Fact Check: The Truth About These Alleged Mug Shots of Pro-Palestine Demonstrators Arrested at University of Florida
Claim:
A set of images circulating online in April 2024 authentically depicted four pro-Palestine demonstrators arrested at the University of Florida.
Rating:
Context:
The mug shots of four of the nine protestors arrested on April 29, 2024, at the University of Florida were digitally altered to appear older and more masculine.
The protracted, often bloody Israeli-Palestinian conflict exploded into a hot war on Oct. 7, 2023, when the militant Palestinian group Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel and Israel retaliated by bombarding the Gaza Strip. More than 20,000 people, the vast majority of them Palestinians, were reportedly killed during the first two months of the war alone. The violence is driven by mutual hostilities and territorial ambitions dating back more than a century. The internet has become an unofficial front in that war and is rife with misinformation, which Snopes is dedicated to countering with facts and context. You can help. Read the latest fact checks. Submit questionable claims. Become a Snopes Member to support our work. We welcome your participation and feedback.
On April 29, 2024, nine participants of pro-Palestine demonstrations were arrested at the University of Florida on charges of failure to obey police, wearing a hood or mask on public property and resisting an officer without violence. One student faced a charge of battery for allegedly spitting on the arm of an officer.
In the days following, multiple accounts on X (formerly Twitter) circulated a set of four photos, claimed they were the police mug shots of some of those arrested.
(@HueyJackNation / X)
X account @RandyHeyyyy was the first to post the photo set on April 29, 2024. The original post has been viewed more than 105,000 times, as of this writing.
(X user @RandyHeyyyy)
The images, though based on actual mugshots of four of the arrestees, were digitally manipulated to change the facial features of the subjects, including their apparent ages and genders.
The account bio of @RandyHeyyyy explicitly states that it is a parody account, and the user also clarified in a follow-up post that the images were digitally altered.
(X User @RandyHeyyyy)
We located the actual mug shots of three of the four students in the April 29 jail booking log of the Alachua County Police Department.
(Alachua County Police Department)
(Alachua County Police Department)
(Alachua County Police Department)
The fourth student whose image was digitally altered was also featured in an article published in the Alachua Chronicle.
(Alachua County Police Department)
Raw footage of the arrests happening can be viewed in three parts (part one archived here) from the WUFT News YouTube account.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the protesters' main demand was that the University of Florida divest from companies with connections to Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement April 29, university spokesman Steve Orlando explained the decision to make the arrests as follows:
This is not complicated: The University of Florida is not a daycare, and we do not treat protesters like children — they knew the rules, they broke the rules, and they'll face the consequences. For many days, we have patiently told protesters — many of whom are outside agitators — that they were able to exercise their right to free speech and free assembly. And we also told them that clearly prohibited activities would result in a trespassing order from UPD (barring them from all university properties for three years) and an interim suspension from the university. For days UPD patiently and consistently reiterated the rules. Today, individuals who refused to comply were arrested after UPD gave multiple warnings and multiple opportunities to comply.
Sources:
Cabrera, Jennifer. 'Nine People Arrested at UF Protest'. Alachua Chronicle, 30 Apr. 2024, https://alachuachronicle.com/nine-people-arrested-at-uf-protest/.
'Florida Police Arrest First Pro-Palestinian Protesters in State at Two University Campuses'. WUFT | News and Public Media for North Central Florida, 30 Apr. 2024, https://www.wuft.org/2024-04-29/florida-police-arrest-first-pro-palestinian-protesters-in-state-at-university-campuses.
'Https://Twitter.Com/RandyHeyyyy/Status/1785168702901543211'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/RandyHeyyyy/status/1785168702901543211. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
Staff, WCJB, and Mistie Webb. 'Pro-Palestinian Protestors Frustrated after 9 Arrested at University of Florida'. Https://Www.Wcjb.Com, 30 Apr. 2024, https://www.wcjb.com/2024/04/30/pro-palestinian-protestors-frustrated-after-nine-were-arrested-university-florida/.
WUFT News - YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@wuftnews8665. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
'9 UF Protesters Arrested after Days of Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations'. Tampa Bay Times, https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2024/04/29/uf-police-arrest-9-pro-palestinian-protesters-after-days-demonstrations/. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
