CrimingWhileWhite: Twitter Exposes Race Bias

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By Sky News US Team

In the wake of the killings of black people by white police officers, protesters have taken not just to the streets of America but also to Twitter - and there is a new hashtag trending.

#CrimingWhileWhite is trending among tweeters who describe incidents where they say they were not charged for an offence, because they are white.

There is no telling whether the examples of white privilege are real or made up, and at least some appeared to be jokes as the hashtag started gaining traction.

Some users complained that the posts sounded like bragging about white privilege, while others praised what they saw as a genuine attempt to expose inequality.

"Was pulled over for speeding. Cop started yelling at me and I yelled back. I drove away with just a ticket, and my life," wrote user @LemusCheryl.

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Some held signs recalling the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri

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Another one, @holycowboy, recounted: "Kicked/resisted campus police, acted like the patrol car was a limo & told them to drive me to a party. Got a warning."

"Got pulled over for a brake light out. Underage and drinking and blew over the limit. Cop let me walk to my friend's apt," said @skalakattack

"Stopped for speeding, cop asked me what he should do. I said he should write me a ticket. He let me off with a warning," ‏@rpcunnin wrote.

The hashtag has been trending alongside #CantBreathe - the chant that rang out in the streets of New York after a grand jury cleared a police officer who used a chokehold on a man during an arrest, killing him.

The death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man who was selling illegal cigarettes and resisted arrest, was seen by protesters as a case of racial profiling and police brutality.

Last week, a grand jury decision not to indict the police officer who shot to death Michael Brown in Missouri sparked days of unrest.

#BlackLivesMatter and #HandsUpDontShoot have also been used by people protesting against alleged police brutality at the expense of black men.

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