On October 22, 2023, it was reported on Facebook that pro-Palestine rallies are practically no longer held in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, because at such times, the police go to the location, followed by a bus with the inscription – “Airport – to the Gaza Strip free of charge.” The Facebook post is accompanied by a photo of a bus.
A Photo manipulation is being disseminated on social media. The claim that there are signs on buses in Ottawa that will take interested persons to the Gaza Strip for free, and that the police are reducing the number of pro-Palestinian rallies by this method, is false. In fact, the photo was taken in July 2009 and the bus does not have such inscriptions.
The disseminated photo has been altered, as the inscriptions on the bus – “Airport” and ” to the Gaza Strip free of charge” have been added manually to it. In fact, the original photo can be found in open sources and is dated 2009.
Additionally, a photo shared on Facebook shows an advertisement for the movie Funny People plastered on the bus and the date – 07/31/09, when it was scheduled to premiere in Canada.
In addition, the claim that pro-Palestinian rallies in Ottawa have virtually disappeared due to the use of a similar method by the police (a bus to the Gaza Strip). In October, pro-Palestine rallies were held in several Canadian cities (1;2;3;4). Not to mention, the last rally in support of Palestine (as of October 26) was held in Ottawa on October 25. The participants of the rally condemn the Israel-Hamas war and demand a ceasefire in Gaza, as the war is costing the lives of civilians.
Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023, “Myth Detector” debunked a number of false and manipulative claims on the topic.
Lasha Machabeli
Myth Detector Lab
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