Russia and Black Lives Matter

The relationship between Russian intelligence services and the Black Lives Matter movement is a concern that emerged among scholars[who?] 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 both encourage support of and opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement.[4][5]

## Background

[edit]

Further information: Egalitarianism, Internet Research Agency § Rallies and protests organized by IRA in the United States, and Foreign exploitation of American race relations

Soviet media has criticized racial inequality and violence in the United States since at least 1930s, often using this argument to deflect criticism aimed at the human rights abuses in the USSR, or to create a sense of false moral equivalency between the two states. Lynchings of African Americans were brought up as an embarrassing skeleton in the closet for the U.S., which the Soviets used as a form of rhetorical ammunition when reproached for their own economic and social failings. This became known as the "And you are lynching Negroes" argument, later described as whataboutism, and continued during the Cold War and beyond.[6][7][8][9]

In the late 2010s, researchers found that increases in Russian disinformation activity on Twitter were correlated with increases in polarising conversations regarding the Black Lives Matter movement.[10] One such activity included Russian accounts mimicking Black Lives Matter activists, or supported issues central to the Black Lives Matter cause.[11][12] Activities on Facebook include purchasing ads to promote Black Lives Matter.[13] Reporting by investigative journalists uncovered Russian links with Facebook pages promoting Black Lives Matter.[13][14] In one instance, Russian activities on social media led to real-life protests on behalf of Black Lives Matter.[15]

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.[16] 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]

### 2016 US elections

[edit]

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][5][17]

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][18] In one case, Russian operatives even hired individuals to organise protests.[4][19]

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

[edit]

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.[20][21] Often, the purpose of these actions included race-baiting.[22] In 2020, the Internet Research Agency had outsourced[23] to troll farms in Ghana and Nigeria, which created content for audiences on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, the majority of whom were in the United States.[24]

## See also

[edit]

* Active measures
* And you are lynching Negroes, a Soviet whataboutist retort
* Soviet influence on the peace movement
* Communist propaganda

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Jensen, Michael (September 24, 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, Darren; Warren, Patrick. "That uplifting tweet you just shared? A Russian troll sent it". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
4. ^ a b c d e f 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. ^ a b Boyd, Ryan L.; Spangher, Alexander; Fourney, Adam; Nushi, Besmira; Ranade, Gireeja; Pennebaker, James; Horvitz, Eric. "Characterizing the Internet Research Agency's Social Media Operations During the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election using Linguistic Analyses". doi:10.31234/osf.io/ajh2q. S2CID 198187651. `{{cite journal}}`: Cite journal requires `|journal=` (help)
6. ^ Lucas, Edward (2009). The New Cold War: How the Kremlin Menaces Both Russia and the West. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 307. ISBN 978-0-7475-9578-6. "Castigated for the plight of Soviet Jews, they would complain with treacly sincerity about discrimination against American Blacks. (footnote: the accusation 'and you are lynching negroes' became a catchphrase epitomizing Soviet propaganda based on this principle.)"
7. ^ Ioffe, Julia (March 2, 2014), "Kremlin TV Loves Anti-War Protests—Unless Russia Is the One Waging War - Studies in 'whataboutism'", The New Republic, archived from the original on September 22, 2015, retrieved December 17, 2016
8. ^ Quinn, Allison (November 27, 2014), "Soviet Propaganda Back in Play With Ferguson Coverage", The Moscow Times, archived from the original on January 30, 2016, retrieved December 17, 2016
9. ^ Ciment, James; Hill, Kenneth (1999), "Czechoslovakia: Soviet Invasion, 1968", Encyclopedia of Conflicts since World War II, Routledge, pp. 533–535, ISBN 978-1-57958-181-7
10. ^ Gallacher, J. D., & Heerdink, M. W. (2019). Measuring the effect of Russian Internet Research Agency information operations in online conversations. Defence Strategic Communications, 6.
11. ^ Walter, Dror; Ophir, Yotam; Jamieson, Kathleen Hall (2020). "Russian Twitter Accounts and the Partisan Polarization of Vaccine Discourse, 2015–2017". American Journal of Public Health. 110 (5): 718–724. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2019.305564. PMC 7144436. PMID 32191516.
12. ^ Linvill, Darren L.; Boatwright, Brandon C.; Grant, Will J.; Warren, Patrick 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. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2019.05.027. S2CID 191765436.
13. ^ a b Isaac, Mike; Shane, Scott (October 2, 2017). "Facebook's Russia-linked ads came in many disguises". The New York Times.
14. ^ Institute, Zach Dorfman of the Aspen (June 10, 2020). "Why Russia will keep poking America's racial wounds into the 2020 election". Axios.
15. ^ Frenkel, Sheera (August 14, 2018). "How a Fake Group on Facebook Created Real Protests (Published 2018)". The New York Times.
16. ^ "Targeting Black Americans, Russia's IRA Exploited Racial Wounds". Wired - via www.wired.com.
17. ^ Amber Jamieson, (2016). Anti-Beyonce Protest Countered by Black Lives Matter Demonstration, THE GUARDIAN (Feb. 16, 2016).
18. ^ Jamieson, Amber (February 16, 2016). "Anti-Beyonce Protest Countered by Black Lives Matter Demonstration". The Guardian. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
19. ^ Indictment at 20-23, United States v. Internet Research Agency, No. 18-cr00032-DLF (D.D.C. Feb. 16, 2018), 2018 WL 91477
20. ^ Švedkauskas, Žilvinas; Sirikupt, Chonlawit; Salzer, Michel. "Analysis | Russia's disinformation campaigns are targeting African Americans" - via www.washingtonpost.com.
21. ^ Polyakova, A. (2020). The Kremlin's Plot against Democracy: How Russia Updated Its 2016 Playbook for 2020. Foreign Aff., 99, 140.
22. ^ Johnson, D. E. (2019). "Russian Election Interference and Race-Baiting". Columbia Journal of Race and Law. 9: 191. SSRN 3426826.
23. ^ Kao, Craig Silverman, Jeff (March 11, 2022). "Infamous Russian Troll Farm Appears to Be Source of Anti-Ukraine Propaganda". ProPublica. Retrieved September 7, 2022.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
24. ^ EXCLUSIVE: By Clarissa Ward, Katie Polglase, Sebastian Shukla, Gianluca Mezzofiore and Tim Lister (March 12, 2020). "How Russian meddling is back before 2020 vote". CNN. Retrieved September 7, 2022.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

