Tackling disinformation to be priority for council

Thousands of counter-protesters lined streets of Walthamstow in August

Tackling disinformation is to be a priority for an east London council following a far-right protest that did not materialise.

A large but peaceful gathering in Walthamstow happened on 7 August where it had been believed right-wing activists might get together.

It followed a week of riots and unrest across parts of England and Northern Ireland following misinformation over the killings of three girls in Southport in July.

During a recent meeting, Waltham Forest Council officers said disinformation would be a “tough nut to crack” but that it was "committed to rooting it out".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the council was reviewing its civil contingencies and emergency procedures following the large-scale anti-racism demonstration.

Images showing Walthamstow as a purported target for far-right rioters had circulated on social media following a week of unrest elsewhere in the country.

A counter-demonstration in Hoe Street brought together as many as 10,000 people, according to council figures.

No far-right protesters were seen in the borough and the demonstration remained peaceful.

Kira Lewis, the committee’s vice chairwoman, said disinformation had been a “huge” factor and residents had been “scared” by the rumours.

John Molyneux, the council’s assistant director of public protection, said challenging false information would be a “huge piece of work” but it was a central focus.

In a council report, published this week, he wrote: “The advent of technology has had an impact on this issue, making it easier to communicate to a wide audience, and permit misinformation to be spread – knowingly or unknowingly.”

Ms Lewis also expressed concern over how word could spread in WhatsApp groups, which she said were “hidden from public view”.

She was told the communications team was “aware” of various groups on the encrypted messaging platform.

Police made four arrests in Walthamstow in relation to people allegedly being drunk and disorderly and carrying offensive weapons, but the force said the event occurred without “major incident or disruption”.

Mr Molyneux said council officers underwent “regular training and briefings” that covered a variety of potential incidents, such as floods or evacuations.