Chances are you’ve seen a rather poignant image making the rounds on social media: a black awareness ribbon with bunny ears set on a pink background. It’s a nod to the same black latex bunny ears that Ariana Grande wore on the cover of her latest album Dangerous Woman and performed with during her recent world tour.

In the days following the Manchester attack, this symbol of support seems to have resonated with mourners. As Teen Vogue, Bustle and Refinery29 have both noted, it is unclear who originally created the graphic, but it was quickly picked up by Arianators (Grande’s massive fan base), and has since been circulated all over the world.

Many feel that the image meaningfully conveys sympathy for those who were targeted in this attack: young girls and women, in particular.

But others are not as convinced and have voiced concern that using an image so closely tied to Grande risks obscuring the people whose lives were lost in the tragedy. Some have even gone on to call it “promotion” for the artist.

It’s always difficult to ascertain what gestures resonate with communities that suffer losses of this magnitude, without seeming tasteless or opportunistic. That said, if the symbol has helped to bring people together, with the intention of honouring lives lost, it’s hard to argue against it.

After Monday’s tragedy, Grande flew back to the United States to be with her family, and has suspended her world tour until her team “can further assess the situation” and “pay proper respects to those lost,” as reported by the Daily Mail. According to her website, the tour is currently set to resume in Paris, France on June 7, 2017, but time will tell.

It has also recently been reported that Grande is offering to cover the funeral costs of the victims of the Manchester attack. This information was first shared through a fan account on Twitter called Ariana Updates! and has yet to be confirmed by her team.

Filed under: Ariana Grande, flare, Manchester, pop culture