The abuse and threats made to Greta Thunberg by people (MEN) from Bristol
By grown men, many who appear to have children of their own
When teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg announced she would be coming to Bristol more than a week ago, it created a huge buzz in the city.
Tens of thousands of people turned out to hear her speak on College Green and join a march around the city centre calling for greater action from governments and corporations around the world to do more to tackle rising global temperatures.
Bristol Live, the BBC and a host of other media devoted pages and pages on their websites to cover the preparations for this event - with everything from practical information about roads closing and timetables of the day to more in-depth articles about why the event is happening.
Every time articles by Bristol Live and other media organisations were posted on social media - particularly Facebook - they attracted hundreds, sometimes thousands of comments.
By grown men, many who appear to have children of their own
When teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg announced she would be coming to Bristol more than a week ago, it created a huge buzz in the city.
Tens of thousands of people turned out to hear her speak on College Green and join a march around the city centre calling for greater action from governments and corporations around the world to do more to tackle rising global temperatures.
Bristol Live, the BBC and a host of other media devoted pages and pages on their websites to cover the preparations for this event - with everything from practical information about roads closing and timetables of the day to more in-depth articles about why the event is happening.
Every time articles by Bristol Live and other media organisations were posted on social media - particularly Facebook - they attracted hundreds, sometimes thousands of comments.
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It didn’t matter whether the articles or information posts were placed onto community Facebook pages or the media’s own Facebook pages, they attracted comments by their bucketload.
And, the vast majority of these were from people who were not happy the monthly School Strike for Climate event on College Green would be bigger than usual.
The thousands of negative comments were on familiar themes - questioning the validity of climate science, questioning the rights of children to go ‘on strike’ from school, questioning young people’s use of technology, transport and general carbon footprint and complaining about the disruption of the city centre’s roads being closed.
(Image: Bristol Post)
But most of the more furious ire was reserved for Greta Thunberg herself. Many other articles in other media have examined why a slight, tiny 17-year-old schoolgirl from Sweden triggers such anger and hatred from, mainly older people, but the kind of fury that follows the campaigner around the world arrived in Bristol with a vengeance.
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Greta Thunberg In Bristol
In full: Greta Thunberg's speech at Bristol climate strikeIt didn’t matter whether the articles or information posts were placed onto community Facebook pages or the media’s own Facebook pages, they attracted comments by their bucketload.
And, the vast majority of these were from people who were not happy the monthly School Strike for Climate event on College Green would be bigger than usual.
The thousands of negative comments were on familiar themes - questioning the validity of climate science, questioning the rights of children to go ‘on strike’ from school, questioning young people’s use of technology, transport and general carbon footprint and complaining about the disruption of the city centre’s roads being closed.
(Image: Bristol Post)But most of the more furious ire was reserved for Greta Thunberg herself. Many other articles in other media have examined why a slight, tiny 17-year-old schoolgirl from Sweden triggers such anger and hatred from, mainly older people, but the kind of fury that follows the campaigner around the world arrived in Bristol with a vengeance.
READ MORE
Greta Thunberg In Bristol
Visit in pictures
Most of that abuse was just that - abuse, sharing unkind memes about her, calling her a ‘puppet’, questioning her own actions travelling the world, or just calling her names.
These comments came in their thousands, day and night, filling Facebook pages and groups - faster in greater volume than anyone moderating those pages or groups, or Facebook itself, could hide or delete.
But some people went even further - further than just abusing Greta Thunberg and the young people taking part in the school strike.
Most of that abuse was just that - abuse, sharing unkind memes about her, calling her a ‘puppet’, questioning her own actions travelling the world, or just calling her names.
These comments came in their thousands, day and night, filling Facebook pages and groups - faster in greater volume than anyone moderating those pages or groups, or Facebook itself, could hide or delete.
But some people went even further - further than just abusing Greta Thunberg and the young people taking part in the school strike.
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The extra step they took was to appear to call for, encourage or incite people to take physical action against either Greta Thunberg or those taking part.
The people who were appearing to make those suggestions of physical actions and violence were very often parents and grandparents themselves. Some had even called for people on social media to ‘be kind’ following the death of TV presenter Caroline Flack.
The following is a fraction of the apparent calls for violence or violent intent against Greta Thunberg or the school strikers, and those apparent calls for violence or violent intent are a fraction of the general, non-violent but not kind statements made.
Kev Bennett
The extra step they took was to appear to call for, encourage or incite people to take physical action against either Greta Thunberg or those taking part.
The people who were appearing to make those suggestions of physical actions and violence were very often parents and grandparents themselves. Some had even called for people on social media to ‘be kind’ following the death of TV presenter Caroline Flack.
The following is a fraction of the apparent calls for violence or violent intent against Greta Thunberg or the school strikers, and those apparent calls for violence or violent intent are a fraction of the general, non-violent but not kind statements made.
