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Posted on 07/28/2026 5:14:52 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. — A flyer circulating Sunday night advertising a "Block the Beltline" protest for social justice prompted hundreds of Madison residents to reroute their morning commutes, but the event never materialized — and local advocacy organizations say they had nothing to do with it.
The flyer, which spread across social media, contains several major red flags that suggest it was created to spread misinformation rather than organize a legitimate protest.
The circulation of the fake flyer comes as Madison experiences a surge in protests following the shooting of Corey Ruiz.
The most glaring problem is no one knows who created it.
The Madison Trans Resistance Action Community reposted the flyer with a large "X" across it, stating that "this event would require multi-org cooperation to be safe and local orgs have not been involved in this."
When examined closely, the graphic design shows clear signs of artificial intelligence generation. The roads depicted at the bottom of the flyer are physically impossible, and the image contains anatomical errors including two right hands, elongated pinkies, and what appears to be a severed finger.
"Some people use social media strategically to spread disinformation," said Mike Wagner, director of UW-Madison's School of Journalism and Mass Communication. "What we want to be able to do is identify who the folks are who are spreading misinformation."
Dhavan Shah, a researcher at UW-Madison, emphasized the importance of identifying where misinformation originates. "In all those spaces, we can start to think about 'Where can we detect where misinformation is flowing?' and 'What kind of misinformation is actually flowing there?' Ultimately, the learning we do from that we hope to be able to work with fact-checkers to actually, as they put their stories out, to help them know where to direct those stories."
To protect yourself from attending fake protests or spreading false information, experts recommend following these guidelines:
Check for a clear organizer.
Legitimate protests typically involve known advocacy groups or community leaders. If you cannot identify who planned the event or why it's happening, consider that a significant risk.
Verify through official channels.
If you only see a protest advertised through random social media posts with no organizational backing, approach it with caution. Established groups typically announce events through their official websites and verified social media accounts.
Look for safety measures.
Highly organized protests typically have legal observers or medical personnel on standby. If an event has no safety plan, no legal support, or appears designed to incite violence, do not attend.
As misinformation becomes increasingly sophisticated — particularly with AI-generated imagery — residents should remain vigilant about verifying the sources and legitimacy of information before adjusting their schedules or sharing posts with others.
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Madistan is trying very hard to turn this into another George Floyd situation, and they may soon succeed - but with AI working against them, literally mocking them, it's not going so well. ;)
Yea but the protestors have the police chief on their side. And the older liberals are upset concerts on the square was canceled. Reap what they sow.
Thanks
Yep. Even though nothing has been burned to the ground yet (as it was in August, 2020) the ‘White Wine and Brie’ crowd in Madistan is NOT happy!
I hope they keep doing this and pissing more and more people off. Misinformation about a protest is laughable. Send around hundreds of fliers with different protests. They get one old blue hair apiece.
Nothing has been burned down YET. Unfortunately, I fear that is coming in the future....Floyd 2.0. I am a safe distance from that crazy town (North of Mauston) but occasionally go to UW for doctors.
Fake men and fake women complaining about a fake protest? That’s rich.
EC
There have always been idiots in our society, but the rise of the digital age, social media and AI now those twisted tickets have a voice that can be heard at anytime but other like minded idiots.
Corey Ruiz?
FAFO LOL
The response makes it very clear that there is no such thing as a truly grassroots liberal protest.
They’re testing the waters... seeing what they can get away with... what ‘works’.
I will not be made to accept trans nonsense.
With or without AI, misinformation is common.
Often some people on the fringe (avante garde) want to “push the envelope”.
Often there are rivals who want to sabotage and destroy credibility of the rival.
Some just find it the possibility for entertainment.
This is human nature and exists in both the left and right.
I left Dane County 10 years ago - it should’ve been sooner, but my farm was pretty isolated and I didn’t have to put up with this stuff every day, week, month or year...whenever some Leftist Loser got their undies in a twist, LOL!
My Sister lives at the end of the street where this happened. She’s posting all the proper ‘virtue signaling’ things on her FB page. *Rolleyes*
It wasn’t the smartest of ideas to build a CITY on an Isthmus. Traffic in Madistan has always been awful. This stuff just makes it worse.
I hope VOTERS are watching! We cannot let these Madistan LUNATICS get the Governorship!
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