Definitely huh ? A good read..
So how did the protests - starting in Southport and spreading to London, Hartlepool, Manchester and Aldershot - begin?
Merseyside Police have publicly identified the English Defence League (EDL) as a key factor.
While there are people who describe themselves as EDL supporters, the organisation ceased to exist in any formal sense after its founder, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon - who uses the alias Tommy Robinson - focused on spreading his message on social media platforms, where he has a sizeable following.
But its core ideas - in particular an opposition to illegal immigration, mixed with indiscriminate and racist claims about Muslims - are very much alive, and loudly and widely spread among sympathisers online.
Thrown into this mix are tropes from conspiracy theories that “elites” are somehow covering up the truth - including the abuse of British children.
An influencer on X associated with Yaxley-Lennon, who posts under the name of “Lord Simon”, was among the first to publicly call for nationwide protests. His account promoted false claims that the alleged Southport attacker had been an asylum seeker, recently arrived in the UK by boat. His video has been viewed over a million times.
“We have to hit the streets. We have to make a huge impact all around the country. Every city needs to go up everywhere,” he said.
It's almost like it's a political aim, now that the right wing tories have been moved on
