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RTÉ News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Irish anti-migrant mobilisation enters 'more organised phase'
Anti-migrant mobilisation across the island of Ireland has entered a new, more organised phase, according to the organisation which monitors disinformation and extremism. A new report from Institute for Strategic Dialogue, has found what began as scattered, localised protests in late 2022, has evolved into an "increasingly structured and internationally connected movement". It says this mobilisation is "characterised by street protests, intimidation, targeted violence and coordinated amplification online". According to the ISD, the 2024 Coolock protests marked a "major escalation" in anti-migrant mobilisation. It also says that there is "emerging colloboration" between groups in the North that would not have traditionally operated together. "Traditionally, nationalist and loyalist constituencies have operated in ideological opposition with distinct identities ... Emerging collaboration between actors on either side of the border marks a significant shift in the political landscape suggesting that shared perceived grievances can override older sectarian fault lines," it states. It said this overlap between Republic-based nationalist activists and Northern Irish Loyalist networks "laid the groundwork" for further collaboration seen in the Ballymena protests last month. The Institue also says Ireland's anti-migrant mobilisation is also being increasingly amplified online by far-right networks across Britain, Europe and north America. It says with 10.8 million followers on X, Conor McGregor remains "the most significant domestic amplifier of this content", using his social media platform to "lend mainstream credibility to far-right rhetoric". It states that Russian-aligned propaganda outlets are also actively engaged in promoting polarising and anti-migrant content here.
The Journal
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Irish anti-immigrant groups finding 'common ground' with NI loyalists and UK neo-Nazi networks
IRISH ANTI-IMMIGRATION campaigners are working alongside those who identify as British nationalists and Ulster loyalists as part of their activism, according to a new report published this morning. The report by the Institute of Strategic Dialogue, an anti-extremism think tank, details how Irish anti-immigration figures have promoted former-UVF members on social media and held tricolours next to loyalists waving the Ulster banner during protests. 'Groups who've historically been on opposite sides—Irish nationalists and Northern Irish loyalists—are now finding common ground in anti-migrant narratives,' Zoe Manzi, an ISD hate and extremism analyst and author of the report, said. 'It's a major shift that shows old ideological lines are breaking down, replaced by shared grievances that are driving a growing and increasingly visible anti-migrant movement across the island.' The report compares this collaboration to how Islamist and far-right groups can both amplify antisemitic conspiracy theories, despite being ideologically opposed to each other. As an example, the report also notes that Tommy Robinson, a far-right British nationalist was welcomed to Dublin by Irish nationalist figures such as Derek Blighe, the former leader of the unsuccessful Ireland First political party. Robinson, who has an extensive criminal history , has expressed support for Soldier F, an officer who an inquiry into the Bloody Sunday massacre of 1972 found to have killed multiple Irish civilians in Derry. Soldier F faces trial in September. The ISD report claims that an 'emerging cross-border infrastructure for anti-migrant mobilisation' was evident in recent riots against immigrants, including in the Antrim town of Ballymena. Advertisement The recent protests were celebrated by some nationalist groups in the Republic, as well as violence that broke out during protests against a centre for asylum seekers in Coolock, Dublin, last year. Representatives for the anti-IPAS protest group, Coolock Says No, also took part in Belfast anti-migrant protests that broke out after the Southport stabbings last year (which were falsely said to have been carried out by an asylum seeker, including by Irish anti-migrant groups). Glen Kane, a loyalist activist who has been convicted of kicking a Catholic to death during a riot in 1992, also attended that protest. The report warns that loyalist figures at these events now attended by Irish anti-immigration activists often have established ties to UK neo-Nazi networks, as well as far-right groups further afield. The report also details how protests in Ireland have been used by international far-right groups to push fringe agendas. 