Latest news with #AimeeConnor
News.com.au
24-04-2025
- News.com.au
‘I start shaking': 3-second clip that changed nurse's entire life
A three-second hand motion taken out of context has changed influencer Aimee Connor's entire life. When Ms Connor, 38, posted a video of herself, sharing a day in the life of being a nurse in NSW, she never expected to be accused of committing a crime. In the clip, which has now been removed from social media but has been seen by Ms Connor is seen doing a military-style salute with her left hand in the mirror before heading off to work. The 38-year-old, who edited the video herself, reviewed the footage before posting it and didn't foresee any problems. However, after she shared it, there were people that accused her of doing the Nazi salute. In January 2024 it became illegal in Australia to perform a Nazi salute in public, a gesture that is associated with Adolf Hitler and is performed by extending the right arm from the shoulder into the air. The law was implemented off the back of the rise of anti-Semitism in Australia. Ms Connor tearfully told that when she posted that clip she only saw a 'military salute' and never thought people would chop up the video and screengrab the moment her arm was highest in the air. From there, online, people were doctoring the clip and reversing the order of the salute, so it looked more and more like a Nazi salute. 'It was taken out of context. People were reversing it and playing it backwards, so it looked like the opposite of how I did it,' she said. Ms Connor said that, when she sees the altered images online, or just a screenshot of a brief moment where her arm is in the air, she understands why people could get the wrong impression. 'I see the images and I'm scared of it. The screenshot terrifies me. I'm having nightmares because that is not me, and that is not what I was doing,' she said. 'When I see it in my head I start shaking.' Ms Connor's work was contacted, and she was 'stood down' while the matter was being investigated. The police were also contacted to investigate. 'The nursing board were told because it is illegal, they reported it to the police, and the police asked me for the full video,' she said. Ms Connor claimed that the 'salute has been cleared' by the police and the nursing board and said the only reason she's not able to return to work is that she violated social media policies by filming herself and co-workers at work. NSW Police confirmed to that officers attached to Wollongong Police District commenced an investigation after reports of an offensive video posted to a social media site on Thursday 17 April 2024. Following inquiries, no further police action is expected. Margaret Martin, the chief executive of Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Heath Distract told they aware of a TikTok post made by a casual nurse. 'We are also aware the nurse has apologised and the post removed. The Local Health District is now investigating the matter in line with the NSW Health Code of Conduct and Social Media Policy. 'The nurse will not be rostered for any further shifts while the investigation is underway. 'ISLHD is committed to fostering an environment of respect and inclusivity. We are proud to provide safe, compassionate and high-quality care to all people across the diverse communities we serve.' Ms Connor also posted an apology on social media, saying she would never condone hatred of any kind and was horrified that the video had caused offence. 'I want to be absolutely clear that was never my intention, and I do not in any way support or condone hate or extremism of any kind,' she said. The nurse said that, after the backlash, she reflected on her use of a military salute and wanted to apologise if that gesture offended anyone. 'I have taken some time to reflect and understand the deep significance a salute holds, especially to those in the armed forces,' she said. Ms Connor said the reason she didn't apologise to the Jewish community is because she didn't do a Nazi salute, and she didn't want to make an apology over something she didn't do. 'I didn't want it to sound like I was admitting to guilt,' she said. 'It started at my forehead which is how a traditional soldiers salute starts. I was apologising for that but I wasn't doing a Nazi salute. 'It'd be so easy to take that out of context again, and then people would say, 'why are you apologising to them if you didn't do it?'' Ms Connor is conscious that it is a difficult situation in which to figure out the correct response. Her images have been manipulated online and she's lost complete control of the narrative, but she also doesn't want anyone to believe she did a Nazi salute. She has also now received death threats and has had to contact police. There is now an open investigation because she fears for her own personal safety. 'I can't eat, I can't sleep, and I'm constantly seeing that image in my head, and it scares me and terrifies me,' she said. 'I've built up a good reputation and I'm a good person.' The 38-year-old said she's anxious and fearful. She can handle the everyday online trolling that comes with sharing your life online. She's used to people calling her too skinny, questioning her cooking, or even judging her parenting, but this is just too much. 'It breaks my heart,' she said. Ms Connor doesn't think the people accusing her of a crime understand the 'magnitude' of their actions. 'It went from a hand gesture to a police investigation,' she said.
Daily Mail
23-04-2025
- Daily Mail
Australian nurse and popular mummy blogger sparks uproar over 'Nazi salute' video
A Sydney nurse and lifestyle influencer has come under fire after she appeared to mimic a Nazi salute as she prepared for a shift at the hospital. Aimee Connor, who is known on social media as shared the now-deleted clip which showed her performing a gesture resembling the outlawed gesture last week. The video, shared to her 1.2million followers, quickly drew criticism with viewers quickly describing the alleged act as 'gross and disgusting'. In response to the backlash, the influencer issued an apology video. 'The video was taken out of context,' she said, insisting the gesture was intended to be a 'soldier's salute' and not a Nazi reference. 'I want to be absolutely clear that was never my intention, and I do not in any way support or condone hate or extremism of any kind.' She added that she has since taken time to reflect on the gesture's implications. 'I have taken some time to reflect and understand the deep significance a salute holds, especially to those in the armed forces,' she said. 'As someone who has not served, I realised it was not my place to use that gesture, even in a light-hearted way, and for that I am deeply sorry.' She continued: 'To any members of the military community or anyone else who felt disrespected, I really want to offer my sincere and heartfelt apology.' The nurse also stated that the matter had been referred to police, and that the 'Australian Police Force' had investigated and cleared her of any wrongdoing. Last January, the Nazi salute and hate symbols were outlawed across Australia, punishable by up to 12 months in prison. The influencer said she and her family had been threatened over the video. 'I have received some extremely concerning messages and threats against my family,' she said. 'I will not be taking any of these threats against myself or my children lightly, and they have been passed onto police.' Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission and a leading force behind the national push to ban public displays of the Nazi salute and swastika, has condemned the video. 'For Holocaust survivors, that outstretched arm is not a symbol of fitness or fun - it is the gesture that marched six million Jews, and millions of others, to their death,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday. 'A gesture that once accompanied cries of 'Heil Hitler' is now edited into a 'day in the life' montage and seen by millions of followers. 'That is not just poor judgment - it is a symptom of dangerous ignorance. This is the outcome when history is not taught, when Holocaust education is sidelined, and when genocide is flattened into a trend.' Dr. Abramovich said the intent behind the video was irrelevant. 'Intent does not erase impact,' he said. 'Whether accidental or deliberate, performing a Nazi salute in any context is an act that reopens wounds and desecrates memory.'
