How Leave.EU faked migrant footage

[The Slim Reaper]

I_YUtWMlMMA

The pro-Brexit campaign group, Leave.EU, faked a viral video and appear to have staged photos of “migrants”, shortly before the EU referendum.

An investigation by Channel 4 News found that images purporting to show “migrants” attacking young women in London seem to have been staged.

The group – backed by businessman Arron Banks – was also behind a fake video, claiming to show how easy it is for migrants to sneak into Britain. In reality, satellite data shows the men on board had not left UK waters.

The photographs and video both involved a former SAS soldier, Jonathan Pollen, who works for Banks’ corporate intelligence agency.

Although the photos were never used, the fake video went viral, garnering hundreds of thousands of views on Facebook.

Responding to the investigation Arron Banks accused Channel 4 News journalists of creating “fake news” themselves.

But Labour MP Jo Stevens, who sits on the Culture, Media and Sports Committee described the video and images to Channel 4 News as “fake news”.

“The video of the boat is very obviously fake and put together in a fake way. The photographs are a little bit more difficult to spot that, but clearly fake news with a deliberate intention of stoking hatred and anti-immigrant feeling and rhetoric.”

She added: “We have local government elections, we have potentially European Parliament elections, we might have a General Election, and we might have a second referendum – and we still have no regulation around digital campaigning and the sort of disinformation and fake news, which will play a part in all of those elections, unless some regulation is put in place.”

‘Migrant’ images
Just days before the EU referendum in 2016, Leave.EU published an “undercover investigation” on Facebook, purporting to show how easy it is to smuggle migrants across the Channel.

But satellite data, seen by Channel 4 News, shows the footage was filmed in reverse. The shots of “migrants” entering the UK were actually filmed before the boat had even left British waters.

Just days earlier, Leave.EU was also behind a series of seemingly-staged photographs that show a woman being violently attacked by a man wearing a hooded jacket. Another photo appeared to show a woman being grabbed from behind as she walks into a shop.

One of the attackers seen in the photos is wearing a distinctive grey denim jacket, with black leather sleeves and a white hood. A strikingly similar outfit is worn by one of the “migrants” seen in the Channel crossing video.

Leaked emails, seen by Channel 4 News, show the pictures were emailed by Mr Pollen to Andy Wigmore, Leave.EU’s head of communications and Arron Banks’ right hand man.

Mr Wigmore then forwarded them on to Leave.EU press team, saying: “Migrants beating up girl in Tottenham [on] Saturday… Can we get this ready to go as a press release.”

In a statement, Arron Banks told Channel 4 News: “Leave.eu is the biggest viral political campaign in the UK, with 3.7 million engagements last week on Facebook alone. Dwarfing political parties and other groups.”

“Channel 4 is packed with ex-Guardian journalists and left wing activists, who create Fake news for a living!

“The campaign must be doing something right to annoy all the right people consistently.”

Phil Campion, who fronted the Channel crossing video, firmly denied that he personally was involved in faking anything.

“I am not deceiving anybody. I didn’t cut the video. I didn’t cut the footage. I gave them the footage they asked me for, okay? I brought people back from France.”

Jonathan Pollen did not respond to our request to comment.

Channel 4 News Investigations Team.

[The Slim Reaper]

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[Nicky91]

faking migrant footage, for likes and attention from media :skull:

[arista]

Yes watched
a report on Ch4HD yesterday.

The EX SAS Big Fella (works on The Pledge)
was hired to show how easy it was to cross,
just to prove that its easy to do.


Banks has payed his fine,

More Votes were lost
when David Cameron dragged the USA President
in to talk down to us.

[The Slim Reaper]

faking migrant footage, for likes and attention from media :skull:

It was done to scare people about the dangers of brown people coming here, and influence them to vote leave.

[The Slim Reaper]

Yes watched
a report on Ch4HD yesterday.

The EX SAS Big Fella (works on The Pledge)
was hired to show how easy it was to cross,
just to prove that its easy to do.


Banks has payed his fine,

More Votes were lost
when David Cameron dragged the USA President
in to talk down to us.


You've used this nonsense multiple times and unless you have some hard evidence that it's true, then it's just BS, especially when

1118176610715353088

[BBDodge]

Social media preaches to the converted.

