Right-Wing Creators Seize on UK's Anti-Immigrant Protests
Police officers scuffle with protesters outside a hotel in Epping, England on July 20.
Photographer: Carl Court/Getty ImagesMisleading information spread online by right-wing “influencers" attending UK anti-immigrant protests this summer is adding to pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as he struggles to reduce illegal immigration.
Content creators have embedded themselves with protests against undocumented immigrants, often getting hundreds of thousands of views on platforms such as X, TikTok and YouTube for rallies attended by no more than a few dozen people. Presenting themselves as independent journalists, many are amplifying false claims and debunked conspiracy theories about immigrants being more likely to commit violent crimes or threatening to displace the native-born population.