First Minister subjected to vile online abuse over Zip World video
Emily Price
Wales’ First Minister has been subjected to vile abuse and calls for her death after she posted a light-hearted video of a family outing.
Baroness Eluned Morgan welcomed the New Year by taking on Europe’s fastest zip line at Zip World Penrhyn Quarry in north Wales.
She had gifted the adventurous day out to her husband as a Christmas present.
Baroness Morgan posted a video to Facebook of herself smiling whilst wearing Zip World gear and a helmet moments before she rode the park’s terrifying ‘Velocity’ zip line.
Speaking in the video, she said: “I intend to start this year as I mean to go on with energy, with enthusiasm and with a sense of adventure.
“I’m here at Chwarel Penrhyn in north Wales and just about to go 100 miles per hour down the fastest zip wire in Europe.”
The video later attracted a large number of vulgar and intimidating comments from men offering to “cut the wire”.
The comments – obtained by Nation Cymru – have since been deleted.
Facebook user Ian Ratty Humphries wrote: “Just when you wish the wire would snap.”
Kenneth Roberts wrote: “The line didn’t break then.”
Leighton Lee wrote: “Cut the wire please.”
David Jones added: “It would be nice to see someone there with an angle grinder or bolt cutters.”
‘Fray’
Steve Davies wrote: “I hope that’s a fray I spotted on the cable.”
Martyn Coldray commented: “Hope it snaps.”
Richard Higgs wrote: “The only day I’ve forgotten my hacksaw.”
Hefin Hughes added: “With someone pushing you off the edge.”
Giles Hulm commented: “Couldn’t trust anyone to clip her safety line on so she didn’t go down…”
Christian Utting wrote: “Hope it snaps.”
Gary Francis wrote: “Can anyone jam the cable whilst she is halfway down.”
Llew Rhobat wrote: “Wish I’d seen this earlier. Got a new bolt cutter for Christmas.”
Colin Grindey added: “Someone should have cut the wire.”
David Mcaughtrie commented: “Shame someone didn’t cut it.”
Nigel MacDonald wrote: “Hope it snaps.”
‘Toxic’
A source close to the First Minister said the abusive comments had “no place in Welsh public life.”
They said: “These comments expose the toxic culture that thrives on far right social media.
“Abuse of this kind is posted every day, undermining our politics and driving people out of public life.
“Online abuse should never be part of the job for public servants.
“It runs against our values and has no place in Welsh public life.”
The latest bout of abuse comes following a story by Nation Cymru that featured female Senedd Members speaking out about the appalling misogyny, abuse and harassment they regularly face.
The women of Wales’ parliament relayed harrowing experiences, including death threats, rape threats and insults about their physical appearance.
One MS we interviewed, who didn’t wish to be named, told us that online abuse was the “hardest thing” about being a politician and at times had caused her to fear for her own safety.
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Utterly unaccpetable and bravo for naming names, these poeple deserve to be outed. However, much much mores should be done to hold the social media platforms to account, making wholly responsible for what is published on them and a scale of substantial penalties for non-compliance. Mainstream media is expected to remain within the law or face the consequances, so social medid needs to be subject to the same standards.
It is reports like this remind me why the only social media sites I use are this one, the civil forum on airliners.net (to see new flight routes listed before they go on sale to the public, so I am aware of the cheapest flights to book for myself / mates) and LinkedIn (then I do not need to use agencies to find new roles). The irony is that unregulated websites are encouraged by the UK government as it keeps listing them by all public funded organisations; whereas mature economies like France create their own well-managed versions and keep the… Read more »
Well done for naming and shaming. If these “men” are capable of shame.
Why reprint these unacceptable comments thus propagating their nastiness?
Obvious name and shame. Why else report any news and print the names of evil people such as Netanyahu?
There are some really nasty, hate filled, vile individuals out there. Why should they get away with it when others who speak up against genocide get imprisoned?
Reform voters presumably.
These aren’t men! Wee timorous cowering beasties, hiding behind their keyboards in place of the skirt’s & petticoats their forbears his behind! Ach y fi!
Yes. Well said.
There is some vile evil people in our country, you may not agree with a person but it doesn’t give you the right to wish harm against that person. The people who wrote such repugnant uneducated comments should hang their heads in shame and disgust and think hard on whether they are truly worthy to be classed as a citizen of our country.