‘Foreign-backed actors’ using social media to share anti-immigration narratives in UK

Other Russian language channels spoke about 'deliberately' stirring far-right channels to anger members.

Foreign-backed actors appear to be using bot accounts to share anti-immigration narratives during the UK riots.

Conversations between Russian trolls on Telegram appeared to speak about how they had infiltrated British far-right channels on the platform to organise anti-Muslim demonstrations across the UK.

Other Russian language channels spoke about ‘deliberately’ stirring far-right channels to anger members, according to Bloomberg.

A Russian Telegram channel called ‘Old England’ sent a screenshot from a far-right UK Telegram channel, appearing to show messages reading ‘from Russia with love’ and ‘we support you’.

It’s the latest as tensions soar around the country, with more than 100 far-right demonstrations planned for Wednesday evening.

Bloomberg’s report comes days after an investigation by Metro.co.uk into the organising tactics of the far-right reveals a sophisticated network of influencers working to seed anti-Muslim and Islamophobic narratives, spread misinformation and stage violent demonstrations in some of the UK’s most vulnerable communities.

Following the riot on July 30, more ads calling for anti-Islam demonstrations began to spread on local groups, which were collated and shared on the Southport Wake Up channel.

Now more than a week after the tragic murders in Southport, more than a hundred demonstrations are planned across the country, with police and residents preparing for the worst.

The Mayor of London has urged people to ‘check on their friends and neighbours’ in the wake of the UK riots, with more unrest expected in London tonight.

Sky employees based at the company’s Brentford campus were told to go home and ‘prioritise their safety’.

With 6,000 riot officers mobilised, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said yesterday rioters will be handed ‘substantive’ prison sentences ‘before the end of this week’.

In a statement issued online, Greater Manchester Police have asked communities to go about your ‘everyday life’.

They added: ‘We understand the uncertainty and worry that people are feeling about current tension, much of which is being fuelled by the widespread sharing of misinformation online which is sometimes being created with the purpose of creating fear and inciting intolerable hate.’

The head of the Association of Convenience Stores has told Sky News he urges retailers to be cautious tonight.

James Lehman said: ‘Of the 70% of convenience stores owned by independent retailers, just under half of them identify themselves as Asian or British Asian.

‘For those people in particular, the undercurrent of racism that they probably have to live with throughout their lives, this really brings that surface in terms of the level of threat.’

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