Following the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a flag flies at half staff on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020, in front of a McDonald's restaurant in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. McDonald's has been falsely accused of removing U.S. flags in support of Antifa and the Black Lives Matter movement. [Mark Harper/USA TODAY Network]
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The claim: McDonald's has a nationwide edict related to flags and Black Lives Matter
A Facebook post from Sept. 17 calls for a boycott of the world's largest restaurant chain.
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"McDonald's removes their American flags in support of Antifa & BLM nationwide," it reads. The post generated 5,100 shares and such comments as: "They are showing their colors!" and "Mcdonalds is goin down!"
The post mimics a Twitter post from Sept. 15, making the same claim. It had nearly 7,000 retweets and 6,000 likes. In one retweet, a Twitter user wrote: "Done with them. America made McDonald', and we will un-make them."
The person or persons behind the Facebook post and tweet have not responded to a request for comment.
McDonald's removes their American flags in support of Antifa & BLM nationwide.#boycottMcDonalds
Posted by Doug Ellingson on Wednesday, September 16, 2020
'They were one of us'
Following the death of George Floyd, McDonald's – as did many companies – issued a statement in support of Black Lives Matter, the movement with a mission to "eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes."
The McDonald's tribute names George Floyd, Botham Jean, Michael Brown and other unarmed Black men and women who have been killed, and continues, in part:
"We see them in our customers.
We see them in our crew members.
We see them in our franchisees.
"And this is why the entire McDonald’s family grieves.
It’s why we stand for them and any other
victims of systemic oppression and violence."
McDonald's announced a donation to the National Urban League and the NAACP, and closed the message by stating: "Black lives matter."
The McDonald's message says nothing about antifa, a loosely linked group of anti-fascist activists who monitor white supremacists and neo-Nazis. Antifa and Black Lives Matter are two separate movements that sometimes are conflated by opponents on the right.
Not all McDonald's have flags. But on Monday, a reporter found one in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, flying the U.S. flag at half-staff in honor of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Friday.
In an email to the USA TODAY Network, McDonald's USA responded: "McDonald's unequivocally stands behind the need for equality and social justice, and these rumors are not true."
Our rating: False
We rate this claim as FALSE, based on the company's statement and our research. There has been no nationwide removal of U.S. flags at McDonald's restaurants.
Our fact-check sources:
Ad Age, June 4, McDonald's issues a silent video statement in tribute to George Floyd and others
Associated Press, Sept. 17, McDonald's restaurants didn't remove American flags nationwide
McDonald's, June 3, They Were One of Us
PolitiFact, Sept. 17, No, McDonald's didn't remove American flags support Antifa and Black Lives Matter
Reuters, Sept. 21, Fact check: McDonald's has not removed its U.S. flags to show support of Antifa or Black Lives Matter
USA TODAY, June 2, What is antifa and what does the movement want
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: McDonald's US flags have not been removed for BLM, antifa
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