Viral image
Viral image
stated on July 5, 2020 in a Facebook post:

Photo shows Raz Simone, “the alleged leader of CHAZ crying after Seattle police arrested him.”

Mostly False

No, the man in this photo isn’t Raz Simone

If your time is short

  • The photo shows another protest leader arrested on suspicion of possessing a stolen vehicle. 
 
See the sources for this fact-check

An image of a man who appears to be crying as a masked medic looms over him is not Raz Simone, a rapper and political activist who has rallied demonstrators at Seattle’s Capitol Hill Occupied Protest — also known as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. 

But a Facebook post sharing the photo wrongly claims otherwise. 

“This is the alleged leader of chaz crying after Seattle Police arrested him,” the post says. “His name is Raz Simone. Do your thing Facebook!”

The 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 image being shared on Facebook is of another protest leader known as River, according to news reports. According to KIRO 7 News, he was arrested after a brief chase from Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood to Interstate 5. Police said he was suspected of possessing a stolen vehicle. 

For weeks, protesters calling for racial justice occupied several blocks of the Capitol Hill neighborhood after Seattle police abandoned the precinct there. The result was an “experiment in police-free governance,” in The New Yorker’s words, that drew criticism from conservatives and President Donald Trump. It was ultimately cleared by police

Simone was a regular figure at CHOP, leading protesters in marches and speaking to the media. But we found no news reports that he has been arrested. 

We rate this Facebook post Mostly False.

 

No, the man in this photo isn’t Raz Simone

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
stated on January 7, 2026 a press briefing

stated on January 14, 2026 a statement

Social Media
stated on February 14, 2026 social media posts



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Donald Trump
stated on February 3, 2026 remarks in the Oval Office


Social Media
stated on February 8, 2026 social media posts





Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
stated on stated on November 17, 2025 in remarks at George Washington University:

Donald Trump
stated on February 2, 2026 an interview with Dan Bongino