Donald Trump Jr. appears to suggest ‘rooftop Koreans’ should shoot protestors

Korean Americans in Los Angeles are condemning Donald Trump Jr. for posting a contentious image that references their community’s experience during the 1992 riots amid ongoing immigration protests.

About the meme: Trump Jr. posted the controversial photo showing an armed man on a rooftop with the caption “Make Rooftop Koreans Great Again!” on social media Sunday night. It referenced Korean shop owners who defended their businesses with firearms during the 1992 LA riots after police forces withdrew from certain areas. Photojournalist Hyungwon Kang, who took the original photograph, said it was used without permission and demanded Trump Jr. to take it down, noting that it was being used “out of context.”

What they’re saying: The Korean American Federation of Los Angeles denounced the post as demonstrating “poor judgment” and warned that Trump Jr.’s actions “could pose serious risks during this tense period.” The group further urged that “the past trauma of the Korean people be never, ever exploited for any purpose.” Kang also told Reuters that the current situation with adequate police protection “is not even remotely similar to the dire situation for Korean Americans of those dark hours during the 1992 LA Riots.”