[Thread]1/ As a result of #georgefloyd's killing, there has been an uptick on Twitter in the vilification of the Somali Minnesotan community. This short analysis is based on around 23000 Twitter interactions (Tweets, RTs etc) from around 16000 unique accounts #BLACK_LIVES_MATTER 
2/ I searched for the terms "Minnesota" and "Somali" to see what discussion was taking place around these terms. First, who is being retweeted the most. That's @chizmaga , then @mukhtaryare @johncardillo @AbshirDSM . But what are they saying, see next tweet #BLACK_LIVES_MATTER
3/ @Chizmaga uses whataboutism and false equivalence to try and portray the Somali community as hypocritical. See his tweet below. Former #NYPD man @johncardillo does something similar, suggesting somehow Somalis are deviant and have double standards as they are 'rioting' now
4/Others, such as @lsarsour discuss the case of Justine Diamond as an example of policeman getting justice, while
@abshirdsm is focusing on the role of the Somali community in trying to protect property and people from police violence
@abshirdsm is focusing on the role of the Somali community in trying to protect property and people from police violence
5/ Time series graph below shows that @lsarsour intervention came early, and was shortly followed by a massive boost to @CHIZMAGA 's tweet seemingly criticising the Somali community's hypocrisy. We see a similar intervention by @johncardillo also on 28th May.
6/ An analysis of the accounts reveals the most cohesive community tweeting or RT'ing the terms "somali" and minneapolis are those that identify with right wing terms such as Trump, MAGA, KAG, WWG1WGA. Almost 31% of accounts (around 4471) had one of these terms in their bios
7/ So it seems clear that the #BLACK_LIVES_MATTER resurgence, and the #GeorgeFloydProtests have prompted a right-wing backlash that seek to demonise the Somali community in Minneapolis and the US more broadly. This obviously links to Trump's anti- @IlhanMN sentiment - fin
