Anti-Israel Protests in Canada
Activists in Canada are using social media to organize anti-Israel protests with potential ties to Iran, according to disinformation experts. The protests, particularly at McGill University, have been boosted by a social media influence campaign. Russian and Iranian involvement in spreading anti-Israel and pro-Hamas narratives has been observed.
Key Points
- Increased anti-Israel activity observed since Hamas invasion of Israel
- Clear crossover of pro-Kremlin/anti-Ukrainian and anti-Zionist/pro-Hamas narratives
- Disproportionate number of Farsi and Arabic commentators supporting anti-Israel protests at McGill University
Pros
- DisinfoWatch and XPOZ are monitoring and exposing state-sponsored attempts to hijack social media for malicious intents
- Joint efforts by American and Canadian intelligence agencies have unearthed bot accounts promoting Russian government messaging
Cons
- Potential ties to Iran and Russian intelligence in organizing anti-Israel protests
- Use of inauthentic profiles to amplify discourse and spread false narratives