Councillor Faces Online Hatred After Sharing RNLI Video
A local politician reported receiving 'pure hatred' in online comments after posting a video of an RNLI lifeboat on a training exercise.
Ceredigion Councillor Elizabeth Evans stated she received "pure hatred" in online comments after sharing a video of the New Quay RNLI lifeboat on a training day. The post, which garnered approximately 30,000 views on Facebook, attracted a significant number of negative comments, some of which Evans described as "really, really bad."
The incident follows similar online targeting of RNLI volunteers in Portsmouth, who were reportedly protested after assisting in bringing migrants ashore. The RNLI has consistently stated its mission is to "save lives at sea."
Evans expressed shock at the volume and nature of the comments, noting it took her considerable time to remove them. She characterized some of the milder comments as calling volunteers "traitors" or "taxis for migrants," while others were suggestive of violence. Evans stated she deleted the comments to suppress hatred, not to stifle legitimate discussion, but was subsequently criticized for "shutting down discussion."