An analysis of social media data by Sky News shows that the far-right anti-immigrant movement has had far greater reach and popularity across all social media platforms than the pro-immigrant anti-racist movement in the past week.
Anti-racist organisers, led in large part by the groups Stand Up To Racism and Hope Not Hate, have mobilised to counteract the right-wing demonstrations that began last week, in response to the attack in Southport that left three children dead on 29 July.
To compare the two sides’ online discourse, we looked at posts that mention at least one of three hashtags most commonly used by the far-right movement, versus posts that mention at least one of three hashtags most used by the anti-racist movement.
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Data from social media monitoring tool Talkwalker shows that posts using anti-immigrant hashtags – #enoughisenough, #farrightthugsunite, or #TwoTier – spiked over the weekend on 3 August, when far-right riots spread across the UK.
These posts outnumbered those that used hashtags that were pro-immigration in nature.
Two-tier policing is a phrase that has been used to suggest that police have been more heavy-handed with people on the right of the political spectrum.
In the days that followed, the number of posts using these hashtags diminished, but as more protests are expected, this could just as quickly tick back up.
Data also shows that posts that used anti-immigrant hashtags were engaged with approximately four million times between 29 July and 7 August.
Posts that mention #RefugeesWelcome, #AsylumSeekersWelcome or #noracismnofascism were engaged with just over 22,000 times, in comparison.
This suggests that a week after the Southport attack, far-right protesters are organising and convening on public platforms in far greater number than anti-racists.
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The contrast is playing out on the ground, as well.
Sky News analysis of Telegram channels and X shows that out of 39 locations where far-right protests were expected to take place, 21 counter-protests were planned.
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Police sources told Sky News that on Wednesday evening, they were aware of more than 100 events, with 30 counter protests planned, but Sky News has not independently confirmed this.
