Twitch streaming star Keffals was beaten and arrested at her home

Twitch streamer Keffals, real name Clara Sorrenti, known for her political commentary and advocacy for the trans community, was beaten and arrested at her home on August 5 after malicious actors sent a fake email containing the they threatened others on their behalf.

Keffals released video on Tuesday describing the incident and said she was woken at gunpoint by police in London, Ontario, after an internet troll impersonating her and sending threatening messages to every member of London City Council. The false email, which Keffals said police showed her during her interrogation, said Keffals had killed her mother and planned to go to City Hall with an illegal firearm to harm others.

Keffals says she is still a suspect in an ongoing investigation by London Police. According to her account, her brother had previously warned authorities that she could be a target for such abuse. In addition, Keffals said she was effectively banned from her social media accounts as police still have her phone, which she needs for two-factor authentication.

“Swatting is a crime,” she said in the video released Tuesday. “Identity theft is a crime. And because it was a crime motivated by hatred of transgender people, it was a hate crime against me.

“Instead of helping me, the police terrorized me and my loved ones,” said Keffals, who also said the police kept calling her dead names during interrogation. She produced images of the search warrant and property bags authorizing the raid on her home.

Keffals, who is transgender herself, is a popular Twitch streamer and political commentator known for exploring transphobia in her videos. In July, Twitch banned her after users mistakenly reported a video in which she spoke out against the abuse she usually experiences on the platform. Twitch restored her channel two weeks later after finding this The objection to the ban was correct.

Hatred and harassment remain longstanding issues on Twitch for creators from marginalized backgrounds. In autumn 2021, the makers organized a strike to draw attention to the hate spread by the users of the streaming platform. For the past two years, Twitch has taken legal action against those it says are behind hateful attacks; introduced new security features; and even exchanged chat emotes associated with violence.

Polygon has reached out to Twitch for comment on the Keffals arrest. Keffals told viewers she doesn