FBI hit with community note after tweeting praise of Martin Luther King Jr

The FBI attempted to honour the 95th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr’s birth on Monday, but it didn’t go quite to plan.

“This <a rel=«nofollow» target="_blank" href=«https://twitter.com/hashtag/MLKDay?src=» https:>#MLKDay

, the <a rel=«nofollow» target="_blank" href=«https://twitter.com/hashtag/FBI?src=» https:>#FBI honors one of the most prominent leaders of the Civil Rights movement and reaffirms its commitment to Dr. King’s legacy of fairness and equal justice for all,” the FBI said in a post on X/Twitter on Monday.

Following the post, many users pointed out that it did not convey the FBI’s true relationship with Dr King.

As a result, a community note was posted under the tweet which pointed out that when the civil rights campaigner was alive, FBI agents “engaged in surveillance of King, attempted to discredit him, and used manipulation tactics to influence him to stop organizing.”

“King’s family believe the FBI was responsible for his death,” the community note continued.

X users were quick to praise the community note, with one account writing: “Community note never disappoints.”

Another wrote: “Community notes been waiting for this opportunity, nailed it.”

“Honestly unless the FBI decides to atone for how it treated MLK, it should sit this day out… permanently,” another person said.

The FBI has repeatedly been accused of taking actions against Dr King during his lifetime before he was assassinated in 1968, including surveillance and sending him anonymous letters.

The Bureau’s interest in Dr King was fuelled by fears of communism and a suspicion that his activism could be a front for subversive activities.

The FBI attempted to honor the 95th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth on Monday, but it