RNLI stands firm in face of far right onslaught

A life saving charity which has been targeted by right wing extremists has been subjected to an attack on its website.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) was forced to temporarily take down its site following a suspected hacking attempt.

This came after staff and volunteers were sent threatening emails by far right lowlifes.

The RNLI has come under attack from fascist groups angry that it continues to carry out its life saving mission by picking up people trying to cross to Britain in the English channel.

Staff were told to “stay vigilant”, and the website was restored. It is not clear if the hacking attempt was part of the far right campaign of intimidation.

One fascist group – which TFN is not naming to deprive them of publicity – launched what it called a “complaints drive” to pressure the charity “to abandon their support for illegal immigrant and people trafficking and focus instead on saving British lives”.

Abusive messages received have been passed on to the police.

However, the charity – which has also suffered an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the launch of one of its boats - has stayed resolute and focussed on its mission.

A spokesperson for the charity said: “The RNLI’s website was the subject of suspicious activity on Friday 3 December 2021.

“As a precaution, the RNLI has taken the decision to take down its website while investigating the activity. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused.”

Previous right wing attacks on the charity – including those by the likes of Nigel Farage – have backfired hugely, with the RNLI reporting a spike in fundraising and support every time.