CNN: Anti -Islamic campaign in Texas was provoked by a group of "troll factories" on Facebook

The anti-Islamic campaign in Texas, like a rally on May 21, 2016, “stop the Islamization of Texas” in Houston, were inspired through the page on the Facebook “Heart of Texas” by the Russian Internet research agency, more known as the “Putin's cook factory” Evgeny Prigozhin, CNN reports.

The page falsely stated that the Islamic library received state funding. Several people took part in the action, two of them raised a poster with the inscription #Whitelivesmatter ("White Life matters").

One of those present at the rally later complained that none of the representatives of the Texas heart community appeared, although it had more than 250 thousand subscribers. The Heart of Texas contributed to this, but we did not see any of them, ”he said.

Not only police officers, but also the US-Islamic Relations Council in Texas, the FBI and the Houston City Council knew about the page. "The formation of anti -Muslim sentiments in the United States was one of the goals of the Russian campaign," a source of CNN said.

The Heart of Texas is one of the 470 accounts that Facebook transferred to Congress to investigate Russian intervention in the US presidential campaign in 2016.

The entries in the community were devoted to refugee issues, imposed Islamophobia and supported separatist sentiments in Texas. In particular, the Soviet-Islamic Relation Council in Texas turned to the special service regarding the comment "We need to blow up this place. We do not need this shit in Texas."

Representatives of the group contacted the leader of Texas’s independence Daniel Miller with a proposal to organize a popular rally on Texas's withdrawal from the USA #Texit (by analogy with Brexit - the exit of Britain from the European Union) to the start of the elections, but Miller abandoned the proposal.

The Republic of Texas is a state in North America, which existed in 1836-1845. It was formed as a result of the war for the independence of the North-Eastern region of Mexico. In 1845, the republic after the will of citizens and the adoption of the act of self -determination entered the United States, where it received state rights.

The restoration of the Texas Republicare acted by activists of the Texas independence movement. They believe that in 1845 this territory was illegally annexed by Washington and is currently under its occupation. At the end of the last century, participants in the movement even formed the government and other authorities of an independent state. In addition, they filed lawsuits for large amounts against the US government for the "undermining of the well -being of Texas."

Business Insider previously reported that the page is associated with the "Russian provocateurs" who prepared anti -migrant rallies in Texas to harm Hillary Clinton. According to the publication, the group suggested that the separatist movement in Texas organize a series of protests directed against the former Secretary of State and candidate of US presidency. The proposal was received in November last year - before the elections in which Clinton participated.

Fake communities on Facebook were used by Prigozhinsky “trolls” to create a page of events calling for political rallies, including a rally against immigrants and Muslims in the Twin Folls town, who actively accepted immigrants under President Barack Obama.

Facebook admitted that about 3 thousand advertising messages with political content were purchased from fake accounts from Russia. The Kremlin said that they have nothing to do with the mass acquisition of paid political advertising.

In the last month, the social network is experiencing tremendous pressure due to the trial about the possible influence on the pre -election process in the United States. In early September, Facebook Security Director Alex Stamos published a report from which it follows that for two years from fake accounts allegedly created in Russia, a large number of political advertising were purchased.

On September 21, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said that the company is actively cooperating with American officials and helps them in the investigation.