It’s now day two of the online protests against the upcoming Star Wars spin-off, Rogue One, and folks are sounding off in support and opposition of the film with the hashtag #DumpStarWars.
It all started when members of the alt-right—you know, the brand spanking new racist movement of white supremacists who feel emboldened following Donald Trump’s election win—became very upset at the scriptwriter of the film, Chris Weitz, and his film's supposed "anti-white agenda."
After the dust settled from the election, Weitz and several others behind the Star Wars universe condemned the rising Islamophobic, racist, misogynistic, and anti-Semitic incidents of harassment witnessed throughout the country by placing those damn safety pins on their profile in solidarity with minorities and the LGBT community. He also stoked the fears of the alt-right with the follow tweet that’s since been deleted.
"Please note that the Empire is a white supremacist (human) organization,” he tweeted back in November. "Opposed by a multi-cultural group led by brave women."
Much to the dismay of casual racists and Trump supporters online, the hashtag was co-opted both by Star Wars fans and people who couldn’t really take the boycott seriously to begin with.
For those who aren't afraid of seeing an inclusive, multicultural galaxy far, far away, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits theaters on December 16.
