‘OK’ hand gesture added to list of racist symbols as ‘sign of white supremacy’
THE "OK" hand gesture has been added to a list of racist symbols as a sign of white supremacy, it has been reported.
The Christchurch mosque shooter branded the hand symbol during his first court appearance.
The finger-and-thumb gesture is now being used by some as "sincere expression of white supremacy", according to Jewish non-governmental organisation the Anti-Defamation League.
Adding, "particular care must be taken not to jump to conclusions about the intent behind someone who has used the gesture".
Other symbols that have been added to the list include burning neo-Nazi symbols and the bowlcut hairstyle worn by American white supremacist and mass shooter Dylann Roof.
The ADL's "Hate on Display" list started in 2000 in order to help people recognise signs of extremism.
There are more than 200 entries, including the swastika and Ku Klux Klan's burning cross.
The OK symbol has become a "popular trolling tactic" from "right-leaning individuals, who often post photos to social media of themselves posing while making the gesture", according to the ADL.
'WE NEED TO BE INFORMED'
It started as a joke on the online forum 4Chan where users took the gesture and pretended there was a hidden meaning behind it - in hopes it would spark outrage from left-leaning people.
The joke was successful and spread among the far-right and now many believe the sign is changing its meaning.
In a statement, the CEO of ADL, Jonathan Greenblatt, said: “Even as extremists continue to use symbols that may be years or decades old, they regularly create new symbols, memes and slogans to express their hateful sentiments.
“We believe law enforcement and the public needs to be fully informed about the meaning of these images, which can serve as a first warning sign to the presence of haters in a community or school.”
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The ADL has also stressed that the "overwhelming usage" of the hand gesture today is to still show that someone is OK.
They added: "The overwhelming usage of the hand gesture today is still its traditional purpose.
"As a result, someone who uses the symbol cannot be assumed to be using the symbol in either a trolling or white supremacist context."
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