Cartoon character Pepe the Frog is officially listed a ‘hate symbol’ after featuring as Hitler and a KKK member in twisted memes
He joins the ranks of burning crosses and the Nazi swastika after being linked to white supremacy
PEPE the Frog has been branded a hate symbol, and added to Anti-Defamation League's Hate Symbol Database.
The cartoon character joins burning crosses, the Nazi swastika, and SS lighting bolts as images which are used to incite racial hatred and white supremacy.
The image of the cartoon character, which was created in 2005, has been used increasingly by the 'alt right' in recent years.
Right wing group of social media users have also claimed Donald Trump as its presidential candidate of choice.
And the billionaire retweeted an image of himself as the frog in October last year with the caption: "You Can't Stump The Trump."
ADL's chief executive Jonathan A Greenblatt explained: "These anti-Semites have no shame."
"They are abusing the image of a cartoon character, one that might at first seem appealing, to harass and spread hatred on social media."
Pepe has also been depicted as Adolf Hitler, and a member of the the Klu Klux Klan.
He has also been seen with speech bubbles saying: "Kill Jews man."
confirmed the image had joined the ranks of other hate symbols on its website saying: "Though Pepe memes have many defenders, not least the character’s creator, Matt Furie, who has called the alt right appropriation of the meme merely a ‘phase,’ the use of racist and bigoted versions of Pepe memes seems to be increasing, not decreasing."
The Hate Symbol Database, which is also known as Hate on Display, is a collection of some of the world’s most hateful icons and symbols.
It also includes the iron cross, Ku Klux Klan robes, the Blood Drop Cross, Stormfront’s logo, the Confederate flag, a noose, and the apartheid-era South African flag.
It is thought Pepe the Frog may have acquired its right wing reputation through the claiming it was a new symbol for white supremacy.
US breakfast show host George Stephanopoulos also claimed Donald Trump had shared a "well known symbol of the white supremacist movement" when his son posted a photo of the character on his and the White House runner reposted it.
It has also been used by Internet trolls, including Jared Taylor Swift, an anonymous white supremacist.
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He has said of his use of the character to the : “We basically mixed Pepe in with Nazi propaganda, etc.
"We built that association."
Meanwhile another troll, who called himself Paul Town, claimed to the site: “Turning Pepe into a white nationalist icon was one of our original goals, although we’ve had our hands in many other things.”
But creator of Pepe Furie said he had come up with the image to make people smile.
He told the : "Seeing a frog always takes my breath away and brings a genuine smile to my face."
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