Photo of man with swastika tattoo is actually from 2016

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on 11 November 2023, Diane Abbott, the independent MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, claimed that a man showing a swastika tattoo on the side of his body was involved in demonstrations in London at the time. In fact, the photo was taken seven years earlier.

The image shows a man dressed in black, with what appears to be a Royal British Legion poppy badge on his jacket, who is revealing the skin on the side of his body where a tattoo of a swastika is visible. 

In Ms Abbott’s post, the image was accompanied by a photo of former home secretary Suella Braverman and a caption reading: “Suella says: ‘Decent British people have had enough of these displays of thuggish intimidation and extremism’ Does she mean guys like this one out today?”

However, as others have pointed out, the image of this man was actually taken in Bolton at a protest against a new mosque on 26 November 2016, not in November 2023. 

If an MP makes a false or misleading claim on social media, they should correct it quickly in a clear and transparent manner, including on the same platform where the claim was made. 

We have contacted Ms Abbott and will update this article if she responds. 

Image courtesy of Chris McAndrew.