Snopes has been a joke for years. Their fact-checks involve running interference for the Democratic Party. The outlet is part of why this beat has lost all credibility, but a broken clock is right twice a day. This post might be their Super Bowl, but it touches on an important issue that went viral this week: were police snipers deployed at Ohio State and Indiana Universities during their pro-Hamas mayhem?
Yesterday, I said we needed to slow down a bit. Some of the images look pretty damning, but Ohio State University’s student newspaper initially quoted the school saying that the police caught in the photos were “in a watching position, similar to football game day.” Well, that’s changed, as OSU spokesperson Ben Johnson later clarified Friday that once the demonstration on campus got rowdy that evening, the police on the rooftops.
🚨#BREAKING: Snipers have been spotted on top of roofs at Ohio and Indiana universities as pro-Palestine protests causing a uproar ⁰⁰📌#Ohio | #Indiana
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) April 26, 2024
As dozens of protests break out across the United States at numerous universities, students and protesters have reported… pic.twitter.com/q8kAj9KkJP
Arianna Smith, who wrote the article, added, “According to new information obtained Friday, Johnson said once the troopers began using force on the students around 10 p.m., the state troopers on the roof switched to long-range firearms as part of their protocol.” Mr. Johnson then added the following (via The Lantern):
Ohio State Highway Patrol provided overwatch support, which is a standard safety measure when they assist with large gatherings. We don’t discuss specific safety protocols. In general, overwatch support is armed, and the team carries standard equipment, including firearms, that would only be used reactively to protect the safety of all present, including the demonstrators.”
So, there were long guns present, albeit part of department policy. No, these armed police officers weren’t there to target the demonstrators, but you know they won’t take that as an acceptable explanation. Liberal Twitter is already running amok with theories.
At Indiana University Bloomington, those images looked like police overlooking Dunn Meadow were long guns. Snopes included this video in their write-up, which clearly shows a rifle present. They contacted Indiana University, who referred them to Indiana State Police. Still, there’s no confirmation yet:
Sniper on the roof of the Indiana Memorial Union at #IU. Gun pointed down at peaceful Gaza protesters in Dunn Meadow. This is 4 hours after the arrest of 22 students and 2 professors in the meadow. Have never seen anything like this on this campus. pic.twitter.com/1phrTsIVou
— Margaret Menge (@togdali) April 26, 2024
We could not find direct confirmation of these claims, though the top of the building in the photograph resembles the top of the Indiana Memorial Union. We also found a post on X with a video that the poster Margaret Menge (@togdali) said was of the sniper on the roof of the building
We contacted the public relations office at IU, which declined to comment, asking that we talk to Indiana State Police instead. We contacted ISP and the school campus newspaper, the Indiana Daily Student, for more information. We'll update this story when we receive a response.
Departing from usual practice, Snopes didn’t reach here, probably because there’s no prominent Democrat that needed defending. If anything, it’s the most unhinged segments of progressive America who are going insane over these images.
The Indiana University situation still needs clarification, while OSU amended its initial report. It wouldn’t shock me if Indiana State Police offered a similar explanation.
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