Victims in the Garissa University College Kenya attack
On Friday, November 13, Paris was targeted by three teams of Islamic militants with ties to ISIS/ISIL. There were allegedly eight men who carried out the attacks on local restaurants, a studio hall, concert, and stadium in the city. In the end, 129 people were confirmed dead and 350 were wounded in the attacks. The level of national and international coverage of the event contrasted greatly from the recent attacks in Beirut, Lebanon which left an estimated 43 people dead and the Kenyan attacks at Garissa University College in April which left 147 students dead.
Vigil for the victims of the Paris attacks
Facebook allowed users to show solidarity with a French flag profile effect and the mainstream media covered the terror attack all weekend. However, the aforementioned attacks in Kenya and Beirut went relatively uncovered. Social media users saw the differences in coverage and Twitter users, especially, made the national media aware of its hypocrisy.
Praying for France but can't pray or help own people here in Africa against Boko Haram and police brutality that killing Africa America
— African Revolt (@Africarevolt) November 14, 2015
Twitter users also showcased the cultural biases terrorist attacks with mostly white victims reveal.
https://twitter.com/BLK_DIASPORAS/status/665677891707924481
https://twitter.com/ShakeelKalick/status/665470697582514176
White extremists shoot up churches & schools="All white ppl aren't racist".
8 Muslims Commit Attack="All Muslims are guilty" #ParisAttacks— Tariq Nasheed 🇺🇸 (@tariqnasheed) November 14, 2015
No. Christianity was just as bad in your own lifetime or do you not count 1000s of black ppl killed in Jesus name? https://t.co/tn75tXo8Pg
— Pastor Ben (@BenjaminPDixon) November 14, 2015
https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/665326567845859328
Aren't you the disgraced former reporter who wrote false stories saying that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction? https://t.co/Y8v853GQSS
— deray (@deray) November 14, 2015
Dawkins erasing the last 100 years of white Christian terror in the US forces me to study White Supremacy in Atheism https://t.co/tn75tXo8Pg
— Pastor Ben (@BenjaminPDixon) November 14, 2015
This tweet shows how Republicans used the Paris attacks to condemn the recent protests at Mizzou, Yale and Ithaca College.
https://twitter.com/no_CEElings/status/665307150684565505
Proove #TerrorismHasNoReligion pic.twitter.com/fcvqQyrr5O
— san (@Deji__sama) November 14, 2015
https://twitter.com/YUNG_GEMMY/status/666172424132493316
If #AllLivesMatter white media, institutions, and leaders would be equal outrage and saddened with #Bagdad #Beirut #Paris
— Atlanta Black Star (@ATLBlackStar) November 14, 2015
Cowards will never hijack my religion
— TariqTouré طارق تورى (@TariqToure) November 14, 2015
Many presidential candidates and pundits decided to politicize the event by pushing for tougher immigration policies and gun rights.
.@AnnCoulter, Dylann Roof walked into bible study & killed nine black folks in cold blood. He wasn't "imported." https://t.co/wOV7b3oKTw
— deray (@deray) November 14, 2015
https://twitter.com/langstonwalker/status/665342968849567744
Watch who blames the victims
Watch who makes jokes
Watch who weaponizes tragedy
Watch who seeks profitKeep watching#ParisAttacks
— Absurdistwords (@absurdistwords) November 14, 2015
