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Original poster

Racist vigilantes on local FB page

236 replies

FromanEmpire · 08/08/2025 15:42

I live in a small town with a military history. As such, we have had quite a few Afghan refugees settled here.

A few days ago, a woman posted to say that an Afghan refugee had been in the park and walking around watching her toddler. She turned away to feed her other child, and when she turned back, he was holding her toddler and walking off. She asked her sister who was with her to go and get the toddler back. Then, apparently, he said no to the sister several times and said he was taking the toddler home with him. Eventually, the toddler was returned.

Cue extensive outrage all over the Facebook page. Comments calling for riots and violence, comments locating the man involved, comments getting a few men together for a game of "human football"... Obviously people asked why she hadn't called the police and she said she had but they weren't interested.

Anyway, then there are posts of the man in different locations and people threatening to go after him.

Then, it turns out, the woman has partly lied and partly told half-truths about the whole things. Firstly, not a local Afghan refugee at all. Not local, on holiday. Not Afghan, police confirmed he's not Afghan but didn't say what he is. Not a refugee, here on holiday (we live in a touristy place). Police also confirmed it wasn't reported to them until the evening - and also that the report was made by a man. So, she didn't report to the police - just to Facebook.

It also turns out, the man was in the park with his own children (she made it sound like he was there alone) and that the toddler approached him, while the mum wasn't paying any attention, and asked to be picked up. And, of course, very strange that if a man were walking off with your toddler, you'd just ask him nicely to put them down...

Frankly, I feel really uncomfortable by this. This woman has blatantly lied and misled people to try and rile up a riot. I'm also scared by how many people were commenting incredibly racist things and calling for violence against (what turned out to be) an entirely innocent man. I'm really shocked, and I like where I live less now.

OP posts:
2dogsandabudgie · 08/08/2025 19:07

FromanEmpire · 08/08/2025 19:01

I think that depends if the parents are nearby and paying attention. I don't think I did anything wrong and nor did the mother of the child.

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In that situation I would have said to the parent "would you like me to carry him across" not just assumed it was OK and just picked the child up. You're lucky that she didn't give you a mouthful.

You only have to look at some of the threads on here to know that some mothers don't like other people even touching their toddlers let alone picking them up.

Dangermoo · 08/08/2025 19:07

FromanEmpire · 08/08/2025 19:05

Yes I have. It's the first line of the OP. Please stop with your desperation to start a bunfight and get the thread removed.

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No, you said it's a military down and as such, there are Afghan refugees. I don't see how one leads to another.

FreezeDriedStrawberries · 08/08/2025 19:07

FromanEmpire · 08/08/2025 19:05

Yes I have. It's the first line of the OP. Please stop with your desperation to start a bunfight and get the thread removed.

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Yes, I mean it's literally right there in your opening post....🤔

Original poster
FromanEmpire · 08/08/2025 19:05

Dangermoo · 08/08/2025 19:04

You still haven't said what the significance is, of the town's military history.

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Yes I have. It's the first line of the OP. Please stop with your desperation to start a bunfight and get the thread removed.

OP posts:
Dangermoo · 08/08/2025 19:04

FromanEmpire · 08/08/2025 19:01

I think that depends if the parents are nearby and paying attention. I don't think I did anything wrong and nor did the mother of the child.

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You still haven't said what the significance is, of the town's military history.

Dangermoo · 08/08/2025 19:02

2dogsandabudgie · 08/08/2025 18:56

A normal thing to do if parents are there and they have said it's OK for you to do that, but not ok to just pick up a child without asking parents first, regardless if you're male or female.

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I would like to think everyone is on their guard, when it comes to the protection of children.

Original poster
FromanEmpire · 08/08/2025 19:01

2dogsandabudgie · 08/08/2025 18:56

A normal thing to do if parents are there and they have said it's OK for you to do that, but not ok to just pick up a child without asking parents first, regardless if you're male or female.

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I think that depends if the parents are nearby and paying attention. I don't think I did anything wrong and nor did the mother of the child.

OP posts:
FreezeDriedStrawberries · 08/08/2025 18:57

Dangermoo · 08/08/2025 18:55

How do you know that? I reported you for this thread, which I still stand by.

