dChan - Q Origins Project Archive

This was not only an attack on the muslim community, but also on us here at 8chan…

8m ago

11:38

Alex Hern Alex Hern

Users of the far-right message board, where the main suspect in the shooting announced his attack, have a long history of courting extremism.

Founded in 2013, 8Chan was created as a splinter of the better-known 4Chan image board, after the latter began cracking down on posts supporting the antifeminist “Gamergate” movement.

In the years since, the site, described by its founder as a “free-speech-friendly” 4Chan alternative, has become notorious for not only hosting one of the most active white supremacist communities on the internet, but also for legal battles over users who post child pornography on the site, and links to illegal content elsewhere.

In 2018, 8Chan became the main home of the QAnon conspiracy group, which believes that the “deep state” is conspiring to prevent Donald Trump from achieving his goals as president.

The politics subforum of 8chan, known as /pol/, is the home of the site’s white supremacist community. It is there that the attacker posted news of his intention to go on a shooting spree, writing “it’s time to stop shitposting and time to make a real life effort post”.

The announcement was received with glee from users on the site, who wished the terrorist “best of luck” and said they “can’t wait to see the news reports”. Some did express concern that the news would result in 8Chan getting shut down, although one noted that a ban “would force us to start working IRL”.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2019/mar/15/christchurch-shooting-injuries-reported-as-police-respond-to-critical-incident-live