 shows a background with a building brightly illuminated with wires dangling and significant sections of paint missing. Next to it is a darker brownstone structure with balconies. Both buildings are visible in an image published April 16 by Reuters. That specific location is an intersection near the westernmost corner of the Parliament of Georgia.
However, there are no credible media reports of any pro-Palestinian protests held there. Rather, the only known demonstrations there were held to oppose the previously mentioned bill, which would require media outlets, non-governmental organizations and other nonprofits to register as foreign agents if more than 20% of their funding comes from abroad. The protesters decry it as “the Russian law” because it resembles a similar measure used by Russia against media and groups critical of the Kremlin.
In two comments on the Instagram post, a Georgian woman claimed to be the person shown in the photo. She expressed displeasure at the misrepresentation of the image, saying she was not attending “an anti-West pro-Hamas rally” but instead was “protesting Russia, Hamas’ ally.” She posted a version of the image on April 18, and the caption states in part, “My friends will never allow Georgia to become Russia.” USA TODAY could not reach the woman for comment.
USA TODAY reached out to the Instagram user who shared the post but did not immediately receive a response.
Lead Stories also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
? Madloba Batumi, April 17, Instagram post
? @G56G, April 17, A protester in Tbilisi
? Reuters, April 17, Explainer: Why are Georgians protesting against a 'foreign agents' bill?
? Google Maps, accessed May 6, Parliament of Georgia
? @__anaminadze, May 4, Instagram comment
? @__anaminadze, April 18, Instagram post
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Image shows Tbilisi protest of bill, not Israel-Hamas war | Fact check