At that time BBC News and ITN used to fill their bulletins with footage (not faked) of migrants in camps in Southern Europe. The journalists would find some who spoke English and ask them where they wanted to go and unsurprisingly they said the UK.

It was TV news (including C4) that won it for leave.

The migrant crisis rarely makes the news now but it's still a crisis.

[Underscore]

You've used this nonsense multiple times and unless you have some hard evidence that it's true, then it's just BS, especially when

1118176610715353088

Madam Speaker :love:

[Oliver_W]

Why didn't they just go to mainland Europe instead of faking the footage?

[Crimson Dynamo]

fake news on youtube?

WHAT??

:oh:

im not bothered anyroad as it was the advert on a bus i saw that swung me

:love:

[Livia]

fake news on youtube?

WHAT??

:oh:

im not bothered anyroad as it was the advert on a bus i saw that swung me

:love:

LOL...

[thesheriff443]

They had a lot of extras in the camps in France.

[Tom4784]

The Leave side relied on a lot of fake news, fake videos like this (also one that made out we were beholden to EU laws when most of the laws listed in the video, which were only listed briefly and purposely made difficult to read, have no effect on us personally), fake slogans on the side of buses and more. Plus you have the likes of Gove telling people to reject the words of experts because they weren't saying what the Leave side wanted to hear.

The Leave campaign was built on fake news and it worked, most people didn't know what they were voting for because the lies worked.

[Crimson Dynamo]

The Leave side relied on a lot of fake news, fake videos like this (also one that made out we were beholden to EU laws when most of the laws listed in the video, which were only listed briefly and purposely made difficult to read, have no effect on us personally), fake slogans on the side of buses and more. Plus you have the likes of Gove telling people to reject the words of experts because they weren't saying what the Leave side wanted to hear.

The Leave campaign was built on fake news and it worked, most people didn't know what they were voting for because the lies worked.

"most people didn't know what they were voting for"

that is a personal assumption only

[Tom4784]

"most people didn't know what they were voting for"

that is a personal assumption only

Not really, most people don't do research into the things they vote for, they vote based on base level **** which is why fake news is so dangerous because people will see headlines on facebook and take it as fact. They'll look to the Sun and the Daily Mail headlines for their news and vote based on what they see.

The vast majority of people are ill informed and swayed by untrustworthy sources. It's just a fact at this point.

[bots]

leave.eu have known links with russia, and some of the adverts they were running in the lead up to the referendum were ridiculous

[Crimson Dynamo]

Not really, most people don't do research into the things they vote for, they vote based on base level **** which is why fake news is so dangerous because people will see headlines on facebook and take it as fact. They'll look to the Sun and the Daily Mail headlines for their news and vote based on what they see.

The vast majority of people are ill informed and swayed by untrustworthy sources. It's just a fact at this point.

like yourself then?

[Crimson Dynamo]

or do you mean other people who are not you?

[Smithy]

Starting to the think that the leave campaign made a lot of stuff up :think:

[Tom4784]

or do you mean other people who are not you?

like yourself then?

This is a thread about fake news and fake footage having sway over the voting public... The spread of fake news is a major concern in today's world and how prominent it is paints a damning picture for how informed most voters are.

By all means, offer up an argument about how everyone is informed but considering that you've just tried to make it personal, I won't hold my breath.

[Livia]

Isn't it cute how remainers think they're such great researchers, so much better than anyone who disagrees with them. I mean, it doesn't matter who that person is with whom they're disagreeing, if their opinion is different then they're awful, stoooopid, right wing bigots.

[Crimson Dynamo]

This is a thread about fake news and fake footage having sway over the voting public... The spread of fake news is a major concern in today's world and how prominent it is paints a damning picture for how informed most voters are.

By all means, offer up an argument about how everyone is informed but considering that you've just tried to make it personal, I won't hold my breath.

i would not try and pretend to know what swayed millions of people to vote leave or remain and i certainly would not call 17 million people illinformed

[Underscore]

"most people didn't know what they were voting for"

that is a personal assumption only

746303118820937728

[Crimson Dynamo]

746303118820937728

all asked by remain voters

[Crimson Dynamo]

actually probably all asked by journalists

[Underscore]

all asked by remain voters

just saying this shows how utterly stupid the electorate is at large and why we should just stick to representative democracy.

