#CrimingWhileWhite: White people confess crimes on Twitter to highlight police racial bias

Social media campaign comes after months of racial tension in the US

White people have taken to Twitter to expose US police prejudice, confessing they got away with crimes that African Americans would probably not.

Posting using the hashtag #WhitePeopleCriming, some people are confessing to serious crimes such as grand theft auto, others smaller driving violations, and some recounting times when black friends were disproportionately scrutinised or punished.

This social media campaign comes following three high-profile incidents of police violence against black men — Eric Garner who was killed by a chokehold by New York City police officer in July,Michael Brown who was shot 6 times by an officer in Ferguson, Missouri in August, and 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was shot and killed in Cleveland late last month.

Garner was caught illegally selling cigarettes, 18-year-old Brown had robbed $50 cigarellos from a shop, and Rice had been playing with a pellet gun — all crimes (or, in Rice's case, not a crime) that white people would not likely be killed over, the Twittersphere is arguing.

This campaign stands in contrast to the findings from a Pew Research poll in which twice as many black Americans than white Americans think the Michael Brown shooting says something about larger racial issues in American.

70 per cent of black respondents said police do not treat people of different races the same, whereas the majority of white respondents say police are "good" about race.

Here are some of the best #WhitePeopleCriming:

Drunk driving speed demon

I was pulled over doing 88 in a 45 after having 3 beers. I was breathalyzed and did not pass, but I got no ticket or dui #CrimingWhileWhite
— Anthony Carmen (@nthonyCarmen) December 3, 2014

Boyfriend swears at cops

White BF told cop who stopped him for speeding to "f**k off." Let go with a warning and a "good night." #crimingwhilewhite
— Anne B (@abroshar) December 3, 2014

Tween carjacker

At 13 I stole a car with my friends & drove it 2wks before we got busted. Only one charged was black. #CrimingWhileWhite
— Cecily Kellogg (@Cecilyk) December 4, 2014

'Illegal alien' gets the blame

In high school I got in a 3 car wreck that might have been my fault. The cop told me it was the "illegal alien's" fault. #CrimingWhileWhite
— Elizabeth (@oceana_roll) December 3, 2014

Stop and search profiling

My 13yo son and his friends were loitering at Walgreens recently. Only his black friend got searched for shoplifting. ~ #CrimingWhileWhite ~
— Dave Hoover (@davehoover) December 4, 2014

How the police will respond to #CrimingWhileWhite

Police are really upset about the #CrimingWhileWhite phenomenon, but they've decided to let everyone off with a warning.
— Frank Conniff (@FrankConniff) December 4, 2014

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