The family-run Twitter account of a young girl who went viral for posing in photos mocking New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been pulled. The family claims to have received death threats for using their daughter to parody photos of a visit Ocasio-Cortez made to a migrant detention camp last year.
Earlier this week, the account had tweeted out several photos of "Mini AOC," an 8-year-old girl named Ava Martinez widely known for her impersonations of Ocasio-Cortez, standing outside a fenced-off park in an all-white outfit and red lipstick, looking visibly upset.
"Every time I plan a visit to the park it's closed," a caption accompanying the photos in the tweet, which has since been pulled off Twitter but was seen by Newsweek, read. "Can everyone see how sad this makes me?"
The photos were an obvious parody of images that recently came to light of Ocasio-Cortez standing outside a migrant detention facility wearing a similar outfit and appearing visibly distressed during a protest last year in June.
Ocasio-Cortez had attended the protest at the Tornillo "tent city" in Texas just days before she defeated 10-term incumbent Representative Joe Crowley in one of the biggest upsets in the lead-up to the November midterm elections.
After photos of the detention center visit were posted to Twitter by the writer and photographer who captured them, Ivan Pierre Aguirre, Ocasio-Cortez had shared them, writing that it was a moment she will never forget, "because it was the moment I saw with my own eyes that the America I love was becoming a nation that steals refugee children from their parents & caged them."
Critics, however, were quick to accuse Ocasio-Cortez of having staged a "photo op" outside the detention center, with many mocking her choice to appear at the protest in "all-white" and red lipstick. However, the protesters appeared to have coordinated to wear all-white outfits for the rally, with photos showing a number of other demonstrators clad in all-white outfits.
After the Mini AOC Twitter account joined in on mocking Ocasio-Cortez over the shoot, social media users were quick to condemn Ava's family for using an 8-year-old to send a political message.
However, according to FOX News, the condemnation quickly turned ugly, with the 8-year-old's family claiming to have received death threats and harassment.
"The Left's Harassment and death threats have gone too far for our family. We have been getting calls on our personal phone numbers," Ava's stepfather Salvatore Schachter tweeted. "For our safety and for our child's safety, we deleted all Mini AOC accounts."
Speaking to Fox News, Schachter said that while the "Mini AOC" account had received positive feedback, the condemnation the family faced in response to the photos mocking Ocasio-Cortez's detention camp visit "became too much."
While Schacter did not explicitly say what contents the messages contained, he said they were "increasingly personal, dark and dangerous."
He said that for the foreseeable future, the family had decided to close its Mini AOC social media accounts and stop parodying Ocasio-Cortez.
Schacter said that Ava was "disappointed at not doing Mini AOC going forward, but we explained that this is for the best and she's okay with it."
"The world has seen Ava's beauty, talent, and charm, which was the whole reason for Mini AOC to begin with and no amount of hate or anger will change that," he said.
https://www.newsweek.com/mini-aoc-twitter-pulled-mocking-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-1447506
Earlier this week, the account had tweeted out several photos of "Mini AOC," an 8-year-old girl named Ava Martinez widely known for her impersonations of Ocasio-Cortez, standing outside a fenced-off park in an all-white outfit and red lipstick, looking visibly upset.
"Every time I plan a visit to the park it's closed," a caption accompanying the photos in the tweet, which has since been pulled off Twitter but was seen by Newsweek, read. "Can everyone see how sad this makes me?"
The photos were an obvious parody of images that recently came to light of Ocasio-Cortez standing outside a migrant detention facility wearing a similar outfit and appearing visibly distressed during a protest last year in June.
Ocasio-Cortez had attended the protest at the Tornillo "tent city" in Texas just days before she defeated 10-term incumbent Representative Joe Crowley in one of the biggest upsets in the lead-up to the November midterm elections.
After photos of the detention center visit were posted to Twitter by the writer and photographer who captured them, Ivan Pierre Aguirre, Ocasio-Cortez had shared them, writing that it was a moment she will never forget, "because it was the moment I saw with my own eyes that the America I love was becoming a nation that steals refugee children from their parents & caged them."
Critics, however, were quick to accuse Ocasio-Cortez of having staged a "photo op" outside the detention center, with many mocking her choice to appear at the protest in "all-white" and red lipstick. However, the protesters appeared to have coordinated to wear all-white outfits for the rally, with photos showing a number of other demonstrators clad in all-white outfits.
After the Mini AOC Twitter account joined in on mocking Ocasio-Cortez over the shoot, social media users were quick to condemn Ava's family for using an 8-year-old to send a political message.
However, according to FOX News, the condemnation quickly turned ugly, with the 8-year-old's family claiming to have received death threats and harassment.
"The Left's Harassment and death threats have gone too far for our family. We have been getting calls on our personal phone numbers," Ava's stepfather Salvatore Schachter tweeted. "For our safety and for our child's safety, we deleted all Mini AOC accounts."
Speaking to Fox News, Schachter said that while the "Mini AOC" account had received positive feedback, the condemnation the family faced in response to the photos mocking Ocasio-Cortez's detention camp visit "became too much."
While Schacter did not explicitly say what contents the messages contained, he said they were "increasingly personal, dark and dangerous."
He said that for the foreseeable future, the family had decided to close its Mini AOC social media accounts and stop parodying Ocasio-Cortez.
Schacter said that Ava was "disappointed at not doing Mini AOC going forward, but we explained that this is for the best and she's okay with it."
"The world has seen Ava's beauty, talent, and charm, which was the whole reason for Mini AOC to begin with and no amount of hate or anger will change that," he said.
https://www.newsweek.com/mini-aoc-twitter-pulled-mocking-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-1447506
