Thread by @TanjaBueltmann

For the benefit of new and old followers, here's one last update before I disappear for a while. After what has happened over the last 50+ hours, I absolutely must take a break so I do not break. This has been, by some distance, the worst experience in my six years on Twitter. 1/

https://twitter.com/cliodiaspora/status/1031194005403516931

Even now, 50+ hours later, the attack explained in the thread above is still going, direct emails, FB and all. I have never seen anything like this before: in my experience of 2+ years fighting Brexit, an 'attack' begins to die within about 12 hours. That was the case even 2/

with the one triggered by Arron Banks. This time it is completely different. Part of the problem is that followers are involved. That is also why protecting my account has not helped as much as it might have otherwise. What this does document though is that real peopler are 3/

involved in this too. Wings over Scotland (unsurprisingly) played a part, and that too offers an important indicator for the scale of this, I think. One way or the other, I know that this is not something that is fully explainable with bots as some have suggested. 4/

However, as three super Twitter literati friends have independently concluded looking at data/patterns, there also was coordination. There were a huge number of anonymous accounts and the bot ratings are very high. Having looked at what friends discovered, I am, therefore, now 5/

certain that a part of this was absolutley a coordinated attack. Not actually on anything to do with the event, Scotland or independence as such, but rather to sow division and discredit me. That goes some way to explaining the lies and misrepresentation that many of you have 6/

already noted as well, and the scale and duration of this. But while that is good to know and makes me feel a little bit better, the roots of this do lie in friendly fire. And that is something that is so much harder to overcome. Long-time followers turned on me in literally 7/

seconds ... for something I did not even do. No explanation from me, nor confirmation from others that I did not say what some anonymous account had claimed I said etc, changed their minds. I have met in person some of the people who did this. 8/

I am beyond devastated by this part of what happened. I know this a minority and the context I explain above puts this into an important bigger picture. But still.... Plus so many other followers got caught up in this trying to support me -- I am so sorry about that 😢 9/

So let me go on a Twitter detox for a bit. I hope you'll all still be around when I return -- this remains a medium I like and I will miss you and this while I'm out. So take care everyone, and see you soon x 10/

If you want to do me one favour while I am away, then please support @The3Million, @BritishInEurope -- and of course @eucitizenschamp for we need many more an #EUcitizensChampion still. 11/

.... And if you now still think that I am the one to blame for all of this, still think I'm some unionist infiltrator seeking to undermine indyref2, or that I said Scotland should not have a voice etc, then please do one good thing and just unfollow me now. Thanks. 12/12