Fact check: Has bricks shown up at protests

1. Summary of the results

The claim about bricks being strategically placed at protests has been thoroughly investigated and debunked. Multiple fact-checking sources have traced viral images of brick piles to unrelated sources, including:

• A Malaysian hardware dealer's website from over 8 years ago ^[1]
• A construction site in New Jersey ^[1]

The Department of Homeland Security could not verify any claims of pre-staged bricks ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements are missing from the original query:

• This is a recurring conspiracy theory that has appeared during multiple protest events, including:
• 2020 Black Lives Matter protests
• 2021 Kyle Rittenhouse trial
• 2022 Roe v. Wade protests ^[3]
• While bricks have been used by some protesters to destroy property, there is no evidence of coordinated placement by any groups, including government, activists, or billionaires ^[4]
• Most "suspicious" brick placements were actually part of legitimate construction projects ^[4]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The narrative around planted bricks has been actively used for political purposes:

• Former President Trump referenced this conspiracy theory, claiming protesters had bricks to throw at police ^[5]
• The Social Media Lab has labeled this a "clickbaity hoax" that serves as "catnip for right-wing agitators and grifters" ^[5]
• This type of "fearmongering narrative" has been consistently used since the 2020 George Floyd protests to suggest planned violence at demonstrations ^[1]

Those who benefit from promoting this narrative include:

• Political figures seeking to delegitimize protests
• Social media influencers and content creators capitalizing on viral conspiracy theories
• Groups attempting to portray protesters as inherently violent or organized for destruction