Facebook has removed 88 ads by the Trump campaign on the grounds of ‘hate speech’. It marks an apparent reversal of the social media giant’s position to allow as much freedom as possible for political campaigns on their platform.
The ads targeted left-wing opponents and so called ‘antifa’, which Donald Trump has blamed for the riots and protests across US cities following the death of George Floyd.
One of the ads used an inverted red triangle – which left-wing political prisoners in Nazi Germany were forced to wear while in concentration camps. Facebook stated that they could not feasibly keep such ads on their site, even if they were endorsed by the president of the United States.
"We removed these posts and ads for violating our policy against organized hate … Our policy prohibits using a banned hate group’s symbol to identify political prisoners without the context that condemns or discusses the symbol."
The issue came to light after thousands of individuals, anti-racist and Jewish groups made their voices heard. Jewish advocacy group Bend the Arc stated that they were appalled by the use of the symbol and that it revealed the true nature of Donald Trump and his base of supporters:
"Nazis used the red triangle to mark political prisoners and people who rescued Jews … Trump & the RNC are using it to smear millions of protestors. Their masks are off." Said the organisation in a tweet.
The President of the United States is campaigning for reelection using a Nazi concentration camp symbol.
— Bend the Arc: Jewish Action (@jewishaction) June 18, 2020
Nazis used the red triangle to mark political prisoners and people who rescued Jews.
Trump & the RNC are using it to smear millions of protestors.
Their masks are off. pic.twitter.com/UzmzDaRBup
The Auschwitz Museum in Poland also vented their anger at the use of the symbol:
"A red triangle that marked ‘political prisoners’ was the most common category of prisoners registered at the German Nazi #Auschwitz camp. In August 1944, political prisoners constituted 95 percent of camp prisoners’. A letter inside the triangle could mark the nationality."
A red triangle that marked 'political prisoners' was the most common category of prisoners registered at the German Nazi #Auschwitz camp.
— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) June 18, 2020
In August 1944, political prisoners constituted 95 percent of camp prisoners'. A letter inside the triangle could mark the nationality. pic.twitter.com/jBuNn0xmL1
While it could be imagined that the use of the triangle and anything associated with the Third Reich as part of a political campaign, in the United States in 2020, would be indefensible the Republican campaign fought back. Claiming that as ‘antifa’ protestors were allegedly seen wearing the badge during protests it was therefore ok to use it as part of their Donald Trump re-election campaign.
Tim Murtaugh, a Trump campaign spokesperson said:
"The inverted red triangle is a symbol used by Antifa, so it was included in an ad about Antifa … We would note that Facebook still has an inverted red triangle emoji in use, which looks exactly the same, so it’s curious that they would target only this ad. The image is also not included in the Anti-Defamation League’s database of symbols of hate."
Again, instead of conceding wrongdoing, it appears the Trump campaign has decided to double-down, much as they did in the 2016 election which saw Trump elected, albeit without the popular vote.
It could now be claimed that the fact that the Trump campaign has now plumbed such depths it should serve as wake-up call for anyone in doubt as to the true nature of the president. It also raised memories of Trump claiming that there were ‘good people on both sides’ during a clash between white supremacists and anti-racism campaigners in Charlottesville in 2017, and the false equivalence between racists and anti-racists.
This incident marks the first real campaigning of the US election campaign which will see voters go to the polls in November.
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