Influencers Censured For Posing At Black Lives Matter Protests For Clout
Image via a katz / Shutterstock.com
Internet users have been criticizing social media influencers for apparently taking advantage of Black Lives Matter protests to gain likes.
Photos and videos that surfaced online show online personalities posing for photos in front of looted stores, at protests, and burning vehicles to garner likes and follower counts. The staged appearances have angered social media users, who are dissing them for exploiting the demonstrations.
One clip shared by Twitter account Influencers In The Wild reveals a woman standing in front of the smashed windows of a looted store, while a man snaps an image for her. The pair then walk off after the picture is taken.
Another clip shows a woman wearing a dress and posing at a street corner while protestors march behind her. She adjusts her hair for the ‘gram and walks away after the photo op, not evidently interested in joining the peaceful protest.
These videos have been met with swift backlash, as many are condemning the influencers for glamorizing rioting and “treating protests like Coachella.”
“Man, people really be out here selling their soul for clout, huh,” one user tweets. “The whitest of white privilege,” another tweet reads.
I knew this would happen eventually pic.twitter.com/V3bB92iaPB
— influencersinthewild (@influencersitw) June 1, 2020
Smfh pic.twitter.com/c0Y3R7E2J1
— ᴇᴍᴀɴɴʏ aka E. Mᴀᴊᴏʀ (@theonlyemajor) June 2, 2020
Black lives matter protests are not photoshoots, especially since many of y'all leave after you take photos. Protesters are marching to end police brutality and protesters are dying and being injured for it. Activism is NOT a "trend". Stop treating protests like the new Coachella
— lizzie⁷ (@roseIysium) June 7, 2020
I knew this would happen eventually pt 2 pic.twitter.com/ZkcJyRpMgm
— influencersinthewild (@influencersitw) June 2, 2020
Stop treating the protests like Coachella pt 17 pic.twitter.com/zOzf4ZvvWf
— influencersinthewild (@influencersitw) June 5, 2020
The police barricaded the street for the protest, and this girl took it as an opportunity to get a picture in the middle of an empty street? GTFOH pic.twitter.com/D9NlxROH0q
— influencersinthewild (@influencersitw) June 2, 2020
Man, people really be out here selling their soul for clout, huh
— JD (@JoshDunstan) June 2, 2020
The whitest of white privilege
— sam lamebridge (@bartdimsum) June 2, 2020
[via Independent, opening image via a katz / Shutterstock.com]
