Russia and Black Lives Matter

The relationship between Russian intelligence services and the Black Lives Matter movement is a concern that emerged among scholars in the late 2010s who have researched Russian interference in United States elections.[1][2][3] Russian operatives associated with the Internet Research Agency (IRA) have engaged in an online campaign to encourage supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement, while also promoting opposition and violence against the group.[4]

Overview
Further information: Internet Research Agency § Rallies and protests organized by IRA in the United States

In the late 2010s, researchers found that increases in Russian disinformation activity on Twitter was correlated with increases in polarising conversations regarding the Black Lives Matter movement.[5] One such activity included Russian accounts mimicking Black Lives Matter activists, or supported issues central to the Black Lives Matter cause.[6][7] Activities on Facebook include purchasing ads to promote Black Lives Matter.[8] Reporting by investigative journalists uncovered Russian links with Facebook pages promoting Black Lives Matter.[8][9] In one instance, Russian activities on social media led to real-life protests on behalf of Black Lives Matter.[10]

Prior to this development, in 2010, a report commissioned for the United States Senate Intelligence Committee, the Russian firm Internet Research Agency was identified as creating social media accounts as part of a complex campaign to suppress the black American vote. However, subsequently, investigative journalists found that the Russian firm sought to promote the issue of Black Lives Matter in order to instigate mistrust in US law enforcement and political institutions.[11]

Calls for violence

While Russian operatives have engaged in an online campaign to encourage supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement, their efforts also have included promoting opposition against the group, including, inciting violence against the group's supporters.[4] Russian operatives encouraged American citizens to commit violence against individuals participating in Black Lives Matter protests, claiming that the protesters were 'unpatriotic' and encouraged opponents to use lethal force against protesters.

2016 US elections

According to scholars, Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections included the promotion of themes relating to Black Lives Matter, as well as the promotion of antagonism toward the movement.[4]

Russian operatives created hundreds of fake personas linked to social media accounts and began posting content that related to two different aspects of the Black Lives Matter movement. On one hand, posts promoted the Black Lives Matter cause by emphasising police brutality in the United States toward minority groups, on the other hand, other posts supported police divisions, strongly criticised any opposition to the police, and denounced the Black Lives Matter movement. In one instance, social media accounts used by Russia's Internet Research Agency simultaneously promoted opposing protests in New York City, one in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and the other against it.[4][12] In one case, Russian operatives even hired individuals to organise protests.[4][13]

Researchers found that this interference campaign was performed with the following aims: to support Donald Trump's presidential campaign, to weaken Hillary Clinton's campaign, and to undermine public faith in the American democratic system and the electoral process.[4]

2020 US elections

According to scholars and American investigative journalists, Russian interference in the 2020 United States elections included the promotion of themes relating to Black Lives Matter.[14][15] Often the purpose of these actions included race-baiting.[16]

See also

References
  1. Jensen, M. (2018). Russian Trolls and Fake News: Information or Identity Logics?. Journal of International Affairs, 71(1.5), 115-124.
  2. Miller, D. T. (2019). Topics and emotions in Russian Twitter propaganda. First Monday.
  3. Linvill, D., & Warren, P. (2019). That uplifting tweet you just shared? A Russian troll sent it. Rolling Stone.
  4. Aceves, W. J. (2018). Virtual Hatred: How Russia Tried to Start a Race War in the United States. Mich. J. Race & L., 24, 177.
  5. Gallacher, J. D., & Heerdink, M. W. (2019). Measuring the effect of Russian Internet Research Agency information operations in online conversations. Defence Strategic Communications, 6.
  6. Walter, D., Ophir, Y., & Jamieson, K. H. (2020). Russian Twitter Accounts and the Partisan Polarization of Vaccine Discourse, 2015–2017. American Journal of Public Health, 110(5), 718-724.
  7. Linvill, D. L., Boatwright, B. C., Grant, W. J., & Warren, P. L. (2019). “THE RUSSIANS ARE HACKING MY BRAIN!” investigating Russia's internet research agency twitter tactics during the 2016 United States presidential campaign. Computers in Human Behavior, 99, 292-300.
  8. Isaac, M., & Shane, S. (2017). Facebook’s Russia-linked ads came in many disguises. New York Times.
  9. Institute, Zach Dorfman of the Aspen. "Why Russia will keep poking America's racial wounds into the 2020 election". Axios.
  10. Frenkel, Sheera (August 14, 2018). "How a Fake Group on Facebook Created Real Protests (Published 2018)" – via NYTimes.com.
  11. "Targeting Black Americans, Russia's IRA Exploited Racial Wounds" – via www.wired.com.
  12. Amber Jamieson, (2016). Anti-Beyonce Protest Countered by Black Lives Matter Demonstration, THE GUARDIAN (Feb. 16, 2016).
  13. Indictment at 20-23, United States v. Internet Research Agency, No. 18-cr00032-DLF (D.D.C. Feb. 16, 2018), 2018 WL 91477
  14. Švedkauskas, Žilvinas; Sirikupt, Chonlawit; Salzer, Michel. "Analysis | Russia's disinformation campaigns are targeting African Americans" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  15. Polyakova, A. (2020). The Kremlin's Plot against Democracy: How Russia Updated Its 2016 Playbook for 2020. Foreign Aff., 99, 140.
  16. Johnson, D. E. (2019). Russian Election Interference and Race-Baiting. Colum. J. Race & L., 9, 191.
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