US Coast Guard member "withdrawn" after making "offensive" sign on live television



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The US Coast Guard said it had "removed" a member of the Hurricane Florence response team Friday after making a hand gesture on live television that the services branch was "offensive" ".

The unidentified team member was caught staring into the camera and then quickly making the gesture, causing a reaction on social networks.

The hand signal was seen in the background of the MSNBC live interview with Captain John Reed, Commanding Officer of Charleston Sector, who reported on the Coast Guard's response to Hurricane Florence .

Many social media users have called for the dismissal of the individual, accusing him of making a so-called hate symbol of "white power".

The agency immediately reacted to the outcry and distanced itself from the controversy.

"We are aware of the offensive video on Twitter – the Coast Guard has identified the member and removed it from the response. His actions do not reflect those of the US Coast Guard, "tweeted the agency.

The guard is now investigating the matter. In a statement, the agency said the incident was a "frustrating distraction" in the midst of the dangerous hurricane that is expected to affect more than 10 million people this week in the southeastern part of the country.

According to officials, there have been at least four deaths since the storm hit the coast on Friday morning.

"This is a frustrating distraction for the Coast Guard during our response to the hurricane.This person was removed from the intervention while awaiting an investigation.This type of action does not reflect the core values ​​of the Coast Guard. "

– US Coast Guard

There is no clear consensus that the "OK" hand gesture is a symbol of hatred. Although it has been adopted by far-right personalities, it has also been commonly used by many Trump supporters.

The Anti-Defamation League has previously noted that the "OK" gesture is not a symbol of hatred. "Does the gesture of the simple" OK "hand of the thumb and forefinger become a white supremacist hand sign? Well, no, but it is likely that you will hear the opposite of social media, thanks to the latest hoax of members of the famous 4chan website, "read an article from the anti-racism group.

SOCIAL MEDIA RECOGNIZE THE HOST OF THE OFFICIAL EX-TRUMP OF THE KAVANAUGH EDITION

Earlier this month, liberal activists accused a former head of the Jewish-Mexican administration, Zina Gelman Bash, of having made the "white power" gesture at the hearing of confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Nazi "or" white supremacist ".

American lawyer John Bash, her husband, defended Bash: "The attacks of today on my wife are repugnant. Anyone tweeting this vicious conspiracy theory should be ashamed of herself. We did not even know the symbol of hatred attributed to her for the random way in which she rested her hand during a long hearing, "the tweet said, noting that Bash's grandparents are Holocaust survivors.

Lukas Mikelionis is a reporter for FoxNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @LukasMikelionis.

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