Mysterious brick piles and gasoline bottles: staying safe and sane despite riotous rumors

You may have come across reports about piles of bricks conveniently left near protests across the United States, ready to be thrown through windows. There are also claims about bottles of gasoline hidden in bushes around Minneapolis. Could these items really be planted in our cities by unknown actors? Let’s take a closer look at the claims and try to figure out what's real and what's not.

What you need to know:

  • We’re skeptical about the bricks story, but some public officials say it’s true. After investigating, we still can’t confirm either way for sure.
  • The gasoline bottles story seems more credible than the bricks, but we still have doubts.
  • Right now, even the most honest and dedicated professionals in public safety and media are struggling to separate facts from rumors. The situation is moving fast, and there’s a lot of uncertainty.
  • There are specific rules you can follow when evaluating and sharing warnings from authorities or the media (see the last section of this article).

Hit the Bricks

Conspiracy theories about caches of bricks have been circulating in recent days. Here’s a video showing multiple protest sites with seemingly random piles of bricks and people handing them out (warning: explicit language). Both the left and the right have their own versions of the story. Some on the left believe the police are planting bricks to incite violence and justify harsh crackdowns. Others on the right blame groups like Antifa or George Soros for the same thing.

Debunking the Conspiracy Theories

However, there are logical explanations for why bricks might be found at protest sites. Construction projects often leave materials behind, and that could explain some of the piles. For example, the Associated Press looked into reports of bricks near a protest in Frisco, Texas, and found that a construction project was planned nearby. Similarly, the BBC investigated a video from Fayetteville, North Carolina, and found that the bricks were already there before any protests took place.

A Twitter user named @lextayham posted a video of brick pallets in San Francisco, and the San Francisco Police Department responded quickly, saying the bricks were from a construction site and that the contractor had been asked to remove them. So, it seems like a plausible explanation — construction crews just left the bricks lying around without expecting civil unrest.

But not everyone agrees. The New York Police Department claimed they found “strategically placed” caches of bricks and rocks throughout the city. VICE looked into it and found that the bricks were far from any planned protests, though they couldn’t rule out the possibility of them being planted. Meanwhile, local council members suggested they were just construction debris from an unfinished project.

Other incidents include videos of police in Boston handling bricks. Some claimed the cops were planting them, but the Northeastern University Police Department later explained that the officers were simply unloading bricks from a damaged sidewalk. A local news outlet confirmed the sidewalk was indeed in disrepair.

Bottles of Beer in the Grass…

Another strange story came from Minneapolis, where witnesses reported finding bottles of gasoline and other flammable materials hidden in bushes. Minnesota Public Radio covered stashes of matches, a jar full of gasoline, and wood doused with accelerants. A Twitter account called @gullyboysband warned about water bottles filled with gas, and the Black Disability Collective shared similar concerns.

The Minneapolis Police Department issued a warning about the bottles, telling residents to call 911 if they found any. Despite all the reports and official alerts, no one has yet released a clear photo of a gasoline-filled bottle. While the idea isn’t impossible—weapon caches are common in conflict zones—it’s hard to verify without concrete evidence.

The Bottom Line

We honestly aren’t sure what to make of either the bricks or the gas bottles. It’s possible that individuals from any political background could be trying to stir up unrest. But without solid proof, it’s hard to say for sure.

While we usually rely on local authorities for guidance, two things give us pause: first, different agencies are giving conflicting messages, and second, some authorities have misled the public in the past, like during the pandemic. That makes blind trust risky.

Here’s what we recommend:

  • Act as if the worst-case scenario your local authorities warn about is real. Better safe than sorry.
  • Be careful how you share information. Don’t just repeat it as fact—frame it as a warning from officials, not an absolute truth.
  • Be cautious about sharing stories from the media, even from trusted sources. Everyone is struggling to keep up with the chaos.
  • Don’t get too caught up in debates over who planted the threats. If you find yourself in a dangerous area, focus on staying safe.
  • Now is a good time to have a fire extinguisher at home.

When dealing with fast-moving events, remember the Sagan standard: extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Stick to basic preparedness and avoid getting lost in the noise.

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