Misspelled pro-Palestinian message is from Canadian protest, not Columbia | Fact check
May 6, 2024: Pro-Palestinian protesters walk from Columbia University down to Hunter College as protests at area universities and colleges continue in New York City. Across the nation, students and activists angered by Israel’s war in Gaza have been building encampments, taking over buildings, disrupting graduations, and demanding that their schools divest from Israel. Columbia University announced today that they are canceling the group graduation ceremony and will instead hold numerous smaller ones outside of the main campus.
The claim: Protestors spraypainted ‘Free Palastine’ on steps at Columbia University
A May 7 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows an aerial image of the misspelled phrase “Free Palastine” written in red spray paint on the steps of a building.
“Columbia University protesters can’t spell Palestine,” reads text within the post, which was originally shared on X, formerly Twitter. “Photo is from Hamilton Hall. A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”
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The Instagram post garnered more than 4,000 likes in two days. Other versions of the claim were shared on Instagram, Facebook, Threads and X.
Fact-check roundup: University protests have generated misinformation online. Here’s what’s true and false.
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Our rating: Partly false
The misspelling happened, but not where the post claims it did. The picture shows the vandalized front steps of a building at the University of Ottawa in Canada, not Columbia University in New York.
Picture captured in Canada, not New York
The image is a still from rapper Macklemore’s new music video for his song “Hind’s Hall,” which features footage of pro-Palestinian protests and police arresting protesters. The song’s title refers to Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall, which was occupied and renamed Hind’s Hall on April 30 by pro-Palestinian demonstrators in honor of a 6-year-old who appeared to have been killed by Israeli forces in January.
Though the song’s title refers to the anti-war protests at Columbia University, the footage of the vandalized steps was captured elsewhere.
The University of Ottawa’s student newspaper, the Fulcrum, shared a similar photo of the steps in a May 1 X post.
“UPDATE: The steps in front of Tabaret Hall were spray painted by a protester, who was then chased by security,” the post reads. “Witnesses tell the Fulcrum that the individual was picked up by a waiting vehicle.”
The newspaper also included the photo in an article published the same day.
Fact check: Social media users falsely link 2023 photo to ongoing Columbia protest
The grey stone steps, black railings and cream-colored columns shown in the viral image match pictures of Tabaret Hall published on the University of Ottawa website and the building’s Google Street View. The building’s address, which includes the number “550,” can also be seen in the footage featured in the music video.
USA TODAY reached out to the Instagram user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response. The X user couldn’t be reached.
PolitiFact and AFP also debunked the claim.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Misspelled pro-Palestinian message is from Canadian protest, not Columbia | Fact check