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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

Were bricks found piled in Kenosha, Wisconsin placed by leftists in preparation for rioting?

By Sarah Thompson
NO

A brief article published online about the bricks carried a headline that included "Leftists at work," but police in Kenosha — site of the Kyle Rittenhouse trial — issued a statement that, "To date, there is no credible threat to public safety."

During the protests following the death of George Floyd in 2020, photos of piles and stacks of bricks in various cities were often cited in online posts as evidence that protestors were planning violence. None of those claims proved to be true; the bricks were usually placed in construction locations in preparation for work.

The photo of bricks in the article about Kenosha first appeared online on June 1, 2020, and it was established then that the bricks were actually at a site in Dallas, Texas, and had been at that location for four months.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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