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Tintin is crying.
The popular Belgian cartoon character from Georges Remi’s “The Adventures of Tintin” has become a symbol of the world’s reaction to Tuesday’s deadly terror attacks in Brussels, as social media users share the image of him crying. The images often include the hashtag #JeSuisBruxelles or “I am Brussels,” harkening back to another hashtag that arose after the terrorist attack on the French newspaper Charlie Hebdo last year.
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the deadly attacks at an airport in Brussels and a subway station.
Tintin and his trusted dog Snowy have long been regarded as national treasures in their creator Remi’s native Belgium.
The meme is just the latest reaction people have had so far to these attacks. Facebook activated its Safety Check tool to help people remain in touch with their friends to let them know they’re safe. The Belgian government used Twitter to inform the public about closures in the affected areas. The Belgian Crisis center also urged people outside of the country looking to check up on others to try using social media first.
