Shut it down, folks.
That was the reaction organizers of the fundraising campaign set up to support Darren Wilson, the police officer who fatally shot unarmed teen Michael Brown, had toward open comments on the campaign's GoFundMe Page.
In the scant week since it was created, the campaign -- the funds of which will be used "to cover potential legal fees, relocation and living expenses of both Officer Darren Wilson and his immediate family," the site notes -- has drawn more than $235,000 in donations, along with a barrage of tremendously racist language.
Commenters referred to the teen as "a common street thug" and black Americans as "aggressive and entitled primitive savages." One donor, who identified himself as a Chicago police officer, offered $50 for Wilson to use toward "a lap dance to ease the mind of the negativity surrounding the incident and beyond."
"Support Officer Darren Wilson" organizers pulled the plug on comments roughly one day into the campaign, according to updates on the campaign page.
Some of the racist comments were bad enough that GoFundMe even tweeted about the issue:
Gawker reports that many of the inflammatory comments originated from noted troll-bait site 4chan.
On Friday afternoon, organizers stopped accepting donations for the current campaign so that subsequent donations could go to the authorized charity collecting donations on Wilson's behalf.
Despite the majority of Americans feeling Wilson's actions were unjustified, according to a recent NYT/CBS poll, the minority that supports Wilson has been vocal and active.
The Maryland FOP Lodge 70 donated more than $1,000 to the GoFundMe campaign, making it among the top supporters. The Miami Fraternal Order of Police union showed symbolic support on its website. Around the St. Louis area and across the country, residents are lighting porch lamps blue in solidarity with Wilson, Yahoo News reports.
That was the reaction organizers of the fundraising campaign set up to support Darren Wilson, the police officer who fatally shot unarmed teen Michael Brown, had toward open comments on the campaign's GoFundMe Page.
In the scant week since it was created, the campaign -- the funds of which will be used "to cover potential legal fees, relocation and living expenses of both Officer Darren Wilson and his immediate family," the site notes -- has drawn more than $235,000 in donations, along with a barrage of tremendously racist language.
Commenters referred to the teen as "a common street thug" and black Americans as "aggressive and entitled primitive savages." One donor, who identified himself as a Chicago police officer, offered $50 for Wilson to use toward "a lap dance to ease the mind of the negativity surrounding the incident and beyond."
"Support Officer Darren Wilson" organizers pulled the plug on comments roughly one day into the campaign, according to updates on the campaign page.
Over $100,000 has been raised for Darren Wilson. But man, why must liberals bring RACE into this?! It's about...oh. pic.twitter.com/UHagxSTuDL
— Bastard Keith (@BastardKeith) August 21, 2014Some of the racist comments were bad enough that GoFundMe even tweeted about the issue:
In regard to the 'Officer Darren Wilson' campaign, donors' comments posted in violation of GoFundMe's terms have been removed.
— GoFundMe (@gofundme) August 22, 2014
Gawker reports that many of the inflammatory comments originated from noted troll-bait site 4chan.
On Friday afternoon, organizers stopped accepting donations for the current campaign so that subsequent donations could go to the authorized charity collecting donations on Wilson's behalf.
Despite the majority of Americans feeling Wilson's actions were unjustified, according to a recent NYT/CBS poll, the minority that supports Wilson has been vocal and active.
The Maryland FOP Lodge 70 donated more than $1,000 to the GoFundMe campaign, making it among the top supporters. The Miami Fraternal Order of Police union showed symbolic support on its website. Around the St. Louis area and across the country, residents are lighting porch lamps blue in solidarity with Wilson, Yahoo News reports.