A white supremacist group has been accused of impersonating the climate activist group
Photos of stickers falsely attributed to Extinction Rebellion have appeared online, declaring that “corona is the cure” and “humans are the disease”.
The images were shared by a fake XR East Midlands Twitter account, with the caption: “The undeniable truth is, the earth is recovering thanks to corona.” In a statement given to Dazed, the climate activist group said: “Extinction Rebellion Midlands have been made aware of a fake Twitter account purporting to speak on behalf of XR East Midlands. We have reported this to Twitter and taken legal advice.”
The group added: “Unfortunately, it is quite easy for anyone to set up an account on Twitter and claim to represent another organisation. We call on Twitter to remove this account urgently. The views expressed in the tweets by the fake account are contrary to Extinction Rebellion’s principles and values, and we entirely disassociate ourselves from anything posted there.”
This isn’t the first time fake XR stickers have been spotted across the UK. In January, a photo of an XR-branded sticker that read, “Driving a car? You are a Nazi”, was widely shared on Facebook, while posters in Brighton declared: “Save the environment, end mass immigration.”
Here you go. it's sickening pic.twitter.com/Jf1Jek92kB
— Alya Zayed (@alya_zyd) March 25, 2020
In an article on fact-checking website Full Fact, journalist Rachael Krishna debunked the authenticity of the stickers, claiming they were actually created by a group called Hundred-Handers, who have previously been accused of posting white supremacist stickers around the country.
A screenshot shared on Twitter by another journalist, Alya Zayed, shows a Telegram message allegedly from the group featuring four fake XR stickers, along with the text: “Be a real shame if our latest archive contained the elements and fonts required to create Extinction Rebellion stickers. Four to start you off and a sample file for you to get creative with.”
On Monday (March 23), the real Extinction Rebellion launched AloneTogether, calling for an “evolution – not a shelving – of our rebellion”. As part of the campaign, XR has released a handbook of support options, wellbeing tips, and a programme of online events, as well as a website called Truth Teller – a “whistle-blower gateway” which asks anyone with information about government cover-ups to share it.
Coincidentally, Dazed has also launched a campaign called #AloneTogether, which brings together our community – our peers, collaborators, and most importantly our readers – to open a continuing dialogue between us all as we navigate a new and unprecedented world.