A Hate-Fueled Massacre in New Zealand Mosques, Designed for Its Times – The New York Times

Standard white supremacist and far-right nationalist tropes, like fears of a “white genocide,” are sprinkled throughout the statement. There are also elements of a self-flattering reach for larger meaning: references to centuries-ago battles between Christians and Muslims are scrawled on his guns, and on the video he refers to his slaughter of unarmed people as “the firefight.”

But the potential clues in the statement appeared to be as much an exercise in misdirection, provocation and “trolling” as a statement of any ideology, making it hard to separate belief from inside jokes among extremists, deliberate baiting and pointless hate.

New safeguards developed by tech companies over the last 18 months were not enough to stop the video and statement from being widely posted, on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram. While Facebook and Twitter took down pages thought to be linked to the gunman, the posted content was spread rapidly through other accounts. Some people appeared to be using techniques to evade automated systems that find and delete content.

President Trump on Friday described the attack as “a horrible disgraceful thing, horrible act.” But when asked if he saw white nationalism as a rising threat around the world, he said: “I don’t really. I think it’s a small group of people that have very, very serious problems, I guess.”

Many Western leaders denounced the attack as an act of terrorism, and made a point of stating their support for Muslims.

“Through terror attacks that have taken place on U.K. soil we know only too well the pain that such horrifying attacks can cause,” Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain said. “As New Zealand has stood by us so we stand shoulder to shoulder with them, and with Muslims in New Zealand, here in the U.K. and around the world.”