Facebook confirmed this week that it will be pulling down a number of posts promoting stay-at-home protests. CNN was the first to report the news, which finds the social media giant pulling down events in a variety of different states, including California, Nebraska and New Jersey.
The news follows a spike in events across the country, as people have gathered to protest stay-at-home orders issued to combat the spread of COVID-19. Facebook confirmed that it has begun pulling some protests, citing defiance of state guidelines.
A spokesperson for the site told TechCrunch, “Unless government prohibits the event during this time, we allow it to be organized on Facebook. For this same reason, events that defy government’s guidance on social distancing aren’t allowed on Facebook .”
The company’s actions will vary from location to location and event to event, determining whether they are in violation of specific guidance. A spokesperson told CNN they are working with state governments in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to determine whether to pull events. Among other determinations are whether protests call for social distancing among attendees where required.
Pictures from protests have become some of the most defining imagery over the past week, as attendees risk their health and the health of others in hopes of returning to some sense of normalcy a month in. Kentucky, notably, has seen a record number of COVID-19 cases following local protests.
“They seem to be very responsible people to me,” President Trump said of protesters during a press conference Friday, “but they’ve been treated a little bit rough.”
