A photo that quickly went viral on Twitter purporting to be members of the Ku Klux Klan celebrating the shocking victory by Donald Trump on an overpass in North Carolina isn’t exactly what it seems.
The tweet, posted this morning by Twitter user @kelbi1lewis, stated that it was the KKK in Mebane, NC today.
KKK on the bridge in Mebane, NC this morning ? pic.twitter.com/GcSQeUB3w9
— shorty guizman (@kelbi1lewis) November 9, 2016
The post quickly gained steam, gathering up over 36,000 retweets by publication time. Many took to Twitter to express disgust that the KKK was openly celebrating Trump’s win.
The fucking KKK is celebrating on a bridge in North Carolina.
So all of you burn it down folks, that would be a place to start.
— Imani Gandied Yams (@AngryBlackLady) November 9, 2016
The KKK is celebrating, white hoods and all, on a bridge in North Carolina. What have we done.
— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) November 9, 2016
KKK members are rejoicing in the streets of North Carolina dressed in white hoods, do you get it now ???
— sriracha pablo papí (@tannerhumann) November 9, 2016
However, per news reports, those celebrating the election results weren’t in the KKK or dressed up in hoods. My Fox 8 pointed out that the bridge was actually in Burlington, not Mebane, and that they were just Trump supporters waving flags.
The Times News actually interviewed many of the jubilant supporters around the time the now-viral image was shot, providing a number of photos of their own with the story showing the group marching along the bridge.
So, if anyone asks, the KKK was not seen celebrating Trump’s victory on a bridge in North Carolina this morning.
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Follow Justin Baragona on Twitter: @justinbaragona
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