“Undercover on the Frontline” — British Vigilantes Masquerade as Journalists in a Chilling New Campaign to Hunt Down Migrants
Men who have filmed themselves slashing migrant boats are posing as accredited journalists to encourage asylum seekers to speak to them on camera
Daniel Thomas, right, and Ryan Bridge, have been offering migrants money to speak to them, with Bridge also pretending he is a journalist (Photo: Raise the Colours)
Sanya Burgess
Investigations Correspondent
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British vigilantes have been posing as journalists in a new tactic designed to confront Channel migrants in France.
Migrants have been shown fake press cards and offered money by members of the group, as part of their efforts to film content for their anti-migrant social media pages.
These vigilantes’ actions have escalated from raising St George’s flags on English streets to travelling to France where they have been harassing migrants and slashing small boats used in Channel crossings.
The i Paper previously revealed how the vigilantes discussed a secret plot to misdirect police and send groups of British men to join their efforts in France but were rumbled when they were overheard in the pub.
Fake journalists offering real money
A new tactic used by the men is to pose as accredited journalists. It appears they are doing this to encourage migrants they encounter in France to speak to them on camera.
In a video posted last month, the men are confronted by French police as they film a destroyed migrant boat on the beach. The officer asks whether the group have a press card. The footage suggests the men do not.
The following week, they uploaded a video of their return to France but this time one of the men is brandishing what appears to be a homemade press card printed out on white paper. Real press cards are plastic with identifying details about the journalist and a hologram printed onto a blue background.
Ryan Bridge, who is one of the leaders of the flag-raising Raise the Colours movement, is filmed holding what appears to be a DIY card out to a number of migrants.
Ryan Bridge holds what appears to be a homemade press card (Photo: Raise the Colours)
In one such video, Bridge also asks a migrant if he would be interviewed, falsely telling the man he is “from the press association”, which is similar to the name of one of the UK’s leading news agencies.
It’s unclear if Bridge is actually claiming to be from this organisation, as later in the same clip he amends his introduction to say he is from “a press association called Raise the Colours”.
Blitz spirit vigilantes out of puff
Self-styled as a citizen’s army, the group of men dub their exploits as mock military campaigns, such as “Operation Overlord” – the codename for the Allies’ invasion of occupied Europe during the Second World War, beginning on D-Day, 6 June, 1944.
Bridge, along with Daniel Thomas, an associate of far-right leader Tommy Robinson, are positioned as the two main leaders. The pair shared a photo of themselves dressed in pseudo security forces outfits and boast of purchasing new equipment for themselves using donations, including stab-proof vests.
They are now attempting to sign up large numbers of English men to take direct action against migrants in France.
Their recruitment tactics involve pumping out a high volume of videos filmed in France of their confrontations with those in the Calais camps, with one recent video capturing a vigilante asking a potential migrant: “Do you want to speak to us for money? Do you want some money? Do you want some euro?”
Ryan Bridge, left, with Daniel Thomas. Their use of Christianity to justify their actions has been criticised by the Church of England (Photo: Danny Thomas)
They film their “operations” in France, with a recent social media clip showing the vigilantes shouting abuse at migrants in a camp. It concludes with Bridge panting and out of breath having run a short distance to a waiting getaway car after a water bottle is thrown at them on camera.
The group claims more than 5,500 men signed up within 24 hours of their recruitment site going live. This is despite there not being a large amount of traction online around their chosen hashtag “#OperationOverlord”.
This hashtag reached a daily peak of around 4,800 mentions on 28 November, the day the mission was launched. This dropped to only 100 posts featuring the hashtag on 1 December, according to figures collected by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue using social media monitoring tool Brandwatch.
Bishops warn vigilantes to stop co-opting Christianity
The men also attempt to pull on support by positioning their activities as the actions of English Christians protecting the Christian faith.
Two leading bishops have spoken out in response to the group’s use of religion to justify their behaviour. They warn that “any attempt to co-opt Christianity to particular political agendas or ideologies should be viewed with deep suspicion”.
In a bid to boost sign-ups, the vigilantes have continually highlighted their Christian faith and called on other Christians to join them. Thomas refers to himself as a “warrior of faith”.
The vigilantes share images featuring Christian symbols of the cross and crucifix as well as pictures suggesting they are religious soldiers.
“Christianity is at the forefront of everything we do,” said Thomas at the start of one recent video.
This use of Christianity is alarming the Church of England, with two leading bishops speaking out against this misappropriation of their faith.
“Any co-opting or corrupting of the Christian faith to exclude others is unacceptable, and I am gravely concerned about the use of Christian symbols and rhetoric to apparently justify racism, violence and anti-migrant behaviours,” said the Bishop of Southwark, the Right Rev Christopher Chessun.
He added: “I understand that there are many who may be swept up in movements like this who don’t necessarily buy-in wholesale to what is being said.
“I would encourage them to think again, to consider what kind of world they want to be a part of – and to choose compassion and understanding over hostility and violence.”
The Right Rev Arun Arora, left, and Christopher Chessun, right. The two Bishops reflected concerns shared by the Church of England regarding the use of Christianity to justify anti-migrant vigilantism (Photo: Diocese of Leeds/Getty)
The Christian leader highlighted that the men’s behaviour is coinciding with preparations to celebrate Christmas, which is a time to reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ, who was a Middle Eastern child “who, with his parents, became a refugee, fleeing those who would do them harm”.
The Bishop of Kirkstall, who is also the Church of England’s co-lead Bishop on Racial Justice, added: “Christ’s call to love your neighbour is a hallmark and authenticator for all of those who would seek to follow his teachings or act in His name.
“It is a non-negotiable teaching which is glaringly absent in the actions of these men,” the Right Rev Arun Arora said.
He continued: “Any attempt to co-opt Christianity to particular political agendas or ideologies should be viewed with deep suspicion. The far right has often sought to wrap itself in flags or symbols which belong to us all.”
