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  • 2021-03-23 (xsd:date)
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  • ‘BLM Trapped 100 Shoppers’ in Wegman’s in Rochester, Explained –... (en)
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  • ‘BLM Trapped 100 Shoppers’ in Wegman’s in Rochester, Explained Claim Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters trapped 100 shoppers inside a Wegman's in Rochester, New York on March 23 2021. Rating Decontextualized Like this fact check? Reporting On March 23 2021, right-wing websites started pushing claims that Black Lives Matter protesters had trapped more than a hundred grocery shoppers inside a Rochester, New York Wegman’s supermarket: BREAKING: BLM Protesters Mob Store, Trapping 100 Customers Inside: ‘We’re Shutting S*** Down!’ https://t.co/SF5FW7Xt5c pic.twitter.com/qSdiagYde7 — The Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) March 23, 2021 Many of these claims were presented with misleading context. For example, the Daily Wire elected to use an old photograph from a September 2020 nighttime protest, not images from the daytime demonstration on March 23 2021. Variations and Iterations The site claimed: Black Lives Matter protesters in Rochester, New York, mobbed a Wegmans grocery store on Tuesday afternoon [March 23 2021], trapping an estimated 100 customers inside. Florida is where wokes go to die... Please enable JavaScript Florida is where wokes go to die Video shows protesters chanting Black Lives Matter and referring to Daniel Prude, a black man who died about a week after a viral encounter with the Rochester Police Department [in March 2020]. The state’s Democratic Attorney General announced last month [February 2021] that a grand jury will not seek charges against officers involved in the incident. Before heading to the grocery store, protesters yelled, We have a long walk today, we’re shutting s*** down, according to 13WHAM-TV reporter Michael Schwartz. The Daily Wire’s reporting hinged heavily on Twitter content not from a journalist, but from a right-wing blogger and talk radio host named Bob Lonsberry. Lonsberry — who is no stranger to racist controversies — tweeted at length about the protest, describing BLM as this mob, calling the demonstration an embarrassing day for local law enforcement, and claiming that police had been castrated: Hundreds of people trapped in the East Avenue #ROC Wegmans by this mob. The Rochester Police Department is just watching and letting it happen. I guess fire codes and trespassing aren't things in Rochester anymore. What an embarrassing day for the city and the PD. https://t.co/ICeNJy5jGK — Bob Lonsberry (@BobLonsberry) March 23, 2021 The Rochester Police Department has been completely castrated by Lovely Warren. — Bob Lonsberry (@BobLonsberry) March 23, 2021 Lonsberry also accused journalists of ignoring the protest at Wegman’s, including the hashtag #PeacefulProtestMyAss: Looks like Channel 8 is the only noon newscast live from Wegmans. It's funny how, when the fist in the air people get kind of creepy, the TV cameras turn off. #PeacefulProtestMyAss — Bob Lonsberry (@BobLonsberry) March 23, 2021 On the same day, Breitbart.com’s REPORT: BLM Protesters Trap 100 Customers in New York Grocery Store began : Conventional and social media report that an estimated 100 customers are trapped inside a Rochester, New York, grocery store by Black Lives Matter protesters. The action followed a street march Tuesday morning [March 23 2021], protesting the in-custody death of 41-year-old Daniel Prude. The Daily Wire later quietly added an update to their story, stating that no one was in fact trapped in Wegman’s: UPDATE: Wegmans posted a tweet Tuesday afternoon [March 23 2021] informing the public that customers were allowed out of the store, though it remains closed. In the embedded @Wegmans tweet , the chain said: Our East Ave. store in Rochester, NY is currently closed due to protest activity taking place outside of the store. At this time, no customers remain in the store, and the doors will remain closed. Our number one priority is the safety of our employees and customers. — Wegmans Food Markets (@Wegmans) March 23, 2021 Commentary from the Scene of the BLM Protest Near Wegman’s At 11:01 AM on March 23 2021, Twitter user @meowburger stated that Wegman’s was literally keeping people hostage in the store, and that the location had halted scheduled vaccine appointments : Wegmans is literally keeping