Not only are they fighting fires but also rumors: in Oregon, the west coast state struggling with an unprecedented series of fires, law enforcement must also contend with a campaign of disinformation. accusing left-wing extremists of being at the origin of the disaster.
Sunday, September 13, while the provisional toll of the fires reported twenty-five dead in the region, including ten in Oregon, the state authorities once again called on the population not to spread information not verified circulating on social networks. The day before, Facebook had announced to withdraw conspiracy theories relating to the fires from the platform. They accuse the “antifa”, the coalition of anti-fascist demonstrators, very present alongside Black Lives Matter in Portland, of having lit several of the fires ravaging Oregon.
A new ground to prolong the confrontation
The rumors surfaced on September 8. Police quickly denied the accusations but they continued to circulate, as if right-wing and left-wing extremists had found new ground to prolong the clash that pitted them against the streets of Portland. At the end of August, on the sidelines of a pro-Trump demonstration, an activist from the Patriot Prayer group was shot dead by a far-left protester who had judged himself in self-defense (both were armed). A week later, the suspect was himself killed by Washington State Police.
Even the FBI intervened. On September 11, the federal police issued a statement to say that they had carried out the investigation and that the rumors had proved to be unfounded. “ Conspiracy theories and disinformation take precious resources from police and firefighters ” who are trying to contain the fires, regretted the office.
Several police stations declared themselves “ flooded Of calls on the subject. The Douglas County Sheriff, when confronted with information that ” six antifa Had been stopped by his troops, published an update with a STOP in capital letters: “Stop spreading rumors! “
Medford police were surprised to see a Facebook page bearing their logo and claiming, with a photo, that an arsonist had been arrested; this time the suspect was believed to be from the far right – the Proud Boys group. Police said the photo was from 2018 and the information was ” totally manufactured “.
You have 39.56% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
