MINISTER of State at the Department of Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration and County Limerick TD Niall Collins has taken aim at the organised spreading of misinformation online, which he described as becoming “very dangerous”.
The County Limerick Fianna Fáil TD’s comments were in response to this week’s findings in new research showing how social media, racial profiling, and coordinated vigilante activity led to a physical assault on a man from Afghanistan in the city last month.
Minister Collins took the view that targeted campaigns aimed at spreading hate, false information, and fake allegations are particularly concerning.
“I always encourage people to use trusted news sources and when viewing material online always ask yourself the question ‘is this a reliable account?’” the Limerick TD told this newspaper.
“In relation to the recent incident in Limerick, I would encourage anyone with relevant information to contact An Garda Síochána, who are investigating.”
The latest report from Hope and Courage Collective and migrant and refugee support organisation Doras revealed how self-proclaimed “community watch” groups, including members of a network naming itself Sinne Na Daoine, shared a video of the 64-year-old Afghan migrant in which he was “harassed in a local park”, circulating his image and framing the verbal confrontation as a ‘citizen’s arrest’.
The report claims the incident, filmed in the People’s Park on Sunday June 30, was used to stir panic and recruit support.
The 64-year-old Afghan man filmed in the June 30 verbal confrontation in the People’s Park was one day later physically assaulted in Limerick City on July 1, after false claims were posted online and circulated in far-right networks. One shared video reached over 249,000 views.
During the filmed verbal confrontation, persons in the video can be heard telling the man that someone “should hack your head off” and making derogatory comments about his culture.
In the July 1 attack, the man was surrounded and assaulted in public, sustaining a broken nose and later relocated for his own safety.
Gardaí carried out enquiries and said they were satisfied that allegations made about the man are unfounded and that his behaviour was “not of a criminal nature and nothing was untoward”.
To date, there have been no arrests or charges brought in connection with the physical assault and the perpetrators remain unknown.
The Afghan man was later re-identified and harassed again in a different city, the report stated.
‘The rise of coordinated vigilantism’
“This was not a one-off incident. It is the result of a disinformation network that uses fear and racism to justify violence,” said Edel McGinley, director of Hope and Courage Collective.
“What we’re seeing is the rise of coordinated vigilantism in Ireland, hiding behind the language of community safety. Social media platforms are enabling it. The State is turning away. And racialised people are paying the price.”
Doras CEO John Lannon told the Limerick Post that the Afghan man assaulted in the city came to Ireland seeking safety, but instead found himself at the centre of an online disinformation campaign that turned violent.
“He was treated with suspicion, fear, and hostility simply because of how he looked. We cannot allow this to become normalised,” Mr Lannon warned.
The Doras CEO also raised serious concerns about the actions of a small but growing number of people that are “spreading hate”.
“In attempting to put the blame for the lack of housing or healthcare on some of the people living and working in our communities, these haters are simply creating division and fear,” he said.
“We know from our work supporting migrants in Limerick over many years that the majority of people are welcoming and tolerant. But the actions of the far right, and in particular the recent racially-motivated attacks, are making people more fearful as they walk on the streets.”
Mr Lannon believes too that social media companies and the government have a lot to answer for in the rising wave of far-right sentiment nationally.
“Misinformation and misrepresentations are used to trigger emotional responses and even justify violent actions against people based on their skin colour. Their algorithms are pushing hate into people’s feeds and we are seeing the results on our streets,” the Doras CEO told the Limerick Post.
“The government also needs to reflect on what it is saying and doing. Narratives focusing on ‘getting tough’ and ‘cracking down’ on immigration is a distraction from the real issues that people are facing on the ground, while appeasing and emboldening the far right.”
The key findings of the new report on far-right disinformation networks suggested that far-right actors used “familiar narratives about child safety” to mobilise a reaction in relation to the Limerick incidents.
The Hope and Courage Collective, which works with communities, workplaces and institutions across Ireland to strengthen democracy and build collective resilience in the face of rising far-right hate and disinformation, has now called for the urgent tackling of the “toxic” recommender system that push hate and disinformation into people’s social media feeds.
“People should be able to have control of what they see, not companies driven by profit,” the collective’s director said.
“Commissioner Michael McGrath has an opportunity to protect community cohesion, minorities, and all of our rights and freedoms across Europe, as well as in Ireland, by including turning off the harmful recommender system, as part of the Europe’s new Democracy Shield.”
This publication reached out to European Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath for a response, but did not hear back at the time of going to press.
Limerick Against Fascism
Limerick Against Fascism (LAF), a collective launched during the Covid pandemic, spoke to the Limerick Post, on condition of anonymity due to fears of reprisal.
During the pandemic, the group told the newspaper, members witnessed attempts by far-right agitators to use people’s frustrations at social and economic restrictions to peddle harmful conspiracies and divisive policies.
Since then, the group has cultivated its social media presence to counter the influence of the far right.
LAF also explained how members have witnessed a concerted effort to develop an organised fascist movement in Ireland, which accelerated after the pandemic with, they claim, financial and material assistance from US white supremacists.
There was no direct claim that this has been done at a local level.
“By fascists, we don’t mean all those who might participate in individual protests. It is important to distinguish between those who are disgruntled at the state of their lives and punch down but could still be convinced to punch up at those really responsible,” the group stated.
