Anti-refugee Mobilization in Social Media: The Case of Soldiers of Odin

Abstract

In the wake of the international refugee crisis, racist attitudes are becoming more publicly evident across the European Union. Propelled by the attacks in Köln on New Year’s Eve 2015 and harsher public sentiments on immigration, vigilante gangs have emerged in various European cities. These gangs mobilize through social media networks and claim to protect citizens from alleged violent and sexual attacks by refugees. This article analyzes how racist actors use social media to mobilize and organize street politics targeting refugees/immigrants. The aim is to explore the relation between social media and anti-refugee mobilization in a time of perceived insecurity and forced migration. The study uses the vigilante network Soldiers of Odin as a specific case, looking at (1) how they communicate through social media, (2) how they are represented in the large “alternative” space of right-wing online sites, and (3) how they are represented in traditional mainstream news. Using a critical adaption of Cammaerts’ theory of “mediation opportunity structure,” the article explicates the (inverted) rationale of racist online networks. Using quantitative and qualitative content analysis, both social media content and traditional news media are examined. The results show that although racist actors succeed in utilizing many of the opportunities embedded in social media communication and protest logic, they are also subject to constraints, such as a lack of public support and negative framing in news media. The article calls for more research on the (critical) relationship between uncivil engagement and social media networks.

Far‐Right Framing Processes on Social Media: The Case of the Canadian and Quebec Chapters of Soldiers of Odin

“…First, far‐right groups use social media to promote a collective identity centered on shared grievances and the exclusion of others. Nouri and Lorenzo‐Dus (2019)’s comparative study of Britain First and Reclaim Australia's discourse on Facebook and Twitter demonstrates that these groups construct an imagined community based on common narratives, including that of boundaries that need to be protected against the perceived threats posed by Muslims and immigrants (also see Ekman 2018). The few studies focusing on the content of far‐right groups’ posts on social media in Canada and in Quebec also provide conclusions consistent with those of European studies.…”

“…For instance, videos present activists engaging in confrontation and latent violence, as well as in social and outdoor activities—in an effort to alter the common historical perception of far‐right groups. Finally, Ekman (2018) shows that SOO in Sweden are engaged in the production and dissemination of various forms of representation of their actions and identity. Discourses on the group's public Facebook page are toned down and the platform is far more sanitized than on its closed page.…”

“…SOO was founded in northern Finland in 2015 by a neo‐Nazi activist in reaction to the so‐called “refugee crisis.” Dressed in uniforms with SOO logos, members patrolled the streets claiming to protect Finnish citizens from “Islamic invaders” (Ekman 2018). Through the use of Facebook, the group was able to establish new chapters throughout Europe, the United States, and Canada (Kotonen 2019).…”

“…Through the use of Facebook, the group was able to establish new chapters throughout Europe, the United States, and Canada (Kotonen 2019). Operating under the same name and logo, and sharing the same uniform, these groups mobilize across different countries, claiming to protect individuals from the alleged threat posed by immigrants, particularly Muslims (Ekman 2018; Kotonen 2019).…”

Developing Agent-Based Migration Models in Pairs

“…Not only can migration have substantial cultural, political, economic and demographic effects in all countries involved (i.e. origin, transit and destination), but it has also always been an important and contentious political topic (with new, increased relevance in recent years, see Leurs and Smets 2018;Ekman 2018). Still, for all its importance, migration remains a very complex phenomenon, and one of the most uncertaint demographic processes, largely evading theoretical attempts to explain it.…”