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Swastikas, 'PewDiePie' Sprayed on UK School After NZ Gunman Name-Drops YouTuber

© Photo : PewDiePie Felix Kjellberg
Felix Kjellberg - Sputnik International
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Over the past few days, the YouTube king’s name has been embroiled in a series of controversies: first it was used to deface a World War II memorial in New York, and then the New Zealand shooter, who live-streamed himself killing Muslims at two mosques in Christchurch, appeared to be encouraging people to subscribe to PewDiePie.

Nazi swastikas and “Sub 2 PewDiePie” were sprayed on the side of the Cheney Secondary School in Oxford, UK, just a few days after a terrifying mass shooting at two mosques in New Zealand left at least 50 killed.

READ MORE: 'Subscribe to PewDiePie': YouTube King's Name Used to Deface WWII Monument

The graffiti was removed by council workers, with City Councillor Shaista Aziz saying that this cannot be dismissed as vandalism.

“I am horrified in the context of the New Zealand attack where 50 people were massacred, you can’t ignore the reference. […] Hate crime is not isolated and the problem must be talked about in this way to ensure it is not diminished. It is not good enough, in terms of what is happening in the city, to dismiss this as a random act of vandalism. It is racism”.

Social media users have been terrified and baffled by the fact that PewDiePie’s name has yet again been mentioned in the context of the New Zealand attacks:

The suspected gunman, Brenton Harrison Tarrant, went live as he drove to one of the Christchurch mosques, and recorded himself saying “Remember lads, subscribe to PewDiePie”, before going on a shooting rampage. 

READ MORE: PewDiePie Under Fire Over 'Pakistan on Our Side' Remark Amid T-Series Battle

Upon hearing the reports of the shooting, the Swedish vlogger, who has been competing with the Indian channel T-Series for the status of most popular YouTuber, said he was “absolutely sickened” by the fact that the perpetrator had mentioned his name:

This is not the first time that PewDiePie’s name has been mentioned under controversial circumstances: earlier this month, unknown vandals used his moniker to deface a World War II monument at the Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn, NY.

A still image taken from video circulated on social media, apparently taken by a gunman and posted online live as the attack unfolded, shows him driving in Christchurch, New Zealand, March 15, 2019 - Sputnik International
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PewDiePie 'Sickened' by NZ Shooter Uttering His Name Ahead of Mosque Rampage
The deadly attacks in New Zealand unfolded at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch as Muslims gathered for Friday prayers. 28-year-old Tarrant, who killed 50 people, described his actions as a “terrorist attack” and called himself a “fascist”.

Local media reports suggest that shortly before the shootings, he published a “manifesto” in which he claimed that white people were failing to reproduce, thus being replaced by the “non-European population” following mass immigration.

In the reported “manifesto”, he explained that he wanted to “take revenge” for Europeans who lost their lives in terror attacks, and added that his actions were inspired by a 2017 trip to France, where he saw what he described as an “invasion of France by non-whites”.

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