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Pete Evans Slammed For Sharing Neo-Nazi Meme On Social Media

Pete Evans Slammed For Sharing Neo-Nazi Meme On Social Media

It featured a symbol that is closely associated with neo-Nazis, however the celebrity chef says there are many interpretations to it.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Australian celebrity chef Pete Evans has been sharing memes and images on his personal social media accounts for months.

Loads of them touch on the 5G network, the coronavirus pandemic, Trump's America and some other conspiracy theories.

However, a photo he shared over the weekend has caused an absolute sh**storm because it features a symbol associated with Nazism.

The image shows a caterpillar wearing a Make America Great Again hat talking to a butterfly and telling it 'you've changed'. The insect replies with: "We're supposed to."

Pete Evans/Instagram

Evans added a caption saying: "An oldie but a Goldie. There are many different interpretations of this image. Peace and love to all always."

The troubling part of the image is that the butterfly's wings have the Black Sun logo imprinted on it, which is a symbol used by the Nazis in Germany and has been used by neo-Nazis and neo-fascists around the world in recent times.

The symbol consists of twelve radial sig runes, which are similar to the symbols used by the SS. One of the highest ranking members of the Nazi party, Heinrich Himmler, wanted it to be embedded into the floor as a mosaic in his newly acquired castle that was to serve as a centre for the SS.

It's since been used by far-right groups and individuals, like the Christchurch mosque shooter, Australian neo-Nazi group Antipodean Resistance, and was displayed by several people who attended the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville last year.

Neo-Nazi in Germany seen wearing the Black Sun symbol.
PA

So, it's clear that the image probably shouldn't be used in a meme without much context.

Pete Evans also can't claim to not know what he was posting. When a user pointed out the Black Sun, he replied saying: "I was waiting for someone to see that."

He's since deleted that comment.

The former My Kitchen Rules co-host replied to another person who was outraged at the meme explaining the way he sees it and rejected the notion that he supported Nazism or white supremacy.

Pete Evans/Facebook

Evans clarified that he doesn't align himself to either premise and added that the Black Sun symbol also has pagan roots that don't necessarily mean Nazism.

Evans said you could view 'the caterpillar as colourful and at peace whereas the butterfly embodies darkness and perhaps shadow [...] Or you can look at it as something completely different'.

According to Gizmodo, the same meme was recently shared on a Nordic Neo-Nazi website as well as far-right online groups and on white supremacist social media accounts.

People have called on Coles and publisher Pan Macmillan to drop him for the meme as well as his recent comments about the coronavirus pandemic, where he questioned the 'narrative' surrounding it.

Featured Image Credit: Pete Evans/Instagram

Topics: News, Australia