All the symbols depicted in the hate symbols database must be evaluated in the context in which they appear. Few symbols represent just one idea or are used exclusively by one group. For example, 100% is often used as an amount or an expression and it is also used by some white supremacists as shorthand for "100% white." Similarly, other symbols in this database may be significant to people who are not extreme or racist. The descriptions here point out significant multiple meanings but may not be able to relay every possible meaning of a particular symbol.
The Aryan Brotherhood is the oldest and most notorious racist prison gang in the United States, having started in California in the 1960s. It is present primarily in the California and federal prison systems. Many other prison gangs now also use "Aryan Brotherhood" as part of their name, such as theAryan Brotherhood of Texas, but they are independent and unrelated to the "original" Aryan Brotherhood.
Because of its longevity, Aryan Brotherhood members have come to use a variety of symbols and codes, but the most common symbol of the Aryan Brotherhood remains a shamrock, often in combination with aswastika. Aryan Brotherhood members also frequently use the initials AB or their alphanumeric equivalent of 1 and 2, or12 (including the use of Roman numerals). Another fairly common signifier is the use of the number 666 (the so-called "number of the beast").
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