We're still doing this in 2026?
That's right, the Fare network β FIFA's favorite racism-spotting squad β is demanding that Australian referee Shaun Evans be removed from the World Cup because he formed a little circle with his thumb and forefinger before the Germany game.
From Al Jazeera via the Associated Press:
When the official broadcast of Germany's opening game against Curacao on Sunday cut pre-game to show the team of video review analysts, Shaun Evans from Australia made an 'OK' symbol with his right hand in front of his right leg. Though the game was played in Houston, video officials work in Dallas at the World Cup broadcast centre.
Here's what happened when the cameras cut to Dallas:
You remember the woke era's hand symbols of death:
In 2019, the gesture - with thumb and forefinger touched in a circle and other fingers outstretched - was designated a hate symbol by the New York-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
Remember how dumb 2019-2022 was because of far-left hacks like the ADL? We were suing kids' movie characters for making the "OK" sign.
And in Nebraska, they changed Herbie Husker because he made the "OK" sign:
SO FREAKING DUMB!
Back to Al Jazeera:
'Advice from our experts is that the gesture used clearly resembles an upside down βOK' hand symbol used as a βwhite power' symbol in global far-right circles,' the Fare network, a long-time partner of FIFA and European football body UEFA to monitor racist and discriminatory chants, flags, and symbols at international games, said in a statement.
'Clearly this official should have no further role to play in this World Cup,' Fare said in a statement, describing the gesture as 'neo-Nazi.'
This could just be Evans making a random hand symbol while not even knowing he's doing it. It's also possible that he's playing that game where if you look at the circle below someone's waist, you get punched. Very fun game.
In fact, every time one of these "racist" incidents has been investigated and claims of "white supremacist dog-whistling" make the news, it turns out that it's just people joshing around.
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