Snapchat/Instagram
Two originators in the UK have been arrested for possible hate crimes.
Social Media sites are moving quickly to shut down the #GeorgeFloydChallenge.
The disgraceful trend saw a number of people posting sick photos of themselves mocking the death of George Floyd, whose neck was knelt on by police until he died.
The stunt was first pulled by a group of teens in the UK, who posted it to Snapchat, before it was further shared on a University students' Facebook page.
Getty
Meghan McCain Tries to Explain 'War Zone' Tweet After Neighbor Called Her Out
View StoryIt showed one teen kneeling on the neck of another, while they both laughed, along with the caption "police brutality".
Since then, a number of replicas have sprung up across social media, carrying the hashtag #GeorgeFloydChallenge.
One of which purported to show a graduate who is preparing to enter the Air Force, dressed in a cap and gown, kneeling on a younger boy's neck, with the caption "Graduate Lives Matter".
Snapchat
Social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter appeared to quickly snuff out the hashtag; the few results any of them threw up were of people condemning the behavior.
"We are aware, and are removing these posts for violating our Community Standards," a spokesperson for Facebook told the New York Post, specifically "encouraging participation in a high-risk viral challenge."
NBC
Actors Who Play Cops on TV Should Donate to Bail Fund, Urges Brooklyn Nine-Nine Star
View StoryAccording to the UK's Chronicle Live, the two teens involved in the original photograph were arrested "on suspicion of sending communications causing anxiety and distress."
"We understand that this is social media post has caused significant upset and we want to reassure the public it is being investigated robustly and is being treated as a hate crime," a police spokesperson said, confirming the two had been released on bail.
On Wednesday, the third-degree murder charge leveled at Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis officer who knelt on the neck of George Floyd, was upgraded to second-degree murder.
That same day the three officers who were also involved in the arrest over an alleged fake $20 note — Thomas Lane, J.A. Keung and Tou Thao — were newly charged with aiding and abetting the homicide.
Instagram
