On the 14th local time, the large-scale shooting in Buffalo, the United States, shocked the whole United States. Foreign media reported at length, American politicians spoke out, and the background of the murderer, Payton Gendron, was exposed one by one.
It turned out that Gendelong allegedly wrote a 180-page manifesto before committing the crime, which displayed many symbols and ideas related to racism, white supremacy, and Nazism, including the "Black Sun" symbol used by the Ukrainian "Azov Battalion."
However, it is worth mentioning that the mainstream media in the United States seem to deliberately ignore and dilute the connection between this symbol and the "Azov camp", which has also caused some controversy on social media.
Gendelong is suspected of wearing the "Black Sun" symbol, the "Black Sun" symbol on the chest of a Ukrainian female soldier
On the afternoon of May 14, local time, a large-scale shooting occurred in Buffalo, New York (also known as Buffalo), resulting in 10 deaths and 3 injuries. Police have taken control of 18-year-old white suspect Payton Gendron, who will be charged with murder.
After the incident, the whole United States was shocked. On the evening of the 14th, US President Biden issued a statement on the case, calling for an end to "domestic terrorism caused by hatred". He stressed that racially motivated hate crimes are incompatible with the country's architecture. Any act of domestic terrorism, including in the name of the repugnant white racist ideology, runs counter to everything we stand for in the United States.
Suspected cover image of The Manifesto uploaded by Genderon
The U.S. media also moved quickly to cover Gendelong's background and the American right-wing ideas behind him. For example, the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) reported on the 15th that Gendelong allegedly wrote a 180-page manifesto, which was combined with us right-wing ideas and various conspiracy theories. Although the authenticity of the manifesto has not yet been rigorously certified, the date of birth mentioned in the text, as well as the details of life, are consistent with Genderon's experience. In addition, documents are uploaded to the network around the 12th.
African Americans gathered outside the site of the Buffalo shooting
NBC reported in detail on what was in the manifesto and mentioned the "Replacement Theory" popular among the American right. This conspiracy theory claims that Jews are "replacing whites" with people of color through "immigration and interracial marriages."
Alternative theory "originated in the anti-Semitic ideas and activities of white supremacists. They hated Jewish immigrants. In 2017, virginia also erupted in a demonstration of white unity and anti-Semitism, chanting slogans such as "Jews cannot replace us" and "you cannot replace us."
Genderon's manifesto also mentions that the person who "had the deepest influence" on him was Brenton Tarrant, who shot 51 people in a mosque in New Zealand in 2019. Several others who "inspired him" were Dylann Roof, who killed nine black people in a church in South Carolina in 2015, and Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway in 2011.
In the past few racist shootings in Western countries, the terrorist figure of "alternative theory" has also appeared to a greater or lesser extent. NBC also mentioned that relatively mainstream right-wingers in the United States, such as Fox News' Tucker Carlson, have mentioned this theory.
In a poll released this week by the Associated Press and the National Center for Polls at the University of Chicago, a third of U.S. adults believe there is a force in Current American Society to "replace U.S.-born Americans with immigrants for electoral benefits." ”
While background reports from NBC and other mainstream media dug into this step, they overlooked one thing. The cover of Genderon's manifesto, and his own use of a symbol rooted in Nazi ideology, the "Black Sun."
The so-called "black sun" is a symbol consisting of concentric circles and jagged vertical bars. The "Black Sun" first appeared in Nazi Germany, first used by Himmler, and later by neo-Nazis, neo-nationalists, alt-right and white nationalist groups.
"Black Sun" symbol Infographic
In recent years, this symbol has continued to appear in the public eye. Tarrant, the perpetrator of the mosque shooting in New Zealand, also used this cover on the cover of the declaration. After the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the emergence of the "Azov battalion" has pushed this symbol into the mainstream vision.
On March 8, International Women's Day, NATO, in a celebratory tweet on its official Twitter account, specifically praised the power of Ukrainian women demonstrated in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, but the accompanying picture included a photo of a Ukrainian female soldier wearing the Nazi symbol "Black Sun" symbol. At the time, the incident caused an uproar.
Observer Network noted that in this Buffalo shooting, the US media hardly mentioned the connection between the murderer and the "black sun" symbol. Even if mentioned, there is no further indication that the "Azov Battalion" is using this symbol.
The New York Times mentioned the "Black Sun" in its report, but did not indicate that camp Azov was using the symbol. "On the first page of the manifesto there is a symbol called 'Black Sun' or 'Sun Wheel', two concentric circles with jagged beams emanating from the center.' The U.S. Anti-Defamation League says the symbol was often used in Nazi Germany and is now also used by white supremacists and neo-Nazis. ”
The neglect of the mainstream media in the United States has caused controversy on social media. Photographs of the killer suspected of wearing black sun symbols, as well as photographs of Ukrainian female soldiers, were released suggesting that American "liberals" ignored the connection between the two.
American freelance journalist Michael Tracey cautioned: "It is a fact that the gunman used the same symbol on the cover of his distorted manifesto as the symbol used by the so-called 'Defenders of Democracy' army's 'official coat of arms'." ”
It is worth mentioning that Tracy also shared a video, on the afternoon of the 15th, in a pro-Ukrainian parade in New York City, many Americans clearly raised their cards in support of the Azov battalion.
Various connections have made many Twitter netizens begin to reflect on the "Azov camp" in the Western context. "It's time to think back to the narrative on TV [about Camp Azov]."
"This proves that the soil of Nazism is still fertile and that they have a strong connection to each other."
After the Buffalo shooting, Tracy published an investigative article about Nazi forces in the United States. It mentions that although the Nazi forces in the United States have risen during the Trump administration, the soil has long been formed. After the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, a group of people took this opportunity to quickly go to the mainstream.
For example, he mentioned a pro-Ukraine march in New York City on April 23, when a group called "Razom for Ukraine" chanted "Azov Camp" with "near-uninhibited enthusiasm."
He further posed an intriguing question: "If listeners on NPR or the BBC knew clearly that the 'defenders' of Mariupol were in fact 'outright neo-Nazis', do you think they would have some slightly different reactions to fragments of praise for their bravery?" ”