"Just hours after Charlie Kirk's death was confirmed, hundreds of advertisements for memorial merchandise appeared on Facebook and Instagram. In a viral post with more than 8,000 shares and hundreds of thousands of likes, the brand See Jesus In You promoted an Echo of Freedom shirt with an American flag and Kirk's signature, calling him a symbol of faith, liberty, and America."
"The brands urged prospective buyers to honor Kirk's legacy by purchasing their shirts, sometimes even promising to donate profits to his organizations or his family. Guangzhou Shiwei, founded in 2021, specializes in multi-channel cross-border e-commerce operations, according to Chinese corporate records. The company operates a network of three dozen social media accounts and numerous e-commerce sites and was among the first to place ads exploiting Kirk's death."
Hours after Charlie Kirk's death was confirmed, numerous memorial merchandise ads appeared on Facebook and Instagram. Brands promoted shirts featuring Kirk's image, signature, and American symbolism, framing him as a symbol of faith and liberty and urging patriots to honor his legacy. Several brands promised donations to his organizations or family. Many of the storefronts were operated by foreign companies, including Guangzhou Shiwei Network Technology in Panyu, Guangdong, and other Chinese trading firms. These companies used networks of social accounts and e-commerce sites to flood social platforms with partisan, culture-war-themed products aimed at conservative supporters.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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