The May Day rallies were a major political feature of the International Workers’ Day celebrations. Our fact-finding analysis, set out below, assesses the accuracy of several misleading claims concerning the events organized by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).
Social Media Posts:
Claim 1:
A video circulating on Facebook alleged that artificial intelligence was used to generate images of the rally, purportedly because of low attendance. The claims focused on the Facebook page of Jagath Withanage, a Member of Parliament representing the SJB, suggesting he had published an AI-generated image to exaggerate the crowd size at the party’s May Day celebrations.
An additional post regarding this AI photo was shared as follows.
We investigated the accuracy of these claims.
Fact-Check:
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya rally was convened at Maligawatta P. D. Sirisena Stadium at 3:00 p.m. yesterday (01) under the patronage of Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.
Initial verification of attendance was conducted using live footage published on the official SJB Facebook page and Sajith Premadasa’s YouTube Channel. A review of the footage indicates that a substantial crowd had indeed assembled at the venue.
A review of the official Facebook page of Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Jagath Withanage also identified a post featuring an image that exhibits character distortions. These are consistent with those typically observed in AI-generated visuals, as illustrated below.
While the image in question shows attendees arriving at the rally, a comparison with the live broadcast confirms that the actual scene was consistent with the crowd depicted.
Similarly, a photo from the May Day rally held yesterday (01) was posted on the Facebook page of MP Jagath Withanage. Upon review, it was observed that, instead of the image containing incorrectly rendered Sinhala characters indicative of AI generation, the post featured an event photograph bearing accurate Sinhala text identifying it as the May Day rally.
A comparison of the circulating image with the authenticated photograph reveals clear differences in the accuracy of the lettering; however, the group depicted and the background remain consistent across both images.
MP Jagath Withanage
When asked about the image, MP Jagath Withanage stated that while his page administrator used AI to remove a hand from the original photograph, the lettering on a “May Rally” sign was accidentally distorted. He noted that the error went unnoticed before publication, leading some to believe the entire image was AI-generated.
His original Facebook post can be viewed here.
A video demonstrating the editing process is included below.
Claim 2:
Social Media Posts:
Another post claimed that an SJB organizer was arrested with barrels of “kashippu” (illicit liquor) intended for party members attending the rally.
Fact-Check:
If an SJB organizer had been arrested in connection with such an incident, it would reasonably be expected to have been reported by mainstream media outlets; however, no such reports were found. Furthermore, although the claim referenced a news item published by TTNEWS, a review of the relevant Facebook page revealed no corresponding report dated April 30th.
No specific details were provided regarding the alleged arrest or the police station involved. Since such information is usually included in official reports, the Police Media Division was contacted for verification.
Police Media Division
They stated that the Media Unit does not disclose the political affiliation of individuals arrested for any reason. Moreover, as no specific police division was identified, the claim cannot be independently verified.
The dissemination of information without reliance on official sources is a common tactic employed in the propagation of false narratives; however, it should be noted that no corroborating evidence exists to substantiate the claim in question.
We invite you to learn about our fact-checking efforts.
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Title: Did the SJB publish AI photos to show people who weren’t at the May Day rally?
Fact Check By: Pavithra Sandamali
Result: Misleading
