Victims lament real-world violence fuelled by social media

A file photo taken on Aug 25, 2020 shows protestors facing off with police outside the County Courthouse during demonstrations against the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Gittings blamed Facebook for failing to take down what seemed to be a clear incitement of violence. — AFP

NEW YORK: On Aug 25, Hannah Gittings watched in horror as her friend Anthony Huber was fatally shot during a demonstration in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to protest the police killing of a Black man at the hands of police.

The events turned violent when an extreme right militia group called the Kenosha Guard called on Facebook followers to “protect” the city, and a 17-year-old member of the group opened fire on Huber with a semi-automatic rifle.