Thread by @tortoise

We spent some time this week in The Jacob Rees-Mogg Supporters’ Group. The group, which is not affiliated with @Jacob_Rees_Mogg or the Conservative party, is home to rampant Islamophobia and death threats.

The group has become a space to dish out death threats towards MPs. A major recent target has been @Anna_Soubry, these comments are just a selection of what we found targeted at her.

Jo Cox's murder by a far-right terrorist in 2016 is used by some members as a threat, while others label the assassination a "false flag" attack - implying that the murder was orchestrated to influence the referendum.

Another target, and friend of Jo Cox, @jessphillips has read some of the comments on the group. “It is hard to read people feasting over the idea of you being hurt, or even killed. It's harder still to read conspiracy theories and lies about the murder of someone you loved.”

We got in contact with @Jacob_Rees_Mogg, who condemned those issuing death threats, but told Tortoise that “the vast majority of posts and comments are perfectly fine and abide by the rules of the group”.

This is what we found...

In this thread, members respond to the death of 100 migrants off the coast of Libya.

Here someone asks whether we need another Great Fire of London, prompting members to discuss burning foreigners, hanging MPs and blowing up Parliament.

Angela Shreeves asks what we need to do about "traitors" in Government.

Members discuss the "invasion" of migrants. Alma Butcher brands those in the photo as "not human", Lynn Johnson calls them "savages", and Joy Campbell asks if it is "all part of the interbreeding plan to make Britain Muslim".

In a thread with over 1,000 comments members are fairly unanimous in wanting to see a ban on Muslim immigration in the UK.

Jess Phillips made clear that “if a group of this sort existed in my name, I would demand it be immediately shut down, take legal action to ensure it was and seek for all hate crimes within it to be prosecuted.”

This research formed part of a piece by @XAMGreenwood looking at the effect of intersection between the internet and politics in public and private forums. You can read the story in full here. torto.se/2Go1RLD