Local

Protest groups left to figure out what happened after Russian-influenced rallies

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Channel 9 and ABC News worked together for two days to confirm that protests in Charlotte following the deadly officer-involved shooting of Keith Scott were encouraged by Russians.

Channel 9 identified two protests with direct links to Russia, a peaceful protest on Sept. 24, 2016, at Marshall Park and another one on Oct. 22, 2016.

(Keith Scott)

Congressional investigators told ABC News that two online groups, BlackMattersUS and BlackFist, were both used by Russian operators to reach out to unsuspecting Americans and encourage them to organize rallies.

Corine Mack, one of Charlotte's civil rights activists, told Channel 9 she wasn't surprised to hear about the Russian influence.

Mack said groups really need to vet strangers offering to help with their protests.

Local protest groups are trying to figure out what happened after the stunning revelations that Russian operatives helped organize rallies in Charlotte meant to further divide the country before the election.

Mack, who works with the NAACP, spoke at one of the rallies and said the organizers should have known something was off.

“I don't think their intention was good at all,” Mack said. “When you have been trained for many years about the responsibility to vet certain things, you know not to get involved in a way they have gotten involved.”

Community activist Andrew Fede said he had no idea BlackMattersUS, an organization claiming to cover issues important to the African-American community, was linked to Russia.

The group promoted several of his events and rallies.

"I'm just shocked and confused,” Fede said. “I am disheartened by the actions of a foreign country to come into Charlotte and influence these events."

The two Keith Scott events investigators said were influenced by Russians were attended by thousands.

Despite the controversy, Mack doesn't think local organizers had any bad thoughts.

“I don't think there was an intention to do anything wrong,” Mack said. “I think they got caught up in things they shouldn't have."

Fede said the group reached out to him asking if it could promote his events to its followers, which, he said, numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

Officials said, in some cases, activists received financial support.

Activist Conrad James, from Raleigh, helped organize one of the Charlotte protests and told ABC News he was approached by a woman who claimed to represent BlackMattersUS.

James found out a year later that a report shows the rallies were meant to stir up racial tensions and political unrest across the country ahead of the presidential election.

“The Russians, they stooped low, but in regard to what happened specifically in Charlotte, they failed to hit the target," James said.

He told ABC News, “They definitely were trying to stir up trouble. Their intent was obviously to have some type of emotionally filled rally where people are adding fuel to the fire that was already happening around.”

Congressional investigators said the aim of the Russian operatives was to influence the U.S. elections.

James said that, looking back, he realizes there were a few red flags. He said he remembers a stoic man in the crowd.

James was blindsided by malicious intent.

“For me not to be able to sense that was pretty concerning because I did do my due diligence,” James said.

James said he was one of many passionate activists targeted by Russian trolls.

Reporter Stephanie Tinoco asked James if the Russians were preying on activists around the country.

“Yeah, and they thought they would get away with it,” James said.

James said the rally in September was used as a positive forum, but could have gone south quickly.

U.N. Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley called Russia's interference in U.S. elections an act of warfare.

“When a country can come interfere in another country's elections, that is warfare,” Haley said. “It really is, because you're making sure the democracy shifts from what the people want to giving out that misinformation.”

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

Cox Media Group

0

Most Read