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Social media users are sharing photographs of the damaged Georgia Guidestones in USA's Elbert Country, Georgia, claiming that the granite monument was destroyed by an earthquake.
The people and intent behind the construction of the guidestones have been shrouded in mystery, attracting many conspiracy theories over the years.
However, the stones did not fall due to an earthquake. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) released security footage of the site, showing a silver car leaving the area shortly after an explosion destroyed one of the Guidestones carrying inscriptions in Hindi and Swahili.
CLAIM
Photographs of the damaged Guidestones in Georgia, USA are being shared to claim that an earthquake brought down the pillar.
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
A simple keyword search led us to news reports by multiple media outlets.
According to the Times of India, the monument, dubbed "America's Stonehenge" was bombed, as per the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
Citing GBI, the report mentioned that the rest of the structure was demolished and cleared from the site due to safety reasons.
The nearly six metre-high Guidestones were commissioned by a group or person, under the pseudonym RC Christian in 1980, and were unveiled to the public the same year.
We came across the GBI's verified Twitter handle, which shared two surveillance videos of the explosion. It said that as per the available footage, a car was seen leaving the site shortly after the explosion occurred.
The bureau also released footage showing an unidentified person placing explosives at the site. They added that the explosion had weakened the structure, creating "an unsafe environment for investigators to search," and they took a call to demolish the entire monument.
We also checked the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) website for any recorded seismic activity in Georgia, which showed that there was no earthquake in the state in July 2022.
Since its erection, the monument had been surrounded by unfounded theories and conspiracies. Some conservative Christians considered the pillars to be "satanic," reported National Public Radio (NPR).
Since the identity of the people who commissioned it, and the reason behind its erection being a mystery, the monument was targeted by far-right conspiracists. Republican gubernatorial candidate Kandiss Taylor, who made the Guidestones' removal a part of her campaign, tweeted that the destruction was caused by God, further pushing an incorrect narrative.
Clearly, an earthquake did not destroy a pillar of the Georgia Guidestones. The GBI stated that "unknown individuals detonated an explosive device," which damaged the monument.
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