Photo shows “huge charter busses” Black Lives Matter bought “to transport members to riots.”
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
These buses are for the Toronto Raptors, not BLM
If Your Time is short
- These are buses for the Toronto Raptors basketball team.
A widely shared Facebook post claims to show sleek, black buses that the Black Lives Matter Foundation bought to ferry protesters to riots.
"It’s been 7 years since BLM was formed," the post says. "They have raised over a billion dollars. They haven’t had 1 neighborhood cleanup, sent 1 poor black child to college, bought school supplies, feed the hungry or donated to a food bank or provided housing to 1 poor black family. Where is the money going other than to buy huge charter busses to transport members to riots!"
The post shows a photo of two buses with the words "Black Lives Matter" printed on the windows in white. Palm trees are in the background.
This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
What the photo actually shows: buses that carried The Toronto Raptors basketball team — and reigning NBA champs — arriving at the so-called NBA bubble at Walt Disney World in Orlando on July 9 ahead of the league’s restart.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
The team tweeted the image that day and said, "Silence is not an option."
Featured Fact-check
The buses have the Raptors logo alongside the words "Black Lives Matter."
The photo also appeared with a story on the Canadian broadcaster CBC’s website about the Raptors resuming training at Disney.
We rate this Facebook post Pants on Fire.
Our Sources
Facebook post, July 24, 2020
Toronto Raptors tweet, July 9, 2020
The New York Times, Life inside the N.B.A. Bubble, July 15, 2020
CBC, Raptors arrive at Disney campus in BLM buses, teams begin restart routines, July 9, 2020
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Ciara O'Rourke
These buses are for the Toronto Raptors, not BLM
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.