Viral image
Viral image
stated on January 3, 2021 in a Facebook post:

Photo shows “people coming from California to Washington DC” to protest election results.

False

Photo shows October Trump parade in New York, not a January caravan to DC

If your time is short

  • This image appeared on social media in October, when the organizer of a New York parade supporting President Donald Trump shared it.
 
See the sources for this fact-check

A photo spreading on social media shows dozens of cars driving in a caravan on a highway, American flags snapping in the wind. 

“Look at the people coming from California to Washington DC,” the description of the image says. 

One Facebook account vowing never to concede the 2020 presidential election shared the picture on Jan. 3 and wrote: “Here come the Patriots!!”  

Some supporters of President Donald Trump plan to rally in Washington on Jan. 6, when Congress is poised to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s win. 

But this photo appears to be from October, when thousands participated in a Trump parade in Long Island, N.Y.

This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

The rally on Oct. 18 in Long Island stretched 80 miles from Seaford, N.Y., along the Sunrise Highway to Montauk. 

The event’s organizer, Shawn Farash, tweeted the image in the Facebook post that day, writing: “We had reports of 9000+ cars…And one airplane today at the #LongIslandLOUDMajority Trump Parade from Seaford to Montauk!”

“@realDonaldTrump Long Island loves you!” said someone else who tweeted the image on Oct. 18. 

We rate this Facebook post False.

This fact check is available at IFCN’s 2020 US Elections #Chatbot on WhatsApp. Click here, for more.

 
Our Sources

Facebook post, Jan. 3, 2021

Politico, MAGA marchers plot final D.C. stand on Jan. 6, Jan. 4, 2020

Patch, Trump parade across Long Island draws thousands, Oct. 18, 2020

Newsday, Rolling rally for Trump cruises across South Shore, Oct. 18, 2020

Shawn Farash tweet, Oct. 18, 2020

Tweet, Oct. 18, 2020