Read on Twitter
I suppose now that #AntifaTerrorists is trending, it may be a good time to remind you that the far-right has been spreading disinformation about antifa and manipulating antifa-related social media hashtags, search algorithms, etc, for years.
For example: Remember the fake antifa accounts? They still exist, but they’re not as active and most are on their 5th, 6th, or 11th iteration after being banned by Twitter and coming back. There were/are hundreds of them. https://twitter.com/rvawonk/status/857011182988873728?s=21
And then remember when Rebel Media (Canada’s Breitbart, but worse) started retweeting those fake antifa accounts? https://twitter.com/rvawonk/status/859283044443860992?s=21
And here’s the far-right trying to falsely link antifa to the Sutherland Springs shooter in November 2017. They were pushing the #AntifaTerrorists thing then, too. https://twitter.com/rvawonk/status/927353606860361728?s=21
Here’s the far-right trying to falsely link antifa to another shooting in May 2018. They were pushing the #AntifaTerrorists thing then, too. https://twitter.com/rvawonk/status/997539222478311425?s=21
I wrote a really long article in September 2017 about how Trump supporters & Russian-linked accounts hijacked the hashtag #antifa (and #berkeley). They flooded it with disinformation, and also tried to push the #AntifaTerrorists thing. https://medium.com/p/how-russian-alt-right-twitter-accounts-worked-together-to-skew-the-narrative-about-berkeley-f03a3d04ac5d
"Dump everything you got that is anti- #antifa into that tag."
This boils down what has been happening with the far-right and #antifa over the past several years.
https://arcdigital.media/how-russian-alt-right-twitter-accounts-worked-together-to-skew-the-narrative-about-berkeley-f03a3d04ac5d
https://arcdigital.media/how-russian-alt-right-twitter-accounts-worked-together-to-skew-the-narrative-about-berkeley-f03a3d04ac5d
Per Bot Sentinel's dashboard:
- #Antifa = 7th most popular hashtag tweeted by bots & trolls over past 24 hrs
-Antifa = 5th most popular topic tweeted by bots & trolls
-Terrorist Organization & Domestic Terrorist = 8th & 10th most popular two-word phrases tweeted by bots & trolls
- #Antifa = 7th most popular hashtag tweeted by bots & trolls over past 24 hrs
-Antifa = 5th most popular topic tweeted by bots & trolls
-Terrorist Organization & Domestic Terrorist = 8th & 10th most popular two-word phrases tweeted by bots & trolls
Continuing with the #antifa-related disinformation: Remember when Jack Posobiec and Mike Cernovich tried to falsely link antifa to the derailment of an Amtrak train in December 2017? https://www.newsweek.com/antifa-falsely-linked-amtrak-train-derailment-right-wing-conspiracy-peddlers-751893
And this article dives into how right-wing media used the fake #antifa accounts (referenced above) in "news" reports to manufacture a false narrative about antifa. https://gizmodo.com/the-right-is-falling-for-its-own-fake-antifa-accounts-1798287977?utm_medium=sharefromsite&utm_source=gizmodo_twitter&utm_campaign=bottom
I’ve seen a lot of claims flying around with no evidence — people claiming antifa threw acid on people, people claiming RICIN was mixed in with the milkshakes, etc. I’ve seen a lot of evidence that the people pushing those claims are serial BS-artists; no evidence for the claims.
Even the claim about cement being mixed in with the milkshakes yesterday — Portland PD says they “received information” that it may have happened. Received information from...? I’ve seen no evidence to back that claim up yet, but a lot of people are taking it at face value.
For more info on the cement/milkshake claim, see @shane_burley1’s coverage. He was in Portland yesterday, documenting the protests. https://twitter.com/shane_burley1/status/1145219717507899392?s=21