“Those in leadership positions in the far right movement consciously single out and victimise the most vulnerable sections of society as part of a deliberate and ideological defence of a deeply unequal and hierarchical social system. It is why these figures are consistently anti-feminist, homophobic, and pro-landlord.”
After the pandemic, LAF began mounting counter-protests against homophobic and far right groups.
“The current iteration of the Irish far right started with an attempt to demonise the LGBTQ community and involved the targeting of libraries, which we were able to repel in Limerick through collective community action. More recently we have seen fascist activists gain traction by targeting all immigrants in the midst of a global refugee crisis,” the group said.
“The far right are still a small fraction in Limerick, but they exist in a very intense echo chamber which deludes them into thinking that they are acting on behalf of the majority.
“That is categorically not the case, but it’s very dangerous because if they believe the lies — that immigrants are a threat and that they are our saviours – what could they be convinced to do?”
Limerick Anti-Racist Network
The group praised the “decision by progressive activists” in Limerick to unite under the Limerick Anti-Racist Network, in an attempt to quell what they see as a rise in racism and right-wing extremism.
“This is a broader united front of hundreds of activists who can much more effectively counter far-right talking points at source in our neighbourhoods, but also mobilise at short notice in defence of vulnerable sections of our community. In many ways, Limerick has been a model for other cities and towns in Ireland to follow in combating the far-right before they can take root.”
The Socialist Party in Limerick disclosed to this newspaper how far-right agitators have also been able to tap into the conception that migrant men are a unique threat to women and children.
“Gender-based violence is an indictment of the society we live in that pushes exploitation, oppression, and abuse; and it is shockingly endemic,” a party spokesperson said.
“Those cynically exploiting this crisis to scapegoat migrants and stir up division are distracting from the need for a movement to counter the crisis of misogyny and actively undermine efforts to combat it.”
The party spokesperson went on to say that an increasingly radicalised minority at a national level are prepared to engage in direct action against accommodation for refugees and immigrants themselves in order to instil terror among the migrant community.
“If they succeed, it won’t be long before this emboldened few will move on to other targets. We are already seeing a horrific increase in attacks on members of the LGBTQ community. This is the lesson from history of how fascist movements were able to achieve a foothold and then spread their toxic hate,” they said.
The Socialist Party spokesperson added that, despite this, “we mustn’t lose sight of the root causes of why these ideas are taking hold: it’s despair; it’s a dire lack of affordable and social housing — in spite of empty buildings all around us; it’s the gutting of public services and accessible health care — in spite of extreme wealth in this country. It’s caused people to lose hope and to turn on each other.”
“Ireland is not ‘full’. That is a pro-government position. If every immigrant left in the morning, along with economic collapse, the crises in housing and our health service would persist,” the party added.
“The solution to those crises is removing the profit motive from essential services and using the vast wealth and resources that do exist to fund massive investment in public home building and health infrastructure and recruitment.”
As regards dampening perceived far-right influence, the Socialist Party spokesperson suggested it is unlikely the government will make great inroads on societal shortcomings, such as housing and inequality, “which create the conditions for racist division to take root”.
“We need to build a movement of solidarity that can overcome the despair and unite people in a common struggle to change our conditions of life regardless of where we come from or who we love.”
The Limerick Post attempted to contact Sinne na Daoine, but there was no response at the time of going to print.
Limerick says no to migrant attacks
This newspaper also reached out to elected members of Limerick City and County Council for their views on the perceived rise of the far right in Ireland.
“I am appalled at the rise of vigilante attacks against immigrants seeking protection and also against nationalised immigrants in the last few years,” said Independent councillor Ursula Gavan.
“The most recent attack in Limerick stems from false accusations online. We in Limerick and nationally cannot allow these groups to spread fear and create divisions within our communities nor normalise their behaviour and disinformation campaigns.
“The people spreading hate and lies have nothing positive to contribute to our society. They have no solutions, no proposals, no actual policies – all they peddle is hate.”
City West Independent councillor Cllr Maria Donoghue said she was deeply disturbed and outraged by the incident.
“Such acts of racially motivated vigilantism are utterly unacceptable and have no place in any civilised, democratic society,” she said.
“That this took place in Limerick — our city, a place that I have always known to be welcoming, inclusive, and open-minded — makes the incident all the more distressing. We must be unequivocal in our condemnation of this behaviour, and we must ensure that those responsible are held accountable.”
Cllr Donoghue said that “it is increasingly clear that targeted misinformation on social media is fuelling the rise of this dangerous behaviour across the country. The deliberate spread of falsehoods, designed to incite fear and hatred, is contributing directly to acts of violence and division. I cannot understand how such fabrications are allowed to circulate unchecked.”
Sinn Fein TD for Limerick, Maurice Quinlivan, added that “what happened to the Afghan man in Limerick was appalling. It shows how dangerous it is when false information is spread online. There can be absolutely no tolerance for racially motivated attacks in our society”.
“Those responsible for this attack must be brought to justice. Anyone who has any information on this attack should bring it to the Gardaí as soon as possible. The Gardaí also have a job to do in addressing the spread of misinformation that causes huge concern and unfortunately often puts people’s safety and lives at risk.”
A second ‘Limerick Says Welcome’ event, to show solidarity with migrants and refugees in the city and county, will be held on Sunday August 31 at Baker Place in Limerick City from 1pm to 3pm. The aim of this family-friendly event, organisers said, is to show everyone who calls Limerick their home that they are welcome here.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
