A Ceredigion councillor has suffered “ugly and scary” online anti-RNLI abuse after innocently sharing a video of the local lifeboat, whose crew once received a gallantry award for saving the lives of a rowing team.
The RNLI has issued security advice in the wake of protests in Dover and Portsmouth, which saw the charity targeted for its rescue work bringing some small boat migrants ashore, even advising volunteers and staff not to wear the charity’s branding because of fears of “unacceptable abuse”.
Recently, footage posted on social media showed volunteers being labelled as “traitors” after helping a dinghy to safety in Portsmouth and protests have been held at RNLI sites.
On Saturday, Aberaeron county councillor Elizabeth Evans innocuously posted a Facebook video on Saturday of local lifeboat New Quay on a routine training launch and exercise, only to encounter abuse.
Cllr Evans has said she deliberately kept her Facebook page “not overtly political,” as “a space where everyone feels comfortable commenting”.
“I keep my Facebook ‘open’ so that others can view my posts for information. Yesterday afternoon I had to edit my settings to revert back to ‘friends’ only.
“The abuse on my Facebook following my RNLI video was ugly and it was scary. I deleted all their comments before closing the page.
“Not one abusive comment was from any of my Facebook community, or from within Ceredigion. However, abuse is abuse. There is no place on my Facebook for abusive comments, or a vehicle to further and promote hatred.”
Speaking afterwards to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Evans said: “Unfortunately, social media is being used more and more to propagate hate and not debate in our communities, by whatever means available.
“All levels of elected representatives are increasingly subjected to abuse, and that should never become the norm.
“What I find abhorrent however, is the comments on my Facebook directed towards a charitable organisation like the RNLI, whose raison d’être is to save lives, and is volunteer-led. Social media platform providers should without doubt do more to intervene.”
On a more positive note, she added: “The positive comments in support of the RNLI speak loud and clear, and I and others will always support them in the amazing work they do.”
Gallantry awards
Back in 2023, six New Quay lifeboat crew members were presented with an RNLI gallantry award for their bravery in rescuing a crew from an ocean-going rowing boat during 2021’s Storm Arwen.
In November 2021, during Storm Arwen, the crew launched to answer a Mayday call from an ocean-going rowing boat in difficulty while travelling from Ireland to Aberystwyth.
One of the rowers had already been evacuated by a Coastguard rescue helicopter after suffering a head injury but the remaining crew found themselves semi-submerged in rough seas.
The six RNLI crew members received the accolade for their seamanship, resilience, determination and courage in rescuing the three rowers.
After the rescue, the ocean rowing boat skipper said: "I have nothing but praise for the professionalism and efficiency of the RNLI volunteers who saved our lives, they were quite simply remarkable.”
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