## External links

[edit]

* US Senate Intelligence Committee Report on Russian Active Measures

* v
* t
* e

Black Lives Matter

People|

* Melina Abdullah
* Tay Anderson
* Cat Brooks
* Cori Bush
* Gwen Carr
* Benjamin Crump
* Patrisse Cullors
* Aalayah Eastmond
* Johnetta Elzie
* Bruce Franks Jr.
* Darnella Frazier
* Erica Garner
* Alicia Garza
* Elle Hearns
* Sandy Hudson
* Blair Imani
* Natalie Aleta Jackson
* Marissa Johnson
* Sasha Johnson
* Jari Jones
* Tishaura Jones
* Mariame Kaba
* Colin Kaepernick
* Brittany Kamai
* Janaya Khan
* Shaun King
* Nekima Levy Armstrong
* Eva Lewis
* Tamika Mallory
* Philip McHarris
* DeRay Mckesson
* Muhiyidin Moye
* Bree Newsome
* Nikkita Oliver
* Ijeoma Oluo
* Brittany Packnett Cunningham
* Eugene Puryear
* Teressa Raiford
* Jen Reid
* Linda Sarsour
* Al Sharpton
* Samuel Sinyangwe
* Nova Stevens
* Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
* John Thompson
* Ayọ Tometi
* Assa Traoré
* Syrus Marcus Ware

Events|

| 2010s|

* Ferguson unrest
* 2015 Baltimore protests
* 2015–2016 University of Missouri protests
* Dismissal of Robert Rialmo
* 2016 Donald Trump Chicago rally protest
* 2017 St. Louis protests

|

2020s|

* Breonna Taylor protests
* George Floyd protests
* changes made
* name changes
* removal of monuments and memorials
* reactions
* trial of Derek Chauvin
* violence and controversies
* Donald Trump photo op at St. John's Church
* police violence incidents
* Buffalo police shoving incident
* St. Louis gun-toting incident
* vehicle-ramming incidents
* Black Birders Week
* Blackout Tuesday
* Capitol Hill Occupied Protest
* Academic strike
* General strike
* Kenosha unrest
* shooting
* Athlete strikes
* 2020 Minneapolis false rumors riot
* 2020–2023 Minneapolis–Saint Paul racial unrest
* Orisha Land
* Daunte Wright protests
* 2021 Uptown Minneapolis unrest
* vehicle-ramming attack
* Tyre Nichols protests

Locations|

* Protests in New York City
* List of George Floyd protests
* United States
* outside the United States
* List of Daunte Wright protests

