Indirect mobilisation and violence legitimation through influencers on alternative platforms

Existing mobilisation literature has largely focused on groups and collective sensemaking processes as the primary drivers of collective action. However, online influencers have emerged as key leaders and mobilisers, which can shape collective action through one-to-many communication. Using self-categorisation theory, we examine indirect mobilisation and the legitimation of violence during the August 2024 UK riots through a case study of a far-right influencer's Telegram channel. The dataset consists of 230 posts and 156 pieces of multimedia content from the Tommy Robinson News Telegram channel from 29th July to 7th August 2024. We employed an abductive thematic analysis approach, revealing how throughout the progression of the riots, posts in the Telegram channel construct group identities, establish epistemic authority and leadership legitimacy, and legitimise violence. Our findings extend the social identity approach of mobilisation into the digital realm, revealing how broadcast-style, unidirectional affordances of Telegram channels can impact the dynamics of leadership, identity construction and mobilisation of (violent) collective action.