[Crimson Dynamo]

just saying this shows how utterly stupid the electorate is at large and why we should just stick to representative democracy.

no it does not as most of those questions were probably asked by people too young to vote unless you know otherwise?

[Underscore]

no it does not as most of those questions were probably asked by people too young to vote unless you know otherwise?

do you know otherwise?

[Crimson Dynamo]

do you know otherwise?

No so I did not post that graphic trying to prove a point that does not exist

[Vicky.]

like yourself then?

I think this applies to a hell of a lot of people, on both sides. I fully admit I did not know at the time exactly what I was voting for, should have researched more before voting. I figure a lot of people were in the same boat as me, and if you are undecided and then see lies such as 'extra 350m to the NHS' and stuff, I can see why that would sway people. The outright lies told by both sides were horrendous tbh.

[Vicky.]

all asked by remain voters

Both, I would say tbh.

I find this 'leavers did not know what they were voting for' argument a bit daft, yes many didn't, and it shows by the kind of things they say now about it all (eg. my parents fell for the NHS thing) however, lots of nremainers did not know really.

I voted remain, but at the time was so confused by all the misinformation that I pretty much only voted to keep the staus quo, as better the devil you know :shrug:

[bots]

i think people are missing the point. leave.eu was a russian sponsored campaign to create havoc in the uk/europe ... and it was very successful.

If you ask voters after a general election if they knew what they were voting for, very few would be able to answer yes. With all votes, you are voting for a future you hope may come to pass, which is completely nebulous. The referendum was no different.

[Crimson Dynamo]

I think this applies to a hell of a lot of people, on both sides. I fully admit I did not know at the time exactly what I was voting for, should have researched more before voting. I figure a lot of people were in the same boat as me, and if you are undecided and then see lies such as 'extra 350m to the NHS' and stuff, I can see why that would sway people. The outright lies told by both sides were horrendous tbh.

Welcome to every ref and every general election in history

[Vicky.]

Welcome to every ref and every general election in history

Well quite. Mind I do tend to research for general elections, but most of the stuff in manifestos is bollocks, except the stuff that would disadvantage the public, which always seems to get passed :bored:

Really really do NOT want a general election anytime soon, and its looking quite likely. I would have to spoil my ballot tbh, as none of them are worth voting for :/

Also good point about the Russian interference BOTS. I believe the russians actually have 'troll farms' where they purposely try to sway the public on certain things too.

[Ammi]

..not the pesky immigrants coming over here and taking our fake news, pffft...

[Ammi]

...the Referendum voting can’t really be compared to any general election voting...it’s not an accurate comparison as how many votes in any of our lifetimes has there been to decide on our position in or out of the EU...only one...and probably only ever will be one in our lifetimes...

[Tom4784]

i would not try and pretend to know what swayed millions of people to vote leave or remain and i certainly would not call 17 million people illinformed

So you have no actual argument then? The amount of fake news, doctored footage and straight up lies that came from the Leave camp is staggering but your only response is that 'well, let's ignore all that and pretend that most voters are informed!'

Isn't it cute how remainers think they're such great researchers, so much better than anyone who disagrees with them. I mean, it doesn't matter who that person is with whom they're disagreeing, if their opinion is different then they're awful, stoooopid, right wing bigots.

Again, prove to me that people are informed instead of going 'REEEE! REMAINERS!' I've put forth my argument, I've highlighted how prevalent fake news is especially regarding the leave campaign so if you have a counterpoint beyond crying about Remainers then by all means, Livia, offer it up.

[Tom4784]

all asked by remain voters

Umm...

i would not try and pretend to know what swayed millions of people.......

So you won't assume that voters are typically uninformed but you'll believe that the people asking what the EU is are automatically remainers? Such rampant hypocrisy.

[Vicky.]

Again, prove to me that people are informed instead of going 'REEEE! REMAINERS!'

Are you a member of kiwifarms by any chance?! :suspect: Thats the only place I have ever seen that reeee thing when browsing some threads :laugh:

[Tom4784]

Are you a member of kiwifarms by any chance?! :suspect: Thats the only place I have ever seen that reeee thing when browsing some threads :laugh:

It's quite a common thing. It's usually used in response to people being ahem 'snowflakes' about social issues but I find it often suits the other side better.