Deaths protested|

| 2009–2011|

* Oscar Grant
* Aiyana Jones
* James Anderson
* Mark Duggan
* Kenneth Chamberlain Sr.
* Anthony Lamar Smith

|

2012–2013|

* Ramarley Graham
* Trayvon Martin
* Rekia Boyd
* Jordan Davis
* Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams
* Tyrone West
* Larry Jackson Jr.
* Jonathan Ferrell
* Miriam Carey
* Renisha McBride

2014|

* Dontre Hamilton
* Eric Garner
* John Crawford III
* Michael Brown
* Ezell Ford
* Laquan McDonald
* Akai Gurley
* Tamir Rice
* Antonio Martin
* Jerame Reid

2015|

* Natasha McKenna
* Charley Leundeu Keunang
* Tony Robinson
* Anthony Hill
* Meagan Hockaday
* Eric Harris
* Walter Scott
* Freddie Gray
* William Chapman
* Charleston church shooting
* Jonathan Sanders
* Sandra Bland
* Samuel DuBose
* Mansur Ball-Bey
* Jeremy McDole
* Corey Jones
* Jamar Clark
* Mario Woods

2016|

* Greg Gunn
* Alton Sterling
* Philando Castile
* Joseph Mann
* Adama Traoré
* Abdirahman Abdi
* Paul O'Neal
* Korryn Gaines
* Jamarion Robinson
* Sylville Smith
* Elijah Doughty
* Terence Crutcher
* Keith Lamont Scott
* Alfred Olango
* Deborah Danner

2017|

* Jocques Clemmons
* Jordan Edwards
* Edson Da Costa
* Rashan Charles
* Patrick Harmon

2018|

* Anthony Weber
* Stephon Clark
* Marcus-David Peters
* Antwon Rose Jr.
* Markeis McGlockton
* Daniel Hambrick
* Botham Jean
* Tamla Horsford
* Jemel Roberson
* EJ Bradford Jr.

2019|

* George Robinson
* Willie McCoy
* Danquirs Franklin
* Javier Ambler
* Lassana Cisse
* Ronald Greene
* Pamela Turner
* Layleen Polanco
* Shukri Abdi
* Christopher Kapessa
* Elijah McClain
* Atatiana Jefferson

2020|

* Alvin Cole
* Ahmaud Arbery
* Manuel Ellis
* Breonna Taylor
* Daniel Prude
* Nina Pop
* George Floyd
* Dion Johnson
* Tony McDade
* Regis Korchinski-Paquet
* James Scurlock
* David McAtee
* Oluwatoyin Salau
* Carlos Carson
* Rayshard Brooks
* Julian Lewis
* Dijon Kizzee
* Marcellis Stinnette
* Chaniece Wallace
* Walter Wallace
* Andre Hill
* Dolal Idd

2021|

* Marvin Scott
* Adam Toledo
* Daunte Wright
* Lindani Myeni
* Ma'Khia Bryant
* Andrew Brown Jr.
* Winston Boogie Smith
* Leneal Frazier

2022|

* Amir Locke
* Patrick Lyoya
* Jayland Walker
* Donovan Lewis

2023|

* Keenan Anderson
* Tyre Nichols
* Irvo Otieno
* Jordan Neely
* Ricky Cobb II
* Johnny Hollman
* Ta'Kiya Young
* Leonard Cure

2024|

* Dexter Reed
* Roger Fortson
* Sonya Massey

Other cases
protested|

* Kalief Browder
* 2015 Texas pool party incident
* Shooting of Charles Kinsey
* Shooting of Jacob Blake
* Shooting of Ralph Yarl
* Rankin County torture incident

In popular culture|

| Art|

* New York City
* Bust of George Floyd
* Portland, Oregon
* George Floyd mural
* We Stand with You
* Say Their Names
* Statue of George Floyd

| Street murals|

* Cincinnati
* Indianapolis
* Portland, Oregon
* Salt Lake City
* Santa Cruz, California
* Seattle
* Capitol Hill
* City Hall
* Springfield, Massachusetts

|

Books|

* All American Boys
* Black Software
* Blackout
* Brit(ish)
* Dear Martin
* The Hate U Give
* His Name Is George Floyd
* I Can't Breathe: A Killing on Bay Street
* Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin

Film|

* 16 Shots
* 3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets
* American Son
* Bars4Justice
* Fruitvale Station
* Generation Revolution
* The Hate U Give
* Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story
* Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement
* Stranger Fruit
* Two Distant Strangers
* Whose Streets?

