NYC religious procession misrepresented as pro-Palestinian protest
The religious procession video shows an opening event of a Catholic conference on Oct 10, 2023
New York City, US (Reuters) - A Catholic procession through the streets of New York City in October 2023 has been misrepresented online as a demonstration for Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war.
The months-old clip, shot on 50th Street in Midtown Manhattan, opens new tab, circulated on Facebook, opens new tab in January with the superimposed caption: “Catholics supporting Palestine”. It followed protests earlier in the month where hundreds of people were arrested after blocking several bridges and a tunnel in New York, demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The religious procession video, however, shows an opening event of a Catholic conference on Oct. 10, 2023, and was first shared online on Oct. 11, opens new tab by conference organisers Napa Institute Foundation, opens new tab, a Catholic philanthropic organisation.
There is no evidence that the procession was a pro-Palestinian protest. Napa Institute did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On X, the Napa Institute, while sharing the video, said Father Michael Schmitz participated in the procession after celebrating mass. This aligns with the schedule of the Napa Institute’s 2023, opens new tab Principled Entrepreneurship Conference, opens new tab, which Schmitz opened on Oct. 10.
A full version of Schmitz celebrating mass can be found on YouTube, opens new tab. Reference to the Israel-Hamas war, which started three days earlier, is made twice: First, at timestamp 2:21 by Napa Institute co-founder and chairman of the board Tim Busch; and second, at timestamp 35:52 by Schmitz.
Both speakers say the intention of the mass is “for peace in Israel”. The procession through New York was also a feature of the same conference, opens new tab in 2022.
