A disinformation expert has said the debate over traffic filters in Oxford has been 'completely distorted' by conspiracy theories.

Jenny King, of global think-tank the Institute of Strategic Dialogue, said the argument has been skewed by disinformation.

She told BBC Radio 4's Broadcasting House programme: “What has happened in Oxford is that a very legitimate debate between residents of the local area and the local council about this particular traffic calming measure.

"And whether or not it is the right policy and is going to have the intended effect has become completely distorted by the much more diverse set of actors both domestically in the UK and transnationally who viewed it as an opportunity to talk about Government over-reach, civil liberties and a whole range of conspiracies that are ultimately distrustful of institutions and the role that they play in public life.”

Last weekend up to 2,000 people took to the streets of Oxford to protest against LTNs.

Extremist groups appear to have admitted their involvement.

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Antifa, left-wing anti-fascist activists, have claimed far right Students Against Tyranny organised the Oxford rally.

Students Against Tyranny responded on its website that it "attended Oxford to leaflet and to protest against the LTNs… other than that we had ZERO involvement in the planning of the protest."

Broadcasting House said Oxford city centre was pedestrianised 20 years ago and some bus-only areas were even older.

But it said that many conspiracy theories contain 'a grain of truth' and the reason traffic filters had become such an issue was plans for people to need permits to drive down certain roads which has given rise to the idea that people will be confined to just one area.

Oxfordshire County Council leader Liz Leffman told the programme: “What we noticed if you actually look at the placards those people were holding, it wasn’t about the LTNs specifically – it conflated a number of things.

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"For instance, some people were protesting about lack of freedom which covers all sorts of things including vaccine programmes, including Covid and including this idea that we are dividing the city into 15-minute neighbourhoods and preventing people moving out of those neighbourhoods which is absolute nonsense.

“This has been stoked by a number of media outlets including GB News, including people like Katie Hopkins who have simply published things that are not true.

"And a lot of those people who came on Saturday believed what they were being told and I think that’s entirely regrettable.”

 

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This story was written by Miranda Norris, she joined the team in 2021 and covers news across Oxfordshire as well as news from Witney.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Miranda.Norris@newsquest.co.uk. Or find her on Twitter: @Mirandajnorris

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