Music|

* "Alright"
* "Angel Down"
* "The Bigger Picture"
* "Black Parade"
* "Can't Put It in the Hands of Fate"
* "Chains"
* "Cop vs. Phone Girl"
* "Don't Shoot"
* "Formation"
* "Freedom"
* "Hell You Talmbout"
* "I Can't Breathe"
* "Lavender (Nightfall Remix)"
* "Loyal Like Sid & Nancy"
* "Otherside of America"
* "Riot"
* "Rockstar (BLM Remix)"
* The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed
* "Snow on tha Bluff"
* "This Is America"
* "What They'll Say About Us"
* "White Privilege II"

Other|

* Colin in Black & White
* 8:46
* "Holding a Black Lives Matter Sign in America's Most Racist Town"
* Our Lady of Ferguson
* Taking a Stand in Baton Rouge
* Woke (TV series)

Activist groups|

* 8 to Abolition
* Assata's Daughters
* Black Feminist Future
* Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation
* Black Visions Collective
* BlackinChem
* BYP100
* Campaign Zero
* Don't Shoot Portland
* Millennial Activists United
* Mothers of Gynecology Movement
* Mothers of the Movement
* Movement for Black Lives
* Peoples Power Assemblies
* #SayHerName
* Stop Cop City
* Street Riders NYC
* Taking the Initiative Party
* Wall of Moms
* White Coats for Black Lives

Proposed
legislation|

* BREATHE Act
* Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm
* Ending Qualified Immunity Act
* George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
* George Floyd Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act
* Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act
* List of police reforms related to the George Floyd protests

Groups associated
with opposition|

* All Lives Matter
* Alt-right
* Black Guns Matter
* Blue Lives Matter
* Patriot Front
* Russian disinformation campaigns
* Trump administration
* United Citizens' Alarm
* White Lives Matter

Related|

* 2020 deployment of federal forces in the United States
* 2020–2023 United States racial unrest
* list of incidents
* Black Lives Matter Plaza
* Black maternal mortality in the United States
* Criminal stereotype of African Americans
* Defund the police
* Driving while black
* Running while Black
* shopping while black
* Ferguson effect
* George Floyd Square
* Hands up, don't shoot
* I can't breathe
* National anthem protests
* Native Lives Matter
* No justice, no peace
* Police abolition movement
* 2021 Minneapolis Question 2
* Police accountability
* blue wall of silence
* gypsy cops
* police perjury
* qualified immunity
* Police brutality
* militarization
* pain compliance
* use of deadly force
* use of torture
* Police misconduct
* false arrest
* racial profiling
* ticket quota
* Racial bias in criminal news
* Rest in power
* Save the Boards
* Taking the knee
* Terry stop
* The talk
* Woke

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections

Events|

* DNC cyber attacks
* GRU
* Fancy Bear
* Guccifer 2.0
* SVR RF
* Cozy Bear
* DCCC cyber attacks
* Leaks
* DNC email leak
* Podesta emails
* WikiLeaks
* DCLeaks
* Pizzagate conspiracy theory
* Social media
* IRA
* Cambridge Analytica
* Fake news websites
* Russia and BLM

Timelines|

* Topical
* before July 2016
* July 2016 – election day
* Transition
* Jan–Jun 2017
* Jul–Dec 2017
* Jan–Jun 2018
* Jul–Dec 2018
* Jan–Jun 2019
* Jul–Dec 2019
* 2020–2022
* Timelines related to Donald Trump and Russian interference in United States elections

Post-election
events|

* Steele dossier
* Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections
* Dismissal of James Comey
* Crossfire Hurricane
* Russia investigation origins counter-narrative
* Durham special counsel investigation
* Mueller special counsel investigation
* Legal teams
* list of charges
* United States v. Flynn
* Trials of Paul Manafort
* Mueller report
* Barr letter
* Links between Trump associates and Russia
* Trump business projects in Russia
* Trump Tower Moscow
* Trump Tower meeting
* Reactions
* Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act
* Nunes memo
* Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal
* DNC lawsuit
* 2018 interference
* Senate Intelligence Committee report
* 2020 interference
* Vulkan files leak
* Kremlin papers

Related|

* Active measures
* Russian disinformation
* Cyberwarfare by Russia
* Russian web brigades
* Propaganda in Russia
* Russian espionage in the United States
* The Plot to Hack America (2016)
* Trump: The Kremlin Candidate? (2017)
* Cyberwar: How Russian Hackers and Trolls Helped Elect a President (2018)
* Russian Roulette (2018)
* Intelligence and Security Committee report
* Russian interference in British politics
* 2016 Brexit referendum
* 2017 Macron e-mail leaks
* Russian interference in European politics

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