WASHINGTON (TNND) — A growing number of pro-Palestine activists are taking to social media to express support for Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old accused of killing two Israeli embassy staffers at an event at the Capital Jewish Museum. The online support echoes a similar trend from last year when social media users rallied around Luigi Mangione, who was accused of killing the CEO of UnitedHealth.

One TikTok user described Rodriguez as "a really normal guy who was very passionate about what was happening in Palestine." She added, "I don’t know any group of people in the world that have achieved their freedom without violent resistance, unfortunately."

Another user expressed a nuanced view, stating, "I won’t say you know that I’m glad the guy did it, or anything like that, I don’t support violence, but let’s just be real here."

Some posts have gone further, labeling Rodriguez a "hero." One video was titled "Hero of the Month," while another caption read, "His actions were the language of a world that failed to listen to Gaza’s pain."

The trend has drawn comparisons to the support for Mangione, which included former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz, who faced backlash after saying the assassination "felt like justice." Lorenz commented, "I do believe in the sanctity of life, and I think that's why I felt along with so many other Americans joy, unfortunately."

Richard Vatz, Professor Emeritus at Towson University, commented on the situation, saying, "With the rise in antisemitism, especially on college campuses, I’m not surprised by the support he’s getting — I’m disappointed, but not surprised."

However, not all pro-Palestinians agree with the support for Rodriguez. A TikTok user named Muadana stated, "As a Palestinian, do not use the suffering of my people to justify murder."

The debate raises questions about whether this trend of supporting controversial figures based on shared beliefs rather than actions will persist.

"But this is part of what America has become," Vatz said. "Do they believe we ought to kill people who sell sugary foods or break traffic laws? It’s just stupid."