Fact Check: No, protesters didn’t storm the White House against George Floyd’s death
The death of African-American George Floyd due to excessive use of force by a police officer in Minneapolis has triggered violent protests across the United States. Internet is full of videos and pictures of protesters clashing with police, damaging and setting fire to buildings and vehicles, and vandalising and looting stores.
Amid this, a video has gone viral showing a large number of people creating ruckus in front of a white building; some even smashing glasses in the corridor. The building, with white pillars at the entrance, has a dome atop it, and the US flag can be seen fluttering.
The video is being widely circulated on social media with the claim that protesters broke into White House, the US seat of government. Facebook page Products and Services Promotions pos
India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found the claim along with the video to be misleading. Though it is true that protests were held near the White House, but the building seen in the video is the Ohio Statehouse and not the President’s residence and workplace in Washington, D.C.
The video is also viral on Twitter .
AFWA investigation
Using reverse search, we found that several netizens have shared the video, claiming it is the Ohio Statehouse.
CLARIFIED — THIS FOOTAGE IS FROM LAST NIGHT— Ohio state house:
Protest at White House getting heated at the moment, secret service still has the barricades under control for the time being.— AS-Source News (@ASB_Breaking) May 30, 2020
American news website Fox8 also carried a similar video in an article published on May 29. According to the article, the protest seen in the video erupted in the statehouse in Ohio’s Columbus on Friday after George Floyd’s death.
Some other videos of the incident are also available on the Internet, showing protesters smashing windows of the Ohio Statehouse.
Therefore, it is clear that the viral video is of Ohio Statehouse and not the White House. However, protests have taken place near the White House as well. According to reports, US President Donald Trump was rushed to a White House bunker as protesters threw stones and tugged at police barricades nearby.
Protestors also torched and vandalised a 200-year-old church near the White House.
Who was George Floyd and why is America burning?
George Floyd was a 46-year-old African-American who died on May 25 after his arrest turned fatal. A store in Minneapolis had called up police suspecting Floyd used counterfeit notes. Officer Derek Chauvin put his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes to restrain him. Video shot by a passer-by shows Floyd pleading and saying “I can’t breathe” multiple times.
The four policemen involved in the incident were fired and Chauvin charged with murder. But the incident led to massive demonstrations across the country, and 1,400 protestors have been arrested in 17 US cities.
Also Read | `Death By Racism’: Part of America’s DNA from the start?
