A viral video shared on X, formerly Twitter, purports to show a group of shoppers looting a Nike store on Black Friday.
This Black Friday discount must have been amazing. Look at all these satisfied customers! pic.twitter.com/9wpsw6FB5M
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) November 27, 2023
Verdict: False
The original video, shared on X by journalist Ben Pope, shows shoppers looting a Nike store in Chicago following the death of George Floyd in 2020. A spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department denied any looting incidents had occurred in connection with Black Friday in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
Americans are more willing to spend money on Black Friday and Cyber Monday than on Giving Tuesday, according to CNN. Data obtained by CNN shows a 10% decline in the number of Americans who participated in Giving Tuesday 2023 in comparison to the previous year, the outlet reported.
The X video, viewed over one million times, purports to show a group of shoppers looting a Nike store on Black Friday. “This Black Friday discount must have been amazing. Look at all these satisfied customers!” the video’s caption reads.
The video is not linked to Black Friday, however. The original video, shared on X by Pope, shows shoppers looting a Nike store in Chicago following Floyd’s death in 2020.
“Nike store on Michigan Ave smashed and completely looted,” Pope said of the video. In a subsequent post, Pope shared a photo of the aftermath of the incident. In the photo, the exterior of the Nike store can be seen with its front window smashed. Pope, a reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times, shared both pieces of media on May 30, 2020.
Nike store on Michigan Ave smashed and completely looted pic.twitter.com/IRZc4FuDBO
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) May 31, 2020
Likewise, the video of the looters was featured in a 2020 Russia Today report. The outlet indicated that in addition to Nike, other stores, including Zara, CVS, and Walgreens, had also been targeted following Floyd’s death. (RELATED: Viral Instagram Video Falsely Claims Pro-Hamas Mob Smashed Windows Of Kosher New York Restaurant)
In addition, Check Your Fact did not find the video included in any credible news reports about looting that occurred on Black Friday of this year. The Chicago Police Department also has not publicly referenced the video on its website or verified social media accounts.
A spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department denied any looting incidents had occurred in connection with Black Friday in an email to Check Your Fact.
“We cannot confirm any video that was not posted or published by this office. However, I can tell you that we did not have any incidents or calls of service that match that date and location,” the spokesperson said.