PLM slams troll attack over Melbourne protest action

By Philippine Canadian Inquirer
January 8, 2026

(Photo courtesy: PLM – Partido Lakas ng Masa/Facebook)

MELBOURNE, Australia — The Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM) called out Thursday, January 8, the surge of online trolls actively engaging with its recent post about a protest action in Melbourne, Australia that opposes the US’ aggression in Venezuela.

The Filipino democratic socialist organization pointed out the unusual right-winged audience that interacts with their post published on January 4, claiming it is being done through “the hand of Trump’s troll system.”

“We do not imagine that trolls also abound in Australia and across the world. When we posted this rally in Melbourne opposing US attacks, it quickly drew nearly 7,000 views, accompanied by a flood of comments ridiculing and attacking the action,” PLM said.

“Stupid response is not spontaneous. In the Philippines, they’re mostly produced in troll farms, and trolls get paid even by the most inane remarks,” it added.

PLM said such online attacks that target dissents and applaud fascist rulers are reminiscent of the persecution experienced by Jews during the Holocaust, “when newspapers were shut down, journalists imprisoned, and dissent criminalized.”

“Our generation has not yet lived through a world war. But the danger is no longer abstract. Today’s right-wing forces are openly clamoring for one—cheering bombings, mocking protests against war, and silencing opposition through ridicule, intimidation, and digital mobs,” said PLM.

“History warns us where this road leads. Ignoring it once again would be catastrophic to all.”