A hashtag suggesting that authorities are planting bricks to bait protesters into committing violence is going viral on social media. One image often shared with the hashtag shows a stack of bricks with a smiley face superimposed on top of it, with the message “Well howdy! I’m just a mysterious ol’ pile of bricks.” “Do not reach for me! I am intentionally placed here to create violence,” the image, which has also made the rounds on Instagram, says. “This is used to delegitimize the movement and allows for more force to be used.” The message closes with an admonition for people to tweet photos or videos of bricks at protest sites with the hashtag #baitbricks.

Are Authorities Planting Bricks to Bait Protesters? – Rolling Stone