FACT CHECK: Greens' election sign image is a digitally altered fake
By Kate Atkinson in Sydney
WHAT WAS CLAIMED : A photo shows Greens election candidates posing with a sign that says "Do it for Palestine".
OUR VERDICT : The government is not conducting a visa review targeting Chinese nationals.
AAP FACTCHECK - An altered image of Greens leaders and a candidate holding a pro-Palestine sign emblazoned with a communist symbol is being shared online as if it's authentic.
The sign in the original photo promoted the Greens' education policy and did not feature a hammer and sickle.
The altered photo features party leader Adam Bandt, deputy leader Senator Mehreen Faruqi and candidate for Fowler Avery Howard.
A Facebook post sharing the image shows the trio standing by a sign that says "Vote 1 Greens Do it for Palestine" and features a hammer and sickle on the triangular Greens logo.
"So voting in an Australian election is for Palestine … Put greens last," the post caption says.
Another post with the same image claims: "The greens hate our country, hate our flag . They'd rather support Gazan's than Aussies."
The candidate, Avery Howard, a non-binary anti-poverty activist, confirmed the image is an edited version of a photo posted to their Instagram story, a feature that allows users to share images or videos that typically disappear after 24 hours.
"Having this edited image circulate is part of an ongoing campaign from the right-wing to discredit me as a candidate and the party that I stand for," they told AAP FactCheck.
The Greens hopeful said the original photo was taken at a press conference promoting the Greens' free university and TAFE policy at a Sydney library on April 14, 2025.
The sign in the original reads: "The Prime Minister Went to Uni for Free. You Should Too," alongside a picture of Anthony Albanese wearing an academic graduation cap.
The candidate posted the original photo on Instagram and Facebook on April 24 to highlight the Greens' policy and ensure the unedited image was visible.
"As you can see, the edited image doesn't extend to the areas that were covered by the text on the Instagram story," they said.
The doctored photo also features a hammer and sickle in the Greens' logo, which the authentic version of the logo does not.
While the slogan 'Do it for Palestine' is not used in official Greens campaign materials, the party is campaigning to stop Australia's military exports to Israel and end the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.
Some posters and corflutes seen in the Greens' social media posts do promote pro-Palestine messages and slogans, including 'Free Palestine' and 'Stop Arming Genocide'.
Billboards displaying the message "Free Palestine Vote 1 Greens" have also been displayed in Sydney and Melbourne.
AAP FactCheck has previously debunked claims about Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Greens featuring the same altered image.
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