The House Intelligence Committee has released just a few of the ads purchased on social media by Russia-linked accounts to sow political divisions in the U.S., and the results show the meddling didn’t end in the digital space, BuzzFeed News is reporting. One ad, created on Facebook by an account called BlackMattersUS, promoted a massive anti-Trump protest in the days after the election that was successful in getting approximately 5,000 people to take to the streets of New York City.
“People are genuinely scared for their futures! Racism won, Ignorance won, Sexual assault won,” the ad reads. “Bring signs, snacks, water!”
There are a LOT of anti-Trump demonstrators marching up 5th Avenue to @TrumpTower, as seen from #theskyapartment pic.twitter.com/Sbf7TWW90m
— Cindy Gallop (@cindygallop) November 12, 2016
Protestors leaving union square pic.twitter.com/amwn4A01mQ
— Sean St?ut (@TERROREYEStv) November 12, 2016
The disclosure of this ad—and others that prompted protests near a mosque in Texas—comes amidst Congressional hearings in which Facebook, Twitter and Google are under scrutiny about how extensively Russians used their social media platforms to meddle in the 2016 election. And last month, BuzzFeed spoke to four individuals who organized self-defense classes and black rights protests after being contacted by Russians who pretended to be U.S. activists.
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