I want to talk briefly about this post, and others like it, because claims like these frequently go viral, grounded in nothing more than conjecture attributed to "sources."

These posts prey on people's lack of media literacy, and our tendency to reinforce existing views.

The post from the police department is very open-ended, which lends itself to bad actors spinning it however they see fit.

But nowhere does it mention "Antifa" or "rioters" or anything of the sort.

What the post does mention is looters, and with various evacuation warnings and orders in effect in that area, it's an understandable concern.

It's nothing new, either, people were arrested for such things two years ago in California.

That doesn't get you clicks, though. Not much tweet engagement to be had there.

What goes viral are the claims of fires started by "dozens of arsonists," that are "allegedly linked to Antifa and the riots."

Says who? The elusive "sources."

What we're left with are immensely dubious claims, using a tangentially related post from an official source (a police department) to maintain the appearance of credibility.

If you're reading this thread, though, you're likely not the audience that needs to hear this.

What I ask of you, if you see friends or family sharing this kind of stuff, is to say something about it.

Why are you posting this? Why do you think it's true? Push back on people just seeking to confirm their priors.

Fighting disinformation is a marathon, not a sprint.