'These include British neo-Nazi and far-right networks (some with direct ties to Loyalist groups in Northern Ireland); North American influencers who frame Irish unrest as part of a broader cultural war; and Russian-aligned propaganda outlets promoting polarising content,' the report reads. However, rather than just amplifying Irish fringe viewpoints, the report claims that these international figures are also increasingly pushing their own narratives. This often involves inciting dissent into Ireland's political discourse in a new phase that the report says is characterised by 'street protests, intimidation, targeted violence and coordinated amplification online.' Want to be your own fact-checker? Visit our brand-new FactCheck Knowledge Bank for guides and toolkits Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... It is vital that we surface facts from noise. Articles like this one brings you clarity, transparency and balance so you can make well-informed decisions. We set up FactCheck in 2016 to proactively expose false or misleading information, but to continue to deliver on this mission we need your support. Over 5,000 readers like you support us. If you can, please consider setting up a monthly payment or making a once-off donation to keep news free to everyone. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Examiner
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Irish nationalists and Northern Irish loyalists 'finding common ground' on immigration, research finds
Irish nationalists and Northern Irish loyalists are "finding common ground" in anti-migrant protests, according to new research. A new report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) finds protests that began as "localised expressions of opposition have grown into a more structured movement, with actors from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland participating in shared demonstrations and messaging". ISD's research points to a number of instances where Irish nationalist and Northern Irish loyalist groups appeared side by side at protest events. In August last year, representatives from Coolock Says No, an anti-immigration protest group, travelled to Belfast to participate in anti-migrant protests in the wake of a stabbing attack in Southport, England. The report says the "overlap" between Republic-based nationalist activists and Northern Irish loyalist networks "laid the groundwork for further collaboration" seen during protests in Ballymena and Limerick last month. This convergence reflects a broader trend in which traditionally opposed groups coalesce around common narratives. "This was observed in ISD's analysis of cross-ideological antisemitism following the October 7 attacks, where both Islamist and far-right actors amplified antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes," the report's authors say. The report says that some loyalist figures involved in these protests have "established ties to UK far-right and neo-Nazi networks", adding that Glen Kane, a former Loyalist paramilitary convicted of manslaughter for a sectarian killing in 1993 was present at an anti-migrant protest in Belfast 2024 alongside members of Coolock Says No, who had travelled from Dublin to participate. Protesters, the authors say, are increasingly crossing borders in both directions. In the same year, Kane was charged under public order legislation for possessing publications intended to incite racial hatred, including British National Party (BNP) materials and merchandise related to Britain First. "What stands out most is that groups who've historically been on opposite sides — Irish nationalists and Northern Irish loyalists—are now finding common ground in anti-migrant narratives,' said ISD hate and extremism analyst and author of the dispatch, Zoe Manzi. It's a major shift that shows old ideological lines are breaking down, replaced by shared grievances that are driving a growing and increasingly visible anti-migrant movement across the island. It adds that a "diverse range of international actors — including neo-Nazi and far-right networks — is embedding Ireland's domestic protests within wider global anti-migrant narratives". During the unrest seen in Ballymena last month following reports of an attempted sexual assault, some within the online anti-migrant ecosystem in the Republic of Ireland echoed core grievances promoted by loyalist actors, the report adds. It said this "demonstrates how anti-migrant sentiment on digital platforms resonates across ideological divides". It gives the example of Niall McConnell, a far-right activist and Independent election candidate from Donegal, who hosted Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) member Mark Sinclair on his Youtube channel at the height of the unrest. The pair discussed setting aside historical differences to work against the perceived threat caused by immigration.
