Quick Take
Social media posts — without evidence — have accused McDonald’s of taking down American flags in support of Black Lives Matter and antifa. The company says that is “not true.”
Full Story
McDonald’s has recently faced backlash after social media posts accused the company of taking down American flags at their fast-food restaurants in support of Black Lives Matter and antifa, an umbrella term for far-left anti-fascism groups. The rumor appears to have originated from a Sept. 15 tweet by user @Ron4Trump38, and has since spread to Facebook with the call to action “#boycottMcDonalds.” The @Ron4Trump38 account is a self-identified “[t]ruther,” a title synonymous with conspiracy theorists.
In a statement to FactCheck.org, McDonald’s USA stated that the company “unequivocally stands behind the need for equality and social justice, and these rumors [about the American flag] are not true.”
On June 3, McDonald’s tweeted a short clip listing the names of Black victims of police brutality. Among other messages, the clip stated “we stand for them and any other victims of systemic oppression and violence,” and the company announced it would be donating $1 million to the National Urban League and the NAACP. However, the post didn’t mention Black Lives Matter or antifa.
It’s unclear why the social media posts have targeted McDonald’s, but there is no evidence for the claim that the fast-food chain removed American flags in support of Black Lives Matter and antifa. And the company has said the accusation is false.
Editor’s note: FactCheck.org is one of several organizations working with Facebook to debunk misinformation shared on social media. Our previous stories can be found here.
Sources
Ellingson, Doug. “McDonald’s removes their American flags in support of Antifa & BLM nationwide. #boycottMcDonalds.” Facebook. 16 Sep 2020.
Hanbury, Mary. “McDonald’s, Amazon, H&M and more donate millions of dollars to racial justice organizations.” Business Insider. 4 Jun 2020.
McDonald’s (@McDonalds). “They were one of us: Trayvon Martin. Michael Brown. Alton Sterling. Botham Jean. Atatiana Jefferson. Ahmaud Arbery. George Floyd.” Twitter. 3 Jun 2020.
McDonald’s USA. Email sent to FactCheck.org. 21 Sep 2020.
Truther, Ron R (@Ron4Trump38). “I am a True Truther. I am also a free spirit (not a Repub or a Dem). Follow me and I’ll follow you. Maybe we have stuff in common. I do it all! #MAGA.” Twitter. Accessed, 24 Sep 2020.
Truther, Ron R (@Ron4Trump38). “McDonald’s removes their American flags in support of Antifa & BLM nationwide.” Twitter. 15 Sep 2020.
“Truther.” Lexico. 2020.