The move comes after showed an OSP trooper making the 鈥淥K鈥� hand signal 鈥� touching the thumb and index finger to make a circle, with the remaining three fingers pointing outward 鈥� toward a counter-protester.
In recent years, to signal 鈥渨hite power.鈥� The Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil rights organization, added the 鈥淥kay鈥� symbol to its last fall, associating the symbol with white supremacy and the far right.
the video began circulating Saturday afternoon in Salem community organizing groups and on Twitter. It has since .
Following a review of , OSP refuted that the trooper made the signal that 鈥渟ome could interpret as racist or sympathizing with racist ideology.鈥� In the footage, a man wearing a 鈥淏lack Bikes Matter鈥� shirt seen chanting 鈥淎ll Lives Matter鈥� is knocked to the ground by a protester. The man then stands up and has an interaction with OSP troopers, saying that he鈥檚 fine.
Police said the trooper 鈥渨as simply checking on the man鈥檚 status,鈥� asking if the man was unharmed while displaying the hand signal commonly associated with "okay.鈥�
While the symbol's alternate meaning has its roots as an online hoax, white nationalists have increasingly begun using it to signal their presence, due to its being 鈥渁 gesture so widely used that virtually anyone has plausible deniability built into their use of it in the first place,鈥� according to the .
Police said that the best available evidence shows the man pushed down was the victim of a crime. The man who allegedly pushed him, Christopher Davis, 50, of Salem was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and harassment.
鈥淥SP condemns all racist behaviors and does not allow white supremacist behaviors by our officers and staff. ... The OSP Trooper identified in the video did not engage in any white supremacy behavior, implicitly or explicitly,鈥� the statement read.
鈥淲e appreciate that the public would be concerned and rightfully outraged if an OSP trooper were to flash an offensive gesture. We would share in that outrage and concern. In this instance, we would ask the public await the complete information before condemning a trooper with an irreparable and harmful label.鈥�
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