Thread by @StephenMcDonell

There have been threats of violence and personal family-targeted abuse send to the private phones of those working in the foreign media as part of this clearly-orchestrated campaign of harassment, especially focusing on the BBC. This followed reporting on the #Henan floods.

You have to ask why organs of the Communist Party are doing this given that the reporting I’ve seen would appear to engender sympathy for the people of #Henan. What it would it would seem to show is that there’s something to hide or something to distract from there? #China

Should read: There have been threats of violence + personal family-targeted abuse sent to the private phones of those working in the foreign media as part of a clearly-orchestrated campaign of harassment, especially focusing on the BBC. This followed reporting on #Henan’s floods.

So again why are organs of the Communist Party doing this given that the reporting I’ve seen would appear to engender sympathy for the people of #Henan. What it would it would seem to show is that there’s something to hide or something to distract from? #China

And of course the predictable troll abuse attacks: Here is a new account with zero follows which made a total of two posts ever: one asking where I am and and another foul-mouthed suggestion that I leave #China.

We shouldn’t leave out the role of some “journalists” working at Communist Party controlled media: Here’s one who thinks it’s OK that foreign correspondents are being doxxed & threatened with violence because we “offended” the Chinese people, as if they’re the Borg.

Not quite sure how troll attacks calling me white pig this or dog that or referring to my mother are supposed to disprove that we are seeing a campaign of targeted harassment of foreign correspondents in #China.

Thread about this...

https://twitter.com/mare_porter/status/1419171665121062913

And the new troll attacks really kicking in on this thread now are having such a great impact in terms of relieving any concerns regarding organised, targeted, harassment. Imagine if government organs in other countries encouraged this against #China’s correspondents overseas?

Here is #Henan's branch of the Communist Youth League organising this entire outrage campaign. The Communist Youth League is fully-fledged organ of the ruling Communist Party in #China.

https://twitter.com/mare_porter/status/1419206781746696197?s=20

From a Communist Youth League instigated outrage campaign to Weibo death threats: “We have 400 people in our group now. We’re out looking for this man (correspondent). Whoever finds him first will smash him. We’ll be “heroes”, even get arrested. Everyone is going for first kill.”

Report on the matter:

https://twitter.com/guardian/status/1419586879561756677