[bots]

...the Referendum voting can’t really be compared to any general election voting...it’s not an accurate comparison as how many votes in any of our lifetimes has there been to decide on our position in or out of the EU...only one...and probably only ever will be one in our lifetimes...

i've voted twice now :laugh:

[Twosugars]

Let's face it, leaving the EU does not make any economic sense, it's all about politics and visceral dislike of the EU. And some delusion about sovereignty. No country bound by any international agreements is fully sovereign.
But I'd rather work with and within Europe, our nearest neighbours, and decide things together than go it alone and have larger partners dictating things to me. Like it's happening now with the EU dictating to the UK. So much for the EU begging us for a deal :laugh: It will be China and the US next.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Umm...



So you won't assume that voters are typically uninformed but you'll believe that the people asking what the EU is are automatically remainers? Such rampant hypocrisy.

I was illustrating how pointless underscore and his sourceless graphic was, you have missed vthe point in your rush to score a pyrrhic point

[Crimson Dynamo]

Let's face it, leaving the EU does not make any economic sense, it's all about politics and visceral dislike of the EU. And some delusion about sovereignty. No country bound by any international agreements is fully sovereign.
But I'd rather work with and within Europe, our nearest neighbours, and decide things together than go it alone and have larger partners dictating things to me. Like it's happening now with the EU dictating to the UK. So much for the EU begging us for a deal :laugh: It will be China and the US next.

Is actually fair comment

[Smithy]

no it does not as most of those questions were probably asked by people too young to vote unless you know otherwise?

"most people didn't know what they were voting for"

that is a personal assumption only

:skull::skull::skull:

[The Slim Reaper]

Let's face it, leaving the EU does not make any economic sense, it's all about politics and visceral dislike of the EU. And some delusion about sovereignty. No country bound by any international agreements is fully sovereign.
But I'd rather work with and within Europe, our nearest neighbours, and decide things together than go it alone and have larger partners dictating things to me. Like it's happening now with the EU dictating to the UK. So much for the EU begging us for a deal :laugh: It will be China and the US next.

The US have said if we screw up the border in Ireland there won't be a trade deal.

[Oliver_W]

Well quite. Mind I do tend to research for general elections, but most of the stuff in manifestos is bollocks, except the stuff that would disadvantage the public, which always seems to get passed :bored:

Really really do NOT want a general election anytime soon, and its looking quite likely. I would have to spoil my ballot tbh, as none of them are worth voting for :/



Even if Theresa May does step down or gets ousted, that doesn't warrant a general election. We don't vote for the PM, we vote for the MP for our constituency. The PM represents the party with the most MPs.

[reece(:]

Struggling to see the link between people believing lies from the campaign to people not knowing what they were voting for. There's a difference :skull:

[Cherie]

We are literally leaving a cohort where the UK is a big player to become the USAs bitch :laugh:

[Crimson Dynamo]

We are literally leaving a cohort where the UK is a big player to become the USAs bitch :laugh:

Well a wee club set up to protect German manufacturing and French Agriculture who look down their noses at us

[BBDodge]

"most people didn't know what they were voting for"

that is a personal assumption only

We didn't know the Government would be dithering around for another 2 years.

[Crimson Dynamo]

We didn't know the Government would be dithering around for another 2 years.

You have the remain politicians to thank for that

Including TM

[Tom4784]

I was illustrating how pointless underscore and his sourceless graphic was, you have missed vthe point in your rush to score a pyrrhic point

Rushed justification after the fact.

Something isn't pointless just because you don't agree with it, these were commonly asked questions in the lead up to the vote. People were voting on something when a whole bunch of potential voters didn't know what the EU even was.

People are generally uninformed and it doesn't make them any less uninformed if they vote in a way you happen to like.

[Twosugars]

You have the remain politicians to thank for that

Including TM

not really

if erg and dup backed it it would pass
so why these keen leavers are not doing that
go and blame them

[Tom4784]

You have the remain politicians to thank for that

Including TM

Yeah, totally the remainers fault, the leaver politcians are all so united in what they want brexit to be which is why they all voted the same way on the various brexit options.....Oh wait....