An “OK” hand gesture is now on par with a Nazi salute.
The Anti-Defamation League this week added the hand symbol to its longstanding database of symbols, memes and other tools used by white supremacists and hate groups.
In a statement announcing a number of new entries to the “hate on display” list, the ADL said the gesture started as a hoax on the web forum 4chan and grew into a symbol of white supremacy.
“By 2019, the symbol was being used in some circles as a sincere expression of white supremacy,” the ADL said in their statement.
“Australian white supremacist Brenton Tarrant flashed the symbol during his March 2019 courtroom appearance soon after his arrest for allegedly murdering 50 people in mosques in Christchurch,” the group added.
A number of other symbols used by racists and anti-Semites was also added to the list, including an image of a bowl cut.
The image — and other references to “bowl” — are used by racists to show admiration for mass shooter Dylan Roof, the ADL said.