BLM Protestors Didn’t Burn Down Black Church
The Claim
Black Lives Matter “rioters” burned down a black church in a black community with a Black Lives Matter sign out front.
News posted on
Emerging story
In late August 2020, following widespread protests against the Jacob Blake shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, social media users began posting a claim that Black Lives Matter protestors burned down a black church with a Black Lives Matter sign posted in front of it.
Misbar’s Analysis
Following the shooting of unarmed African-American Jacob Blake, Kenosha has erupted in protests against racial violence. Misbar’s investigation found that while some protests have included arson, there is no evidence that Bradford Community Church Unitarian Universalist was a target.
According to Bradford Community Church Unitarian Universalist’s Reverend Erik David Carlson, the church “mostly survived the inferno in the lot next door.” Further, “there is no indication the sign or the church were targets of the arsonists,” and the church is “far from a ‘Black’ church.”
Since the used-car dealership was the actual target of the arsonists, and since Bradford Community Church Unitarian Universalist is not a black church, the claim is false.
