Fact Check

'As the World Berned'

A photograph that purportedly showed massive crowds near Washington Square Park for a Bernie Sanders rally was actually taken in Paris in January 2015.

Published April 14, 2016

Claim:
Photograph depicts massive rally for Bernie Sanders in Washington Square Park in April 2016.

In mid-April 2016, the above-reproduced image purportedly depicting a Bernie Sanders rally in New York City began circulating on social media, captioned as follows:

And I watched with tears in my eyes ...

As the world BERNED.

Social media users likely found the image plausible as it appeared to reflect reporting on the 13 April 2016 Bernie Sanders rally in Washington Square Park, attendance for which was estimated at around 27,000 people.

Photographs from the Sanders event were easy to find.  However, this particular image was not linked with the Sanders rally.  In fact, it depicted a far larger demonstration that occurred more than a year earlier: It was taken in January 2015 in Paris, France, following the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks.

Sources

Weigel, David and Philip Rucker.    "Bernie Sanders Rallies 27,000 in Manhattan."     Washington Post.    13 April 2016.

France Bleu.   "Marche Républicaine : Au Moins 3,7 Millions De Personnes Ont Défilé Partout En France." 12 January 2015.

BBC.    "US Election: Bernie Sanders Draws Thousands to NYC Rally."     14 April 2016.

Kim LaCapria is a former writer for Snopes.