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What's wrong with this thread? It is a worry, all these wannabe social media vigilantes are seriously worrying.

xSideshowAuntSallyXx · 08/08/2025 18:57

We had one of these sort of things, it turned out it was a load of bollocks, cooked up by a racist (quoting Tommy Bloody Robinson) hiding behind an alleged sexual assault, then trying to tie in the lie with an actual sexual assault that was committed by a white Brit. The local Reform councillor stoked up the hate too. We even had reports that Afghan men were hanging around schools (they can't have been as they hadn't been relocated at the time). The police had to step in to say it was all lies, nothing had been reported.

The scum even set up a go fund me for their cause.

Facebook do absolutely bugger all about these racists, and yet seem to ban people i know for less.

2dogsandabudgie · 08/08/2025 18:56

FromanEmpire · 08/08/2025 18:45

We don't know why the child asked to be picked up. The dad just said that the child had asked to be picked up and he was angry about it because the police said that, because the child asked to be picked up, it wasn't a crime when the man picked up the child. I was just giving a few reasons why it would be fair enough to pick up a child.

I picked up a child last year at the beach in Cornwall. He was the youngest and was behind his family. They walked through a bit of a (very shallow) stream on the beach and he was still in his trainers so didn't want to cross but couldn't get his own trainers off. He was upset and we were walking the same way so I picked him up and carried him across. The mum turned around when we were almost across and came back and thanked me. Very normal thing to do.

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A normal thing to do if parents are there and they have said it's OK for you to do that, but not ok to just pick up a child without asking parents first, regardless if you're male or female.

Dangermoo · 08/08/2025 18:55

FromanEmpire · 08/08/2025 18:53

I haven't even reported her, at all, for any of her posts - she's repeatedly reported me!

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How do you know that? I reported you for this thread, which I still stand by.

Original poster
FromanEmpire · 08/08/2025 18:53

FreezeDriedStrawberries · 08/08/2025 18:51

@Dangermoo Your posts will only be deleted if you post anything delete worthy, surely?! Not because someone runs to MN and tells them to Confused
It doesn't work like that

Edited

I haven't even reported her, at all, for any of her posts - she's repeatedly reported me!

OP posts:
FreezeDriedStrawberries · 08/08/2025 18:51

@Dangermoo Your posts will only be deleted if you post anything delete worthy, surely?! Not because someone runs to MN and tells them to Confused
It doesn't work like that

Dangermoo · 08/08/2025 18:47

This reply has been deleted

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FromanEmpire · 08/08/2025 18:46

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Original poster
FromanEmpire · 08/08/2025 18:45

2dogsandabudgie · 08/08/2025 18:42

Are you now saying that the child asked to be lifted on to a swing or something?

I wouldn't do that if a child asked me. I'd ask them where their parent was.

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We don't know why the child asked to be picked up. The dad just said that the child had asked to be picked up and he was angry about it because the police said that, because the child asked to be picked up, it wasn't a crime when the man picked up the child. I was just giving a few reasons why it would be fair enough to pick up a child.

I picked up a child last year at the beach in Cornwall. He was the youngest and was behind his family. They walked through a bit of a (very shallow) stream on the beach and he was still in his trainers so didn't want to cross but couldn't get his own trainers off. He was upset and we were walking the same way so I picked him up and carried him across. The mum turned around when we were almost across and came back and thanked me. Very normal thing to do.

OP posts:
Dangermoo · 08/08/2025 18:43

2dogsandabudgie · 08/08/2025 18:42

Are you now saying that the child asked to be lifted on to a swing or something?

I wouldn't do that if a child asked me. I'd ask them where their parent was.

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Absolutely.

2dogsandabudgie · 08/08/2025 18:42

FromanEmpire · 08/08/2025 18:34

I don't think making up lies about someone because they're a different race is "being safe".

If I were in a park with my DCs and a toddler came over to me asking me to lift them up (if they were crying or wanting to be lifted onto a something in the park, etc) and their mum wasn't paying attention, I'd probably pick them up. No one would ever post "petite white woman tried to kidnap my child" on Facebook if I did do that.

If this woman genuinely believed he were the danger she was pretending he was, she wouldn't have lied and twisted the story - and she would've actually phoned the police when she said she did.

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Are you now saying that the child asked to be lifted on to a swing or something?

I wouldn't do that if a child asked me. I'd ask them where their parent was.

