An anti-EU campaign has come under fire for sharing a video on both its social media accounts that featured an image previously used in a Polish magazine article about the "Islamic rape of Europe", which was likened to fascist propaganda.
The video, shared on Leave.EU's Twitter and Facebook accounts, was created by Breitbart London editor-in-chief Raheem Kassam in response to a heavily mocked advert by the Stronger In campaign that told younger voters to keep "ravin", "workin", and "earnin".
The send-up posted by Kassam shows a number of images overlaid with text about how the EU is "stealin", "lyin", and "thievin". Under the section on how the EU is "rapin", it features an image of a woman draped in an EU flag that's being pulled from her body by the arms of dark-skinned men.
The image was previously used by a Polish magazine to illustrate a story about the "Islamic rape of Europe".
Leave.EU has shared a vid w/ this image. Last time it was used was on cover of Polish mag: "Islamic rape of Europe"
The wSieci magazine cover, published in February, came under heavy criticism at the time for depicting a white woman, representing Europe, being attacked by “Islamic” arms.
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The image was compared to an Italian fascist propaganda poster from 1943.
Left: Polish magazine @Tygodnik_Sieci, 2016. Right: Fascist Italy's poster, 1943.
Twitter users responded to the video by calling Leave.EU "vile".
This is absolutely disgusting! Such a vile campaign https://t.co/gpdRtqKFcQ
Others were simply shocked.
Wow. This is...really fucking special. https://t.co/0LfxqOI87o
Leave.EU was criticised only a few weeks ago for sharing a video that compared immigrants to a "violent snake".
Brexiteers seem to be becoming even more unhinged... https://t.co/4Hca3Kdn5M
The campaign also emailed its mailing list earlier this week with mobile numbers for Vote Leave activists, a BBC journalist, and UKIP's only MP, urging activists to complain about UKIP leader Nigel Farage's exclusion from a series of TV debates ahead of the 23 June referendum.
Leave.EU did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
Siraj Datoo is a political reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in London.
Contact Siraj Datoo at siraj.datoo@buzzfeed.com.
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