An Instagram post falsely claimed that the Liberty Bell had been defaced by protesters with pro-Palestinian graffiti. The post, which garnered thousands of likes, was quickly debunked. The bell shown in the image was actually the Freedom Bell, a replica of the Liberty Bell located in Washington, D.C. There was no credible evidence of any harm done to the original Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.
Pro-Palestinian protesters had gathered in Washington to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and advocate for cuts to Israel’s war funding. Capitol Police used pepper spray on demonstrators and protesters burned a U.S. flag, raising Palestinian flags outside Union Station on July 24. However, the bell featured in the Instagram post was not the iconic Liberty Bell.
The Freedom Bell is a 2-to-1 scale replica of the Liberty Bell and was installed at Union Station in 1981. Despite a similar inscription, the two bells have some key differences. While the incorrect claim spread widely, the fact-check team quickly clarified the error and confirmed that the original Liberty Bell in Philadelphia was not damaged. This incident serves as a reminder to fact-check claims before sharing them online to prevent the spread of misinformation.
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