An exposé by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) has laid bare how City of Sanctuary, a charity that promotes empathy and compassion towards asylum seekers and refugees, became the target of a far right misinformation campaign.
Charity workers and schools faced death threats, Islamaphobic and hateful abuse for an activity meant to spread love.
When freelance journalist Charlotte Gill took issue with one of the charity’s harmless Valentine’s Day activities, the charity found itself at the centre of a media storm.
As part of the Schools of Sanctuary programme, students wrote heart-shaped welcoming cards for refugees to be displayed at schools and another charity venue.
However, Gill posted an inflammatory video about it on X last August, incorrectly saying that the students were being encouraged to write Valentine’s cards to “migrants” and dog whistling about the refugees being “predators”.
Despite Gill having not checked her facts, the story spread like wildfire amongst right wing outlets, with the Daily Mail, the Telegraph and GB news uncritically spreading the claim.
City of Sanctuary faces violent threats and abuse
The misinformation campaign was followed by a flood of harassment and threats of violence towards the charity, TBIJ revealed.
City of Sanctuary, having already removed the names and details of staff from its website, were subjected to personal threats and abuse by right wing organisations and individuals. They were unjustly accused by outraged bigots of indoctrination, grooming and politically weaponising children.
City of Sanctuary received abusive emails and phone calls telling members that they hope their children are murdered and accusing them of being rapists. Charity workers faced death threats and there were threats to burn down all the schools that participated in the programme.
The charity still receives these menacing messages.
The loop of misinformation
Harassment and cruelty to charities of this kind, sadly, isn’t new. Individuals like photographer Misan Harriman, Zack Polanski of the Green Party, and journalist Sangita Myska are just some of the victims of smear campaigns the Canary has covered.
Jenni Regan, the CEO of IMIX, a charity supporting migrant sector organisations, wrote that there has been an increase in the abuse over recent years and social media is exacerbating it.
Right wing news sources are taking stories from social media platforms. Then, now with a given legitimacy, it quickly spreads throughout the media and online landscape, regardless of its truth.
TBIJ contacted the outlets for their comments.
A Daily Mail spokesperson told us the paper stood by its reporting and that it had not been criticised by the Charity Commission.
Regan added:
Once [a claim] has that stamp of legitimacy, it travels back into the online ecosystem with far greater force… What has changed is not just the speed and coordination of disinformation, but the fact that political figures who once kept their distance from this content are now actively amplifying it.
The abuse and targeting of City of Sanctuary demonstrates how even the most unassuming signs of kindness and compassion can be used as fuel for far right bigots to continue their campaign of hatred. That it isn’t about truth or even reality but the ability to shut down any voices that go against their unempathetic and dehumanising culture.
Featured image via Sheffield City of Sanctuary
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