OK symbol: "OK" gesture added to the list of anti-Defamation League white supremacist hate symbols

The "OK" hand gesture has been added to a growing list of hate symbols used by white supremacists. The Anti-Defamation League announced Thursday dozens of new additions to its database.

The hand symbol began as a hoax by users of the 4chan website before becoming a popular trolling tactic, according to the Anti-Defamation League. As of this year, this gesture has become a gesture adopted "in some circles as a sincere expression of white supremacy," said the civil rights group.

The suspect At the time of the New Zealand massacre last March, the symbol broke out when he appeared in court in March after being arrested for the same reason. shot dead by 51 people in the mosques of Christchurch.

Among other novelties, there is the "bowlcut", which is an image of a bowl-shaped haircut resembling that worn by the Charleston Church shooter, Dylann Roof. He was found guilty of shooting nine African-American parishioners in 2015, and was sentenced to death.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, many newly added symbols have appeared at White supremacist events such as the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville and have been painted on firearms used by the Christchurch shooter . Slogans and symbols appeared online on platforms such as 4chan, 8chan and Reddit before going on major social networks like Twitter and Facebook or even gaming platforms.

"These are the latest business cards of hate," said Mark Pitcavage, senior researcher at the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism. "While some hate symbols are short lived, others lead a life of their own and become tools for trolling online."

We pay special attention to symbols that show resistance, as well as those that move from online use to the real world, "he added.

The Anti-Defamation League created the database in 2000 to track hate groups and help law enforcement, educators, and the public recognize the symbols used to warn of the presence of hate groups. extremists, white supremacists and anti-Semites.

"We believe that law enforcement and the public should be fully informed of the meaning of these images, which can serve as the first alarm signal for the presence of enemies in a community or community. school, "said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League.