Dangermoo · 08/08/2025 18:41

FromanEmpire · 08/08/2025 18:38

Do you think women lying about non-white men (like this woman did) means women/girls like the Rotherham girls are more or less likely to be believed in the future?

The fact is that this woman did lie.

The opposite of "not believing white female victims of non-white male crimes" is not "supporting white women lying about non-white men committing crimes". You can, and should, believe women who are victims of crimes whilst condemning women who lie about it.

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You keep making this about race. Isn't there good and bad in every race?

Dangermoo · 08/08/2025 18:40

FromanEmpire · 08/08/2025 18:34

I don't think making up lies about someone because they're a different race is "being safe".

If I were in a park with my DCs and a toddler came over to me asking me to lift them up (if they were crying or wanting to be lifted onto a something in the park, etc) and their mum wasn't paying attention, I'd probably pick them up. No one would ever post "petite white woman tried to kidnap my child" on Facebook if I did do that.

If this woman genuinely believed he were the danger she was pretending he was, she wouldn't have lied and twisted the story - and she would've actually phoned the police when she said she did.

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I wouldn't pick up anybody else's child, without their parent's permission - unless it was to save the child.

Original poster
FromanEmpire · 08/08/2025 18:38

Dangermoo · 08/08/2025 18:28

I'm sure it's better to be safe than sorry when protecting against sexual assaults- don't you?

EtA: I'm not advocating violence but if only so many of you were as vehement in protecting the Rotherham girls. I guess their truth being disputed, didn't matter.

Edited
Show quote history

Do you think women lying about non-white men (like this woman did) means women/girls like the Rotherham girls are more or less likely to be believed in the future?

The fact is that this woman did lie.

The opposite of "not believing white female victims of non-white male crimes" is not "supporting white women lying about non-white men committing crimes". You can, and should, believe women who are victims of crimes whilst condemning women who lie about it.

OP posts:
Original poster
FromanEmpire · 08/08/2025 18:34

Dangermoo · 08/08/2025 18:28

I'm sure it's better to be safe than sorry when protecting against sexual assaults- don't you?

EtA: I'm not advocating violence but if only so many of you were as vehement in protecting the Rotherham girls. I guess their truth being disputed, didn't matter.

Edited
Show quote history

I don't think making up lies about someone because they're a different race is "being safe".

If I were in a park with my DCs and a toddler came over to me asking me to lift them up (if they were crying or wanting to be lifted onto a something in the park, etc) and their mum wasn't paying attention, I'd probably pick them up. No one would ever post "petite white woman tried to kidnap my child" on Facebook if I did do that.

If this woman genuinely believed he were the danger she was pretending he was, she wouldn't have lied and twisted the story - and she would've actually phoned the police when she said she did.

OP posts:
2dogsandabudgie · 08/08/2025 18:34

PhilippaGeorgiou · 08/08/2025 17:24

Well the actual person who "did it" who was not the person accused of doing it, was probably advised not to pick up a child even when they asked. You appear to have got stuck in the fact that the person "given advice" was the person falsely accused - they are two seperate people.

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To be honest the OP's posts aren't that clear.

Dangermoo · 08/08/2025 18:28

PandoraSocks · 08/08/2025 17:25

This is not the case OP is talking about, obviously. But here is another example of on line vigilantism.

This is what happens when endless online hate is being posted about refugees.

Afghan refugee attacked in Limerick after being wrongly accused by far-right group of approaches to children – The Irish Times share.google/4Dw8pUtBRwGFIsTVB

I'm sure it's better to be safe than sorry when protecting against sexual assaults- don't you?

EtA: I'm not advocating violence but if only so many of you were as vehement in protecting the Rotherham girls. I guess their truth being disputed, didn't matter.

FreezeDriedStrawberries · 08/08/2025 18:06

YANBU, I've seen the same on FB pages too and it's actually really worrying.
There was one about a couple of men (black) who were sat on a bench in the park.
Some of the comments were foul, making out they shouldn't be there, insinuating all sorts and it was wrong etc.
What, someone sat in a park? It didn't go down well when people asked what they were supposed to have done. It's not against the law to sit in a park.
One of them ended up coming onto the page to defend themselves, they were innocent and it honestly makes me sick pages are like this.
Something needs to be done about it.