The once loveable Pepe the Frog has been used by alt right groups to spread their message of hate, having been depicted as Hitler, a KKK member, and even Donald Trump.

Hate symbols are nothing new under the sun. They have been used for decades and they are an ever-evolving entity. Old symbols are often brought up to date, some go out of vogue and are replaced, and there are always new additions.

One such addition is Pepe the Frog, a cartoon character introduced in 2005, which was not originally intended to be used as a hate symbol. Rather, he was often shown saying "Be kind, man." That's no longer the case. He has been depicted as Adolf Hitler, a member of the KKK, and Donald Trump. Instead of telling people to be kind he has been depicted telling people to "Kill Jews, man."

Pepe has now been added to the definitive list of hate symbols by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL's executive director, says that antisemites have no shame. "They are abusing the image of a cartoon character, one that might at first seem appealing, to harass and spread hatred on social media."

Other symbols have been added, including the once innocent 'OK' symbol, which has been hijacked by

the alt-right in recent years as a symbol of white power. The swastika still reigns as the ultimate symbol of hatred,   but the National Socialist Movement has stopped using the offensive and obvious swastika in order to become more integrated and mainstream. Instead, they have adopted the Othala Rune which is a pre-Roman symbol co-opted by Nazi Germany.

Hate symbols are the right wing's brand identity. They are used on clothing, as hand gestures during hate rallies, and are displayed on the body as tattoos. Everyone should know what they are and what they symbolize.

The ADL maintains a downloadable and printable hate symbol database. To download a copy, use the button below.