India Today
02-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Surge in hate slurs against Indian-origin people in Canada, reveals report
Canada has taken a U-turn on its welcome all policy in the past year. Now, it has seen a sharp rise in hate crimes against South Asian communities. The use of hate-filled slurs directed mainly against Indian-origin people rose by 1,350% between 2019 and 2023, according to a UK-based think to The Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) – a UK-based think tank and non-profit organisation that focusses on countering extremism, hate, and disinformation – hate crimes against South Asian communities increased by a staggering 227% between 2019 and 2023. The hate crimes are reportedly both online and to the ISD, posts containing anti-South Asian slurs, primarily targeting immigrants of Indian origin, surged by more than 1,350% on X during the same period. The increase in anti-South Asian hate speech online has not just been seen in Canada but also in the US and the is not only putting the physical and emotional safety of these communities at risk but is also having an effect on their civic engagement and participation in public report claimed that the anti-South Asian rhetoric surged online ahead of the Canadian election, fuelled by domestic March 1 and April 20, 2025, in the lead-up to Canada's federal election, over 2,300 posts containing anti-South Asian rhetoric were shared across various platforms, which collectively generated over 1.2 million engagements, the report, which was released last Thursday, use of keywords, such as slurs, provides an indication of the scale of hate targeting South of the most common slurs is "pajeet", an invented name which sounds "Indian" and which emerged among far-right accounts in spaces such as 4chan. While "pajeet" and its variants remain popular among far-right users, they have also been adopted by a range of groups, according to the May 2023 and April 2025, there were over 26,600 posts which included "pajeet" and other anti-South Asian slurs in the Canadian context, compared to nearly 1,600 posts containing anti-Muslim slurs, the report stated.'DIRTY, DANGEROUS AND CLANNISH': SLURS, HATE FOR INDIANSIndians in Canada are also frequently subjected to stereotypes that portray them as "unclean", "unskilled", or "threatening"."Hateful posts contained wider stereotypes of Indians being dirty, dangerous and clannish; by contrast to earlier caricatures of Indians being overly educated, they are often portrayed as lacking formal skills or training," the report report also observed that Indians were commonly targeted with language invoking the Great Replacement, an implicitly anti-semitic conspiracy theory alleging that non-white migration to Western countries is part of a plan by elites to deliberately change country demographics, which has been influential in a number of terrorist significant contributor to anti-South Asian hate in Canada is the extremist network Diagolon, which emerged in late 2020 as a collective of far-right live streamers and their supporters, the report by de facto figurehead Jeremy MacKenzie, a former Canadian Armed Forces member, these streamers promote racism and anti-government conspiracy theories, often cloaked in heavy doses of humour and irony to shield themselves from rise of anti-South Asian hate across Canada, both online and offline, represents an urgent threat to these communities and to the country's social fabric, the report also said.- EndsMust Watch
Indianapolis Star
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana School for the Deaf layoffs tell students they're not important
The difference between a student thriving and a student slipping through the cracks often comes down to one adult. The one who notices their struggles and has the time to explain, to listen and to stay after class. At Indiana School for the Deaf, 26 of those adults were laid off after state budget cuts. With them go hundreds of quiet moments that help students feel seen, safe and supported. Educational equity isn't about giving every child the same tools. It's about making sure every child has what they need to thrive. ASL is a full and complex language with its own grammar and nuance, equal in richness to spoken English. Unlike mainstream schools, where deaf students often rely on interpreters to communicate, ISD offers direct, effortless interaction throughout the day. Whether in the classroom or during unstructured moments like lunch, recess, standing in line, or chatting after school, students are surrounded by others who sign. That matters because when students are fully included in both the academic and social life of school, they begin to see themselves as capable learners. That sense of belonging helps them stay connected to their education and carry that momentum into adulthood. Without that kind of access, students may withdraw socially. Gaps in learning grow wider. Emotional and academic setbacks follow them into adulthood. It might sound like the decision to cut ISD's budget was a response to a last-minute budget shortfall, but it wasn't. These cuts were proposed months ago, when the governor's draft budget called for nearly $1 million in reductions for ISD. Sadly, that has now ballooned into a $3 million cut. This wasn't a financial emergency. It was a conscious decision to pull resources away from deaf children. Briggs: IU is lucky to have Pamela Whitten weathering the MAGA storm When we cut staff at a school like ISD, we're not just trimming a budget. We're narrowing the path to equal opportunity. We're telling deaf children that their futures are expendable. We're sending the message that they simply aren't as important as hearing children. Deaf children are rarely part of the conversation when decisions like this are made. They're not voting. They're not holding press conferences. They're counting on hearing allies to speak up and say this isn't right.
