The founder of the internet message board called 8chan said he wants the website shutdown due to the El Paso, Texas shooting that occurred over the weekend.
Fredrick Brennan, also known as his internet nickname “hotwheels,” created 8chan in 2013 for the purpose of fostering a corner of the internet where everyone could anonymously express their own opinions. However, in recent years, Brennan has backed away from the site, leaving it to its current owner Jim Watkins, a U.S. veteran. (RELATED: Trump Says He Stands With America In Condemning El Paso Shooting. Here’s How Twitter Users Responded)
The shooter who allegedly murdered 20 people in a local El Paso Walmart on Saturday posted his manifesto to 8chan just prior and encouraged users to spread it online. The manifesto included anti-Hispanic content that stated, “this attack is a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas. They are the instigators, not me. I am simply defending my country from cultural and ethnic replacement brought on by an invasion.”
“Shut the site down,” Brennan said, according to The New York Times. “It’s not doing the world any good. It’s a complete negative to everybody except the users that are there. And you know what? It’s a negative to them, too. They just don’t realize it.”
Brennan also took to Twitter to denounce 8chan and its current owner for continuing to allow white supremacist content that inspires terrorism to be posted on the site.
All Jim and Ron had to do was pretend to care, not flaunt the fact they’re infamous because of white supremacists on their homepage, perhaps shut down /pol/ for X amount of days so victims’ families wouldn’t have to know people are reveling in their loved ones’ deaths. https://t.co/Fp8243tx8j
— Fredrick Brennan (@HW_BEAT_THAT) August 5, 2019
The front page still says “embrace infamy”. Is this funny to you Ron? https://t.co/NFI0DhYj2M
Are the constant shootings funny? Why can’t you and your dad at least act like you care so that @CloudFlare isn’t forced to deplatform you, at great pains to themselves? https://t.co/zbWozULSFn
— Fredrick Brennan (@HW_BEAT_THAT) August 5, 2019
In light of the events involving the message board and the El Paso shooting, CloudFlare, a top website security company, announced it would be revoking its services provided to 8chan.
“We just sent notice that we are terminating 8chan as a customer effective at midnight tonight Pacific Time,” the company said in a statement released Monday. “The rationale is simple: they have proven themselves to be lawless and that lawlessness has caused multiple tragic deaths.”
CloudFlare noted in their statement that “8chan has repeatedly proven itself to be a cesspool of hate.”
Brennan welcomed this news on Twitter.
“Thank you so much @CloudFlare” he wrote.
Thank you so much @CloudFlare. Finally this nightmare might have an end. I just want to go back to making my fonts in peace and not have to worry about getting phone calls from CNN/New York Times every time a mass shooting happens. They could have prevented this and chose not to.
— Fredrick Brennan (@HW_BEAT_THAT) August 5, 2019
“Finally this nightmare might have an end. I just want to go back to making my fonts in peace and not have to worry about getting phone calls from CNN/New York Times every time a mass shooting happens,” he continued. “They could have prevented this and chose not to.”