K-pop fans have thrown their weight behind protesters in the United States, using their social media accounts and collective clout to take over the #WhiteLivesMatter hashtag.

The #WhiteLivesMatter hashtag is a controversial and retaliatory hashtag, that has been used in response to the #BlackLivesMatter movement, with tweets attached with the tag typically opposing or criticising the protests, the BBC reported.

However, on Twitter, #WhiteLivesMatter is now more likely to serve up videos and images of South Korean pop music performers after fans flooded the hashtag when the term started trending.

Fans are now turning their focus on other hashtags commonly used with rebuttals to the #BlackLivesMatter movement such as #AllLivesMatter.

Here are some examples:

#WhiteLivesMatter #Whitelifematters #whitelivesmattermore #AllLivesMattter #BlueLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/xhYZNaNy1O

— hopeless_romantic⁷ (@BaNgTaN_IKaRmY) June 4, 2020

https://twitter.com/sequo1aa/status/1268542143729209344

https://twitter.com/momharamom/status/1268540770337914881

Previously spammed police app

Speaking to Rolling Stone, 17-year-old Twitter user Lovely Doya — a BTS and ONEUS fan from California — explained that idea of spamming the hashtag came from a similar action over the May 30 and 31 weekend, where K-pop fans overwhelmed Dallas Police Department’s “iWatch Dallas” app with similar images and videos.

The app allows users to anonymously submit tips to law enforcement in Dallas, but residents have complained that the Police Department was instead using it to "snitch" on protesters.

"We did it to protect the people at the protest because K-pop fans agree that they do not deserve to be arrested for gathering to fight for justice," said the 17-year-old, according to Rolling Stone.

"Since this plan was successful, we realised it would work with other things like burying hateful white-supremacist tweets in their own hashtags."

you are privileged, so you can't speak on this. you've never been oppressed a day in your life for the color of your skin AND blue is not a life. they can take off their uniform when they get home#WhiteLivesMatter #BlueLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/As5Mf1HbtE

— lally misses geonhak ☾ (@lovelydoya) June 3, 2020

Protest in the U.S.

The protests in the U.S. were sparked by the killing of African-American George Floyd on May 25.

A video of Floyd being arrested in Minneapolis showed a white police officer kneeling on the 46-year-old's neck, even as Floyd persistently stated that he could not breathe.

Since then, protests against racism and the police killings of black Americans have erupted across the nation, with demonstrators often referencing #BlackLivesMatter as a rallying call.

While the vast majority of protests have been peaceful, some have turned violent and police have controversially used riot-control tactics, such as tear gas, beanbag rounds, and rubber bullets reported The Washington Post.

Top image screenshots form @Karlasofia04 and @TheLightinOurL1 Twitter Accounts