Charles Teves
Amid the Black Lives Matter activists and various celebrities showing support to anti-racism protests, George Floyd’s death has been mocked by online users through the #GeorgeFloydChallenge.
The challenge features mostly white teenagers reenacting Floyd’s last moments before he died. One person would pretend to be police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on another one’s neck who would obviously be the late George Floyd.
Human Rights advocate and Climate Change activist Mohamad Safa went on Twitter to post several photos of the said challenge.
Racists are now doing the George Floyd “challenge.” This is what we’re up against, folks. It’s a privilege to make sarcasm about racism instead of experiencing it your whole life pic.twitter.com/LmS1mnqCcj
— Mohamad Safa (@mhdksafa) June 4, 2020
Online users called it ‘disgusting’ and ‘hateful’.
This vile human thinks the death of George Floyd is funny. They call this the “George Floyd challenge”. This is why there is a movement. #paulamcguigan #BlackLivesMatter #blackpeopletwitter pic.twitter.com/XQfTPriFel
— Nikki H. (@usefulbeauty) June 4, 2020
in the past 24 hours, juniata county has seen two young white girls participate in the ‘george floyd challenge’ on tiktok, and a homophobic boy post on instagram that pride month should be referred to as “f*** going to hell month”. and you wonder why i hate it here. pic.twitter.com/XDPGbAD86e
— p (@peytharr) June 4, 2020
Facebook and Instagram have reportedly taken down photos related to the challenge. In an interview with the New York Post, a spokesperson for Facebook said, “We are aware, and are removing these posts for violating our Community Standards.”
Meanwhile, the Newcastle Evening Chronicle reported that three teens were arrested on charges of possible hate crime after doing the #GeorgeFloydChallenge.
The photo was seen on Snapchat with the caption saying: “police brutality.”
The three, including the one who took the photo were arrested on accounts of “suspicious of sending communications that cause anxiety and distress.”
A spokesman for the Northumbria Police said that the teens could possibly be charged with hate crime. The three have since been released on bail.
