The Weaponized Crowd: Violent Dissident Irish Republicans Exploitation of Social Identity within Online Communities

The meaning and implications of insurrections has been profoundly changed by the proliferation of Web 2.0 and now Web 3.0 in addition to the advent of big data analysis. Through these platforms, the unorganized militia randomly participating in the war has increased. Online activists and social movements continue to challenge us to think about what cyberspace is and how it can be used. The heyday of the Provisional IRA pre-dated the advent of the Internet however there is a vibrant Irish Republican community online. The Social Movement Network of the IRA uses the Internet as one of the only places that this network can exist and prosper with limited fear of reprisal. Websites, discussion forums, and social network platforms, as well as other information communication technologies, are used by supporters of the Violent Dissident Republican VDR movement in order to disseminate content that supports the ideals and goals of the dissidents. Growing levels of support are evident online via social networking sites. This research seeks to provide an appreciation and analysis of the online strategies, tactics, and techniques used by dissident Irish Republicans. This type of propaganda analysis is essential to developing an effective understanding of who these un-rostered volunteers are as well as how they are acquired. This understanding will enable Commanders at all levels to more effectively leverage and operate in this emerging battlespace.