Two nights of violent protests in British cities this week, following a knife attack in Southport, revealed how the far right now governs Britain.
Analysis of the BBC’s activity on mainstream social media and in smaller public groups shows clear patterns of influence driving messages for people to come together to protest, but no single organizing force at work.
Not everyone attending this protest or posting about the Southport attack has fringe views, supports the riots or has links to far-right groups. The protests have also drawn attention from those concerned about violent crime or being misled by misinformation that the attacks are linked to illegal immigration.
So how did the protests – starting in Southport and spreading to London, Hartlepool, Manchester and Aldershot – begin?
Merseyside Police have publicly identified the English Defense League (EDL) as a key factor.
When someone describes himself as a supporter of the EDL, the organization does not exist in the official sense after its founding, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – who uses the alias Tommy Robinson – focuses on spreading the message on social media platforms, where he has a lower size.
But the core ideas – mainly opposition to illegal immigration, mixed with disrespectful and racist statements about Muslims – are very much alive, and loud and widespread among online sympathizers.
Thrown into this mix are the tropes of conspiracy theories that the “elite” somehow cover up the truth – including the abuse of British children.
The influence on X associated with Yaxley-Lennon, who posted under the name “Lord Simon”, was one of the first to call for nationwide protests. The account promoted the false claim that the Southport attacker, who was allegedly an asylum seeker, had recently arrived in the UK by boat. His videos have been viewed over a million times.
“We have to reach the streets. We have to make a big impact all over the country. Every city has to go up everywhere,” he said.
BBC Verify has analyzed hundreds of posts on social media and in smaller public Telegram groups to find out the motives of the main actors involved in organizing, supporting and attending the protests, as well as those involved in violent acts.
It is impossible to determine who started the protests, but there is a clear pattern – various influences in various circles are adding false claims about the identity of the attackers.
These claims then make their way across social media platforms, reaching a wide audience – including ordinary people with no connection to far-right individuals and groups.
“There is no single driving force,” said Joe Mulhall, head of research at the anti-racism research group Hope Not Hate.
“This reflects the nature of the contemporary right. There are many people involved in online activities but there is no membership structure or badges – no official leadership, but directed by social media influencers. It is more like a school of fish than a traditional organization.
One of the earliest signs that protests were taking place was a Southport-themed group, which was set up on Telegram about six hours after the attack.
Telegram – a messaging application that also has a channel for public posts – has historically been used by right-wing activists who, until recently, fought to avoid being banned on the Twitter / X platform.
This led to a flood of misinformation about the alleged attacker’s identity and posts from other far-right groups such as the National Front. Users also called for a protest on St Luke’s Street in Southport, where the local mosque is, on Tuesday evening.
Several online graphics promoting the protest were shared on Telegram channels. Even if the channel or chat related to it does not have many followers, the poster then goes to TikTok, X and Facebook, where it is shared.
“No face, no case, protect your identity,” read one. Another poster called it “mass deportation”.
On TikTok, the now-deleted account urged protesters to go to Southport, advising them to hide their identities from the police.
The account used material that echoed last year’s anti-immigrant protests in nearby Kirkby, local organizers advised.
How did the idea of ​​protest continue to spread across the country?
What has happened is that far-right activists beyond Merseyside have found an opportunity from the Southport tragedy to amplify their own message on major social media platforms.
Matthew Hankinson was released from prison last year after served six years as a member of the National Actionthe neo-Nazi group was banned as a terrorist organization in 2016.
He said on X that he was “recording live” from the Southport demonstration on video – and the timestamps corresponded to when the clashes took place. He described the scene as “police repression of peaceful protesters concerned about the killing of white children” – and one of the videos has been viewed more than 8,000 times.
Hankinson also used the account to justify extreme violence, post racist material, and quote the neo-Nazi who killed Labor MP Jo Cox.
“I went to Southport with the intention of attending the vigil to show solidarity with the people and offer my condolences in a personal capacity,” he told the BBC, adding that he had started filming when he saw clashes between police and protesters.
More important is Yaxley-Lennon. He left England the previous Sunday night A major court hearing could see him taken into custody.
He has rebuilt his profile since X’s account was reinstated last year – and now has 800,000 followers.
Posts about the tragedy in Southport, and the disorder associated with it, have been shared or liked by thousands.
He accused the police of spreading lies and said: “The government and the ‘authorities’ made this up.”
BBC Verify identified two prominent supporters in the Southport protest video footage: Rikki Doolan and Jesse Clarke, who last week appeared on stage at a demonstration for Yaxley-Lennon.
Mr Doolan, a self-proclaimed preacher, recorded a video of himself at the protest in Southport saying: “I’m British and proud, otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”
On Wednesday, Mr Clarke posted a video of protests in central London outside the prime minister’s residence, saying: “We are outside Downing Street now.”
Followers of smaller groups, including Patriotic Alternative, which organizes anti-immigrant demonstrations, have also promoted protests against the Southport attack. They may not have achieved it, but the slogan “Enough is enough” has been widely shared with almost 60,000 mentions on X alone since Monday July 29, according to social media analysis tool Brandwatch.
“The language comes from people on the far right, but the organization is more organic,” said Mr Mulhall of Hope Not Hate.
“There are local Facebook groups that are emerging. They are taking leads from influencers and providing information about the local. Weather is created on Twitter, but organizing happens elsewhere.
What happens next is hard to predict.
The BBC has identified at least 30 additional demonstrations planned by far-right activists across the UK, including a recent protest in Southport – but it is unclear how much traction they will have.
Several social media posts linked to the plan directly referenced the Southport attack and “Enough is Enough”. Others are more general in nature – focus on the fear of illegal migration or the need to protect children.
The BBC Verification reporting team: Paul Brown, Kayleen Devlin, Paul Myers, Emma Pengelly, Olga Robinson and Shayan Sardarizadeh. Additional reporting by Daniel De Simone.