Charlie Gard was just two months old when he was admitted to London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital with breathing difficulties in October 2016. He would remain there up until the day before his death in July 2017, when the High Court ruled – against the wishes of his parents – that his life support machine should be switched off as the brain damage caused by his rare genetic disorder was too severe for any hope of successful treatment.
Gard’s case captured the attention of Agenda Europe, a network of more than 400 ultra-conservatives, who had spent the previous four years working together to oppose abortion, equal marriage, divorce and contraception, and had links to the Kremlin, Donald Trump and far-right MPs across Europe.
One member of Agenda Europe emailed others to encourage them to target the British authorities and the hospital, a month before doctors switched off Gard’s life support. Three weeks after the call for action, the Metropolitan Police was forced to launch an investigation into a torrent of death threats and abuse targeted at the hospital staff, including on social media.
