K-pop fans are a force to be reckoned with – which is why all across the world they’ve come together to help drown out online opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement.
How have they achieved such a feat?
By flooding the #WhiteLivesMatter hashtag with videos and images of their favourite musicians to take attention away from racist or offensive posts.
Hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter and #BlackoutTuesday have been trending as protests spread, demanding justice for George Floyd.
The 46-year-old African-American died in Minneapolis on 25 May.
In the US, people are continuing to demand an end to systemic racism and to unnecessary police brutality,
after footage capturing a white police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck as he pleaded, “I can’t breathe,” went viral.
All four police officers involved have now been charged with murder.
K-pop stans – slang for obsessive fans – combative actions meant that earlier this week the hashtag,
as well as #WhiteOutWednesday and #BlueLivesMatter were trending on Twitter in the US.
Now, when you search the hashtags you’ll be met with endless posts featuring bands like Blackpink, BTS, Twice, EXO, rapper Ryujin and more.
The K-pop band, BTS, even took a rare political stance by voicing their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
“We stand against racial discrimination.
We condemn violence.
You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.
#BlackLivesMatter,” the band told their 26 million followers on Twitter. It proves, once again, that there really is power in numbers (and hashtags).