Fake photo of Parkland student ripping up Constitution goes viral

A fake photo showing a Parkland student ripping up the Constitution has gone viral among some on the far right.

The image is a doctored photo of Emma Gonzalez, who has become an outspoken gun control activist after 17 people were killed in a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where she is a senior. The real image from Teen Vogue shows Gonzalez ripping up a target for practice at a gun range.

Teen Vogue’s chief content officer, Phillip Picardi, tweeted a comparison of the original photo and the photoshopped one. 

At left is @tyler_mitchell’s photo of @Emma4Change for the cover of @TeenVogue. At right is what so-called “Gun Rights Activists” have photoshopped it into. #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/jW6tTOv2Db

— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) March 25, 2018

“The fact that we even have to clarify this is proof of how democracy continues to be fractured by people who manipulate and fabricate the truth,” Picardi wrote. 

The fact that we even have to clarify this is proof of how democracy continues to be fractured by people who manipulate and fabricate the truth. pic.twitter.com/cpSXnvLxdA

— Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi) March 25, 2018

The doctored image began circulating on Saturday during the March for Our Lives protest against gun violence.

Don Moynihan, a professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, tweeted a comparison of the two photos on Saturday.

“Just a sample of what NRA supporters are doing to teenagers who survived a massacre,” Moynihan said. “Real picture on the right.”

A Twitter user that promoted the fake image went by the name “Linda NRA Supporter.”

Moynihan said later that one was suspended and was most likely a fake Twitter bot.

Account now suspended. Most likely a bot (the eight digits in the name is a tell apparently – thx @RiffChick). Original post one of the first to come up when under #EmmaGonzalez. Again, things would be a lot easier if @twitter blocked bots in the first place. pic.twitter.com/MFKZpyJZBa

— Don Moynihan (@donmoyn) March 25, 2018

However, verified accounts also used the fake image, including Gab: Free Speech Social Network.

“Not gonna happen,” the account with 100,000 followers wrote on Saturday. It received more than 2,900 likes and more than 1,500 retweets as of Monday.

Not gonna happen. pic.twitter.com/4kKBcSqdCl

— Gab: Free Speech Social Network (@getongab) March 24, 2018

The image spread across the internet so quickly that the account needed to clarify that the picture was “parody/satire.”

“You’re all mad because it’s believable, isn’t it? That’s the best type of satire. It’s a comedy reflection of reality.”

This is obviously a parody/satire. You’re all mad because it’s believable, isn’t it? That’s the best type of satire. It’s a comedic reflection of reality.

— Gab: Free Speech Social Network (@getongab) March 25, 2018

Gonzalez has become one of the faces behind the gun control movement following the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas.

She was one of the Parkland students recently pictured on the cover of Time magazine.

Gonzalez also delivered a pointed speech at Saturday’s rally in Washington, D.C., staying silent for more than six minutes to represent how long it took the gunman to kill 17 people.

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) shared a photo of Gonzalez on Sunday night, criticizing her for promoting gun control while wearing a Cuban flag patch on her jacket.