All the symbols depicted in the hate symbols database must be evaluated in the context in which they appear. Few symbols represent just one idea or are used exclusively by one group. For example, 100% is often used as an amount or an expression and it is also used by some white supremacists as shorthand for "100% white." Similarly, other symbols in this database may be significant to people who are not extreme or racist. The descriptions here point out significant multiple meanings but may not be able to relay every possible meaning of a particular symbol.

Hate on Display / Inverted Red Triangle

The image of an inverted or “upside-down” red triangle (with the flat base of the triangle at the top and the third vertex on the bottom) has become a problematic symbol in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel.

The symbol first appeared in propaganda videos created by the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, and began to spread in the early weeks of the war in Gaza that followed the terrorist attacks. These videos typically were “combat” videos that depicted Hamas fighters striking some Israeli targets, with the targets marked in the videos with red triangles.

As such videos spread, the symbol came to represent Hamas itself and to glorify its terror attacks on Israel and its actions in the Israel-Hamas war that followed. Many people also have used the symbol in antisemitic contexts, including implied or explicit calls for targeted violence against Jewish targets or those they perceive to be Zionists, as well as the destruction of the Jewish state.

Since 2023, use of the symbol has been common at protests and rallies, as well as across social media. It has also been used in vandalism incidents. The inverted red triangle frequently accompanies open support for terror groups like Hamas or calls for “intifada” — a term that means “shaking off” or “uprising” in Arabic and is generally understood as advocating violence against Israelis or Jews generally. The symbol has been used to target Jewish organizations, as well as Jewish public figures. Some who have adopted the symbol also used hand signs to recreate its triangular shape.

Context is important when assessing the use of the inverted red triangle. A red triangle is a prominent part of the Palestinian flag. Some who display the symbol may not be aware of its origins. The red triangle can also appear in contexts entirely unrelated to Jews or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The red triangle emoji has many uses, for example, it is sometimes used in financial contexts to signal a market decline or price drop. Additionally, because the red triangle was used during the Nazi era as a symbol on clothing to identify “political” prisoners, such as Communists, in Nazi concentration camps, there is also a historical tradition involving activists on the left using the symbol, especially groups dedicated to opposing fascism.