Kev Bennett
Kev Bennett called for Greta Thunberg to be 'Ms Trunchbulled'
Kev Bennett's contribution to the news of the arrival of Greta Thunberg was to appear to ask for someone to physically assault her.
"Can someone grab her pigtails and ms trunchable her over the fence," he wrote.
When questioned by other Facebook users on the thread, Kev Bennett said she was 'not a young child' and 'also a product of Antifa parents'.
Kev Bennett's contribution to the news of the arrival of Greta Thunberg was to appear to ask for someone to physically assault her.
"Can someone grab her pigtails and ms trunchable her over the fence," he wrote.
When questioned by other Facebook users on the thread, Kev Bennett said she was 'not a young child' and 'also a product of Antifa parents'.
Kev Bennett called for Greta Thunberg to be thrown over a fence
Kev is referring to the character Miss Trunchbull from the Roald Dahl story Matilda, who brutally assaults the children in her class.
Stevie Ralph-Taylor
Kev is referring to the character Miss Trunchbull from the Roald Dahl story Matilda, who brutally assaults the children in her class.
Stevie Ralph-Taylor
Stevie Ralph-Taylor's Facebook profile
Commenting under a Facebook post outlining the route of the march about climate change in Bristol, Stevie Ralph-Taylor said of Greta Thunberg 'She should be burnt at the stake!'.
Commenting under a Facebook post outlining the route of the march about climate change in Bristol, Stevie Ralph-Taylor said of Greta Thunberg 'She should be burnt at the stake!'.
Stevie Ralph-Taylor called for Greta Thunberg to be burnt at the stake
Max Poncho Morgan
Max Poncho Morgan
Max Poncho Morgan
Max Poncho Morgan responded to a Facebook post about the School Strike for Climate by saying: 'milkshakes at the ready'.
While this remark is open to interpretation, it could well refer to the practice of throwing milkshakes over political figures, which emerged in the General Election campaign last year.
Max Poncho Morgan responded to a Facebook post about the School Strike for Climate by saying: 'milkshakes at the ready'.
While this remark is open to interpretation, it could well refer to the practice of throwing milkshakes over political figures, which emerged in the General Election campaign last year.
Max Poncho Morgan's Facebook comment about Greta Thunberg and young people's climate change campaign
Max recently changed his Facebook profile to include a 'Be Kind' filter - a phrase of advice much-used following the death of TV presenter Caroline Flack.
Kevin Bird
Max recently changed his Facebook profile to include a 'Be Kind' filter - a phrase of advice much-used following the death of TV presenter Caroline Flack.
Kevin Bird
Kevin Bird's Facebook profile picture
As the event drew closer this week, the police and Bristol City Council issued safety advice.
Both the authorities said they were concerned the sheer size of the crowd could cause problems - and one of the phrases used by the police and the council was there could be the potential for crushes in the crowd - a common sense warning.
Kevin Bird, pictured above, read this council warning and responded on Facebook: "Crush the b***h. Sounds good to me. Send her home"
Ash Ashfaq (and Spencer Trump)
As the event drew closer this week, the police and Bristol City Council issued safety advice.
Both the authorities said they were concerned the sheer size of the crowd could cause problems - and one of the phrases used by the police and the council was there could be the potential for crushes in the crowd - a common sense warning.
Kevin Bird, pictured above, read this council warning and responded on Facebook: "Crush the b***h. Sounds good to me. Send her home"
Ash Ashfaq (and Spencer Trump)
Ash Ashfaq's Facebook picture
In a thread on Facebook in which the changes to the bus routes and road closures was discussed, Ash Ashfaq called for Greta Thunberg's parents to physically assault her.
The father of young children wrote: "Her parents need to slap her with a brick."
Under this, another man, Spencer Trump, commented: "Send her back the way she should be in flat pack as that's what Sweden is famous for."
In a thread on Facebook in which the changes to the bus routes and road closures was discussed, Ash Ashfaq called for Greta Thunberg's parents to physically assault her.
The father of young children wrote: "Her parents need to slap her with a brick."
Under this, another man, Spencer Trump, commented: "Send her back the way she should be in flat pack as that's what Sweden is famous for."
Ash Afhaq and Spencer Trump commenting on Greta Thunberg coming to Bristol
Anthony Hoskins
Anthony Hoskins
Anthony Hoskins' Facebook profile
As the week leading up to the School Strike for Climate continued, it became clear tens of thousands of people would be attending.
As the week leading up to the School Strike for Climate continued, it became clear tens of thousands of people would be attending.
Anthony Hoskins' response was to claim if he could, he would deploy water cannon - something which is illegal even for the police to use in Britain - on the children attending the rally on College Green.
The comment said: "If i had a chance i would borrow a fire engine on friday and spray the lot of the morons with water cannon, the people are turning on these morons, read all the comments on here" [sic]
The comment said: "If i had a chance i would borrow a fire engine on friday and spray the lot of the morons with water cannon, the people are turning on these morons, read all the comments on here" [sic]
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