A photo circulated on Russia's social networks Friday showed a notice, supposedly placed at the entrance to a Russian kindergarten, that urged parents to protect their children from the Islamic State terrorist organization — by securing the kindergarten's gate with a hook and eye latch.
The notice supposedly appeared in the city of Kaluga, 150 kilometers southwest of Moscow, according to reports Thursday by local KalugaNews portal on the VKontakte social network, and by the Kaluga-Poisk website.
"Due to increased activity of the Islamic State international terrorist group, we urge you to latch the gate," the notice reads. It was signed: "Children, teachers, administration."
The image quickly went viral and was reprinted by national media.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," the TJournal news portal deadpanned in a post on its VKontakte page.
Many users of Russian social networks pointed out that the notice failed to include a line, required by the country's media watchdog to accompany news reports about Islamic State, to say that it is a terrorist organization banned in Russia.
The Moscow Times could not immediately verify the authenticity of the photo.
