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Twitter Users Confess to #CrimingWhileWhite After Eric Garner Grand Jury Decision

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Hours after a New York grand jury declined to indict the officer who killed Eric Garner in July, protests broke out both on the streets of several U.S. cities—and on the Internet.

But as many Twitter users posted with hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter, #DyingWhileBlack and #HandsUpDontShoot, some white users posted confessions to crimes they said they had gotten away with, using the hashtag #CrimingWhileWhite, with the intent of showing a racial double standard in policing.

Garner died after being grappled to the floor by several New York police officers during his arrest for selling loose cigarettes in Staten Island. His death was caught on videotape.

Jason Ross, a writer for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, has been credited for starting the hashtag and pushing people to share their stories:

According to Topsy, a social analytics company, the hashtag has been used in more than 225,000 tweets between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning. Here’s a sampling:

Witness Protesters Taking Over the Streets After the Eric Garner Grand Jury Decision

Police Chokehold Death
A group of protesters rally against a grand jury's decision not to indict the police officer involved in the death of Eric Garner occupy the eastbound traffic lanes of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City in the early morning hours of Dec. 4, 2014.Jason DeCrow—AP
People Protest No Indictment in Eric Garner Chokehold Case
Protestors block 15th Street near Pennsylvania Avenue to protest the Staten Island grand jury's decision not to indict officer Daniel Pantaleo in the Eric Garner chokehold case in Washington on Dec. 3, 2014.Jim Lo Scalzo—EPA
Grand Jury Declines To Indict NYPD Officer In Eric Garner Death
Demonstrators march through the streets of New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Andrew Burton—Getty Images
Protests Erupt Across Country After Grand Jury Does Not Indict NYPD Officer Over Chokehold Death
Regina Bates speaks during a demonstration in Oakland, Calif. on Dec. 3, 2014. Elijah Nouvelage—Getty Images
Police stand guard on the West Side highway as protesters block traffic after the jury verdict in the death of Eric Garner in New York
Police stand guard on the West Side highway as protesters block traffic in New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Shannon Stapleton—Reuters
Demonstrators Gather In Philadelphia To Protest Eric Garner Grand Jury Decision
Anwar Thurston, 36, joined demonstrators who gathered to protest the Eric Garner grand jury decision during a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at City Hall in Philadelphia on Dec. 3, 2014.Mark Makela—Getty Images
BESTPIX - Demonstrators Gather In Philadelphia To Protest Eric Garner Grand Jury Decision
A demonstrator cries while gathering to protest the Eric Garner grand jury decision during a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at City Hall in Philadelphia on Dec. 3, 2014.Mark Makela—Getty Images
Protests Erupt Across Country After Grand Jury Does Not Indict NYPD Officer Over Chokehold Death
Demonstrators block traffic on Highway I-395 in Washington on Dec. 3, 2014. T.J. Kirkpatrick—Getty Images
US-ERIC-GARNER-PROTEST
Protestors lay down in Grand Central Station during a protest in New York City on Dec. 3, 2014.Timothy A. Clary—AFP/Getty Images
People take part in a protest against the grand jury decision on the death of Eric Garner in midtown Manhattan in New York
People take part in a protest against the grand jury decision on the death of Eric Garner in midtown Manhattan in New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Eric Thayer—Reuters
NYC reacts to Eric Garner Grand Jury decision
Protesters raise their arms and chant at police officers in Times Square in New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Caitlin Ochs—Polaris
US-CRIME-POLICE-RACE-UNREST
Demonstrators march in protest on the streets of St. Louis on Dec. 3, 2014. Michael B. Thomas—AFP/Getty Images
Police Chokehold Death
Police officers block protesters from marching up a highway entrance ramp near Times Square in New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Seth Wenig—AP
A man holding a child walks past protesters demanding justice for the death of Eric Garner in Manhattan
A man holding a child walks with protesters as they march past Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Adrees Latif—Reuters
People Protest over no indictment in Eric Garner's chokehold case in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta Police face off with protesters blocking Spring Street in Atlanta on Dec. 3, 2014. Erik S. Lesser—EPA
A demonstrator stands next to makeshift memorial where Eric Garner died during arrest in July in Staten Island borough of New York
A demonstrator stands next to a makeshift memorial where Eric Garner died during an arrest in July in the Staten Island borough of New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Shannon Stapleton—Reuters

Read next: Behind the Video of Eric Garner’s Deadly Confrontation With New York Police

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