Offensive images linked to Shropshire as men troll women marchers
A group of men from Shropshire have been linked to internet trolling of women taking part in protest marches in Canada.
The men posted images of domestic abuse, rape and misogynist messages on images of protests against Donald Trump that took place 3,425 miles away in Toronto.
The men claim to be part of Men's House, a Facebook group that appears to have links to Telford and whose users have home locations set to places including Telford and Chirk, as well as from elsewhere across the UK.
The woman responsible for the post has described the abuse as "exhausting and upsetting".
It comes as millions of people from across the world took part in women's marches to mark President Trump's first day in office.
A post on the protest, put up by Toronto-based public servant Sarah Rimmington, 45, attracted more than 84 comments, many of an offensive nature.
She said: "They posted – and continue to post – all sorts of offensive comments and memes.
"I have left the thread up, but some of the more disturbing content with rape threats were deleted. I had to add a 'trigger warning' at the top, because I received complaints or requests from people who found the whole situation very disturbing and frightening.
"There are several men connected from other identifiable areas of the UK, particularly Newcastle/Sunderland and other parts of West Yorkshire.
"But many have profiles that don't provide much in the way of identifiable information. I have collected as much of it as I can manage.
"Several women I know, or others who are simply friends of friends whom I have never met, have been 'trolling' these men right back.
"Teasing them, taking screenshots of what they are doing and sending them to girlfriends, wives, other family members, workplaces."
It is not known how the post was picked up in the UK.
But many of the women who saw it took down details of the men who sent the messages and said they got in contact with their friends and relatives to let them know about the comments.
One woman, who took screenshots of the posts, said: "Quite a few men, all from Telford, sought to harass one of my colleagues here in Canada via Facebook, because she chose to post photos of the women's marches that happened across the world on this Saturday past."
She added: "These individuals did not merely tease or make fun, they posted statements and images encouraging violence against women and rape."
Fellow user Buffy Cee, a writer and director based in Canada, said: "Somehow, a group of men from Telford, who seem to call themselves the Men's House, found the page and began a full assault on the post, with violent sexual commentary and demeaning threats."
The women's march in Toronto attracted thousands of people and was the second largest outside of the USA.
It is estimated that about 60,000 people took part.
Marches were held across the globe on Saturday, a day after the inauguration of Donald Trump and were organised to promote women's rights on his first day in office.
