Viral image of Emma Gonzalez tearing up Constitution is fake, magazine says
(WFLA) – A viral image that appears to show Parkland shooting survivor Emma Gonzalez ripping up a copy of the Constitution is fake, according to Teen Vogue.
The mocked-up photo was shared by thousands when it started making the rounds on social media this week, drawing heavy criticism, BuzzFeed first reported.
“Still think they just want to make a small adjustment to ur Right? If u dont like the way we are in America, why r u here? Our Constitution is what separates us aka the REASON u haven’t left yet. There are other places in the world that satisfy ur desires. Just get on the plane!” wrote one user, Jordan Rachel.
On Sunday, the magazine’s executive editor Samhita Mukhopadhyay took to Twitter to say the image had been doctored.
Gonzalez and some of her classmates recently appeared in a feature piece in the March issue of the magazine about their activism ahead of the March for Our Lives rallies on gun control. In the real photo, Gonzalez can be seen tearing a paper gun range target sheet in half.
“The fact that we even have to clarify this is proof of how democracy continues to be fractured by people who manipulate and fabricate the truth,” said Teen Vogue’s Phillip Picardi. “It’s also among the most unfortunate parts of our work at Teen Vogue: when we give young people a platform, we want to elevate their voices. Sometimes, that means subjecting them to hatred and vitriol.”
Since a gunman opened fire at her school on Feb. 14, killing 17, Gonzalez, 18, has been a prominent leader of the #NeverAgain movement, appearing in TV interviews and on magazine covers. She was also among the students who spoke during the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C. on Saturday. There she delivered a speech, then stood still for more than six minutes in silence-the time it took for the Parkland shooting to occur-to remember those who died.