Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
Chicago chapter of American Muslims for Palestine raised the flag, not the city
If Your Time is short
- The Chicago chapter of American Muslims for Palestine raised a Palestinian flag, not the city government, in a third annual event.
A recent Instagram post warns of the fall of "Judeo Christian America," sharing a video of a Palestinian flag being raised and then flying next to an American flag.
"Chicago ceremonially raises the Palestinian flag to the same height as the American flag," the May 13 post says.
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
The city of Chicago didn’t immediately respond to PolitiFact’s questions about the video.
But we found the video in a May 13 YouTube post from Storyful, a company that "discovers, verifies and acquires" user-generated content. The video description says: "The Palestinian flag was raised at the Richard J. Daley Center in Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday, May 11, to commemorate the 76th anniversary of the Nakba."
Featured Fact-check
The Nakba, the Chicago Tribune explained in a May 11 story about the flag raising, is how Palestinians refer to their mass displacement in 1948 from what is now Israel. This was the third annual flag-raising ceremony to call attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to mark the 76th anniversary of the Nakba.
But the city of Chicago didn’t raise the flag. The event was organized by the Chicago chapter of American Muslims for Palestine, which advocates for Palestinian rights. (The chapter also didn’t immediately respond to PolitiFact’s questions about the post.)
The chapter advertised the event May 10 on Facebook, inviting people to "join us tomorrow for our flag raising" to "commemorate the anniversary of the 76th Nakba followed by a march to protest the ongoing genocide in Gaza."
"American Muslims for Palestine raised the Palestinian flag Saturday afternoon at Daley Plaza," Chicago’s ABC News affiliate reported May 11.
We rate claims that the city of Chicago raised the flag False.
Our Sources
Instagram post, May 13, 2024
Facebook post, May 10, 2024
ABC7 Chicago, Palestinian flag raised at Daley Plaza in Chicago, May 11, 2024
YouTube, Palestinian Flag Raised in Chicago for 76th Nakba Anniversary, May 13, 2024
Chicago Tribune, Group raises Palestinian flag in the Loop, calling attention to Gaza humanitarian crisis: ‘Flies high with strength,’ May 11, 2024
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Ciara O'Rourke
Chicago chapter of American Muslims for Palestine raised the flag, not the city
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.