Facebook removes Trump campaign ad over 'Nazi hate symbol' meant to target the far-left activist group Antifa
Facebook removes Trump campaign ad over 'Nazi hate symbol' meant to target the far-left activist group AntifaFacebook stated that the offensive ad contained an inverted red triangle similar to that used by the Nazi regime to classify political prisoners in concentration camps. The ad and posts were removed for violating Facebook's policy against organised hate that prohibits using a banned hate group's symbol to identify political prisoners without the context that condemns or discusses the symbol, according to Facebook spokesperson. The ads and posts appeared on Facebook pages belonging to President Trump, Vice President Pence, as well as the Team Trump campaign page. They received hundreds of thousands of views before being taken down. Trump's campaign team said they were aimed at the far-left activist group Antifa which it described as a "dangerous mob of a far-left group." Trump campaign spokesperson, Tim Murtaugh, also defended its posts by stating that the red triangle is a symbol used by Antifa, and hence was used in an ad about Antifa. However, Mark Bray, a Rutgers University historian clarified that European anti-fascist groups initially used the red triangle symbol, hoping to reclaim its meaning after World War II, but that it is no longer widely used by the movement nor by US Antifa groups. Facebook removed another 900 social media accounts linked to white supremacy groups on 18th June.
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