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Mass Shooting at a Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand

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WelshBluebird

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I am kind of surprised there isn't already a thread about this, but I am sure most people here would have seen about the tragic events. My heart goes out to everyone affected, people should not go out for peaceful prayer and end up dead.

Christchurch shootings: 49 dead in New Zealand mosque attacks

Forty-nine people have been killed and 48 wounded in shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in the nation's deadliest attack.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described it as a terrorist attack and one of New Zealand's "darkest days".

A gunman identifying himself as an Australian live-streamed the rampage at Al Noor mosque to Facebook. He had espoused racist, anti-immigrant views.

Police say a man in his late 20s has been arrested and charged with murder.

Two other men and one woman were also detained. One of the three has since been released.

No names have been made public. Firearms and explosive devices were recovered, Police Commissioner Mike Bush said.

The gunman live-streaming the attack from a head-mounted camera said he was a 28-year-old Australian called Brenton Tarrant. The footage showed him firing at men, women and children from close range inside the Al Noor mosque.

Facebook said it had removed the gunman's Facebook and Instagram accounts and was working to remove any copies of the footage.

The suspect who was charged appeared to have published a document online outlining his intentions as well as details about the plan for the attack. He is due in court on Saturday morning.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the man as an "extremist, right-wing" terrorist. New Zealand Police Commissioner Bush confirmed that the man had not been known in advance to either New Zealand or Australian security services.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-47578798

I think what has hit me about this is the social media element. I work in tech, I understand how hard it is to deal with things at scale. But it really feels like the social media companies have dropped the ball here. Not just on allowing the video to continue to be shared, but in allowing people a platform to spout their bile which has led to a young man being convinced this was the right thing to do. Make no mistake about it, this is yet another case of a young white male being radicalised by the far right.

ps - before anyone jumps down my neck about how this isn't the right time or about how you shouldn't use tragic events like this to make political points, I used to agree. However what seemingly happens is that you don't talk about it in these moments because of the above, and then it just quietly slips away in the months after until nobody really cares or says anything anymore. As such these moments are when we have to talk about the issues.
 
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Master29

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I think they have tried to stop it being spread but unfortunately that won`t stop this. What I have found disturbing is the lack of condemnation in some circles. Thoughts to all concerned.
 

AndrewE

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I am always amazed that the perpetrators of these atrocities and their racist anti-immigrant friends seem to be completely blind to the fact that they are immigrants too! (who destroyed cultures that had lived happily and sustainably in and off their environments for thousands of years before Europeans arrived.)
 

Master29

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I am always amazed that the perpetrators of these atrocities and their racist anti-immigrant friends seem to be completely blind to the fact that they are immigrants too! (who destroyed cultures that had lived happily and sustainably in and off their environments for thousands of years before Europeans arrived.)
Agreed. All of us are immigrants or descended from immigrants. Sad that some very stupid individuals out there don`t see it that way and witness the result.
 

AndrewE

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Agreed. All of us are immigrants or descended from immigrants. Sad that some very stupid individuals out there don`t see it that way and witness the result.
but especially "white" people in USA, Australia and New Zealand.
 

Mutant Lemming

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but especially "white" people in USA, Australia and New Zealand.

Just as every muslim cannot be held responsible for the odd murderous nutter neither can all "white" people be held responsible for some odd fascist nutjob. Your comment comes across as racist and divisive.
 

GusB

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Just as every muslim cannot be held responsible for the odd murderous nutter neither can all "white" people be held responsible for some odd fascist nutjob. Your comment comes across as racist and divisive.
I don't think it does come across as being racist and divisive. It just points out that "some very stupid individuals" (from the post by @Master29 ) tend to forget/ignore that they weren't the first human beings to exist on their respective landmasses. No-one is saying that all white people can be held responsible for the actions of "some odd fascist nutjob".
 

furnessvale

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I don't think it does come across as being racist and divisive. It just points out that "some very stupid individuals" (from the post by @Master29 ) tend to forget/ignore that they weren't the first human beings to exist on their respective landmasses. No-one is saying that all white people can be held responsible for the actions of "some odd fascist nutjob".
And who can claim that with any authority? Should the current population of Wales claim back what is now called England? What about Scotland and Northern Ireland?
 
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