A Friday Coast Guard tweet announces that a member has been reassigned, he aired a controversial symbol during an appearance on television.(Photo: Screenshot of a tweet from the US Coast Guard)

The Coast Guard reassigned a member after he showed a controversial sign that some people associated with white power during a television appearance.

The video shows a man briefly making an "OK" sign in the background of an MSNBC appearance featuring Captain John Reed giving an account of the response efforts to the Coast Guard's Florence Storm, according to NBC News.

The symbol has been called a "trolling gesture" by the anti-defamation league. The association of the "OK" sign with the white power movement began with a hoax campaign in 2017 aimed at provoking false scandals.

The organization says the symbol has been used by some known white supremacists, its use has increased since 2017 and its meaning is constantly changing.

The Coast Guard described the video presenting the symbol as "offensive" in a tweet announcing that the member shown in the video has been reassigned.

"His actions do not reflect those of the US Coast Guard," says the tweet.

Some on social networks have called on the Coast Guard to be fired for his actions.

In early September, the LDA changed its symbol guidelines to reflect its growing popularity. The current article of the organization on the gesture says that it is used by people right and far right, often to trigger a reaction or "drag the libs".

Some who use the symbol believe that many politically liberal people are quick to call conservatives white supremacists; some use the common symbol to "exploit" this perceived trend, according to the organization.

The "OK" gesture is commonly used for non-political and non-hateful purposes, as well as by some white supremacists, according to the ADL.

"No one should assume anything about the use of such a gesture unless there are other unmistakable white supremacist signifiers in this context as well." tweeted Mark Pitcavage a senior ADL researcher on September 4th.

The symbol made headlines earlier this month after a Republican agent made the sign in the background at an audience of Brett Kavanaugh. Liberal Twitter users have accused it of promoting a sign of "white power," the Washington Post reported.

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