people hostage inside their store bc we are protesting in the parking lot https://t.co/ulmMbNkVor — Erica says Defund RPD (@meowburger) March 23, 2021 Apparently they are refusing admittance to people with vaccine appointments WEGS WHY — Erica says Defund RPD (@meowburger) March 23, 2021 In response to a question about why protesters had gathered, @meowburger explained that it was partly to commemorate the death of Daniel Prude, and partly a response to Wegman’s relationship with Rochester law enforcement: It’s part coming together to honor and remember Daniel Prude, and part protesting wegmans use of RPD in the stores + support for RPD over the past year (donating food to officers onsite at protests, calling police on a teenage activist, etc) — Erica says Defund RPD (@meowburger) March 23, 2021 Local Journalists’ Tweets Despite the claims from radio host Bob Lonsberry, reporters were on the scene. For example, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reporter Justin Murphy began tweeting about the day’s events just after 8 AM local time, at the moment observing a few dozen people spread out at a separate location, and adding : A call for new trial for officers in Prude case and an end to Person in Crisis team, which they say is set up to fail. — Justin Murphy (@CitizenMurphy) March 23, 2021 By 8:29 AM, Murphy reported that at least a hundred people had arrived for the demonstration, raising his estimate to roughly 150 just before 9 AM. At 9:20, Murphy tweeted that protesters had begun to march to other locations: Set up on St Paul in front of transit center. It’s a small inconvenience not to be able to take the bus. Daniel Prude cannot take the bus because he’s dead; RPD killed him. Antonia Wynter — Justin Murphy (@CitizenMurphy) March 23, 2021 At 10:34, Murphy mentioned the demonstration appeared to be heading to Wegman’s. By 10:52, Wegman’s had apparently locked their doors: Wegmans. Doors locked. pic.twitter.com/QVlW1OqLXq — Justin Murphy (@CitizenMurphy) March 23, 2021 pic.twitter.com/6R5UXnHG9a — Justin Murphy (@CitizenMurphy) March 23, 2021 Murphy added : There are a bunch of shoppers inside Wegmans who aren’t being allowed to leave. — Justin Murphy (@CitizenMurphy) March 23, 2021 At 1:48 PM pm on March 23 2021, WROC reporter Kayla Green attempted to clarify confusion brought on by inaccurate and misleading claims like the Daily Wire’s: What’s actually happening: •Wegmans closed doors and customers were kept inside temporarily, but were let out soon after •Protesters never entered the store •Protesters are currently listening to music and eating pizza in the parking lot •Nobody is trapped inside https://t.co/yM2XEoNf6d — Kayla Green (@KaylaGreen04) March 23, 2021 In her tweet, Green emphasized that customers were kept inside temporarily, but were let out soon after, that protesters had never entered the store to begin with, and primarily, that no one had been trapped inside. Another reporter, WHEC’s Raven Tiara Brown, also objected to the Daily Wire’s claims, tweeting: That’s false information. Wegmans locked their doors so customers could not come out. They were later let out through another exit. — Raven Tiara Brown (@WHEC_RBrown) March 23, 2021 Several commenters questioned the outlet’s use of a misleading image to accompany their tweet and published material: Also note this picture from Daily Wire is from a September protest and at night — it's *checks watch* ... not night time — Matt Driffill (@MDchu) March 23, 2021 Summary On March 23 2021, right-wing entities, including the Daily Wire and Breitbart, published pieces (at least one of which used an unrelated, nighttime photograph) to claim that Black Lives Matter protesters had trapped a hundred people inside a Wegman’s supermarket in Rochester, New York. Journalists and protesters on the scene described the events very differently, indicating that the protest was peaceful and that Wegman’s locked their doors before marchers even arrived. Wegman’s clarified their decision in a tweet confirming that the doors were briefly locked, and that no customers remained in the store. It was true that a march approached a Wegman’s, but circulating claims and unrelated images enabled misinformation and disinformation to proliferate on social media platforms. Posted in Disinformation , Fact Checks Tagged blm , blm wegman's , breitbart , daily wire , misleading , out of context , viral tweets , wegman's (en)
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