White cop is investigated for wearing badges of far right militia organization the Three Percenters and controversial Gadsden flag at California protest

• 
  Footage taken at a protest shows the unidentified white cop bearing the symbols of the right wing organization and the controversial rattlesnake emblem
• Clip is said to have been taken at George Floyd protest in  Costa Mesa Tuesday
• Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes called the patches ‘deeply concerning’
• The Three Percenters have been described as anti-government extremist group
• The Gadsden flag has been used by neo-Nazi groups at rallies across the US 

By LAUREN FRUEN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

A white police officer is under investigation for wearing the badges of far right militia organization the Three Percenters and a Gadsden flag at protest in California. 

Footage taken at a protest shows the unidentified white cop bearing the symbols of the right wing orgnization and the controversial rattlesnake emblem. 

The clip is understood to have been taken at a demonstration over the death of George Floyd in Costa Mesa last Tuesday and was shared by the Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization.  

Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes told The Daily Pilot: ‘This deputy’s decision to wear these patches, and the implication of his association with an extremist group is unacceptable and deeply concerning to me.’

Sheriff Barnes added: ‘These symbols are not department-approved and are prohibited by policy and contradict the values of the Sheriff’s Department.’ 

The deputy’s vest does not show his identification.

A white police officer is under investigation for wearing the badges of far right militia organization the Three Percenters and a Gadsden flag at California protest

What is the Gadsden flag?

The Gadsden flag was designed during the American Revolution in 1775 by an American statesman, Christopher Gadsen.

Its rattlesnake emblem went on to become a symbol of the America’s ideals.

In 2009, the Tea Party officially adopted the flag as a mascot for its movement’s rallies, however the party’s employment of Gadsden became the beginning of its affiliation with the right, soon moving further and further right to even being used by neo-Nazi groups at rallies in Texas and Charleston.

Sheriff’s spokeswoman Carrie Braun said: ‘That will be part of the investigation — whether he had that and chose not to wear it and what went into that decision. 

‘We’re doing everything possible to deepen relationships we’ve already made with the community, in particular with the black community in Orange County.

‘This serves nothing other than to drive a wedge between that, which is the opposite of what we need to be doing at this time.’ 

The Three Percenters who take their name from a claim that three percent of American Colonists fought in the Revolutionary war, were founded in 2008 in response to Barrack Obama’s election as president. 

A badge on the officer’s uniform also shows the American flag with the word ‘Oathkeeper’. 

The oathkeepers have been described by the Anti-Defamation League as ‘an anti-government right-wing fringe organization’.

The ADL says: ‘The Oath Keepers try to appeal to military and law enforcement personnel by reminding them that they swore an oath to defend the Constitution “from all enemies, foreign and domestic”.’ 

According to their website, the Three per centers stands for ‘freedom, liberty, and the constitution’ and vows to be ‘the last defense to protect the citizens of the United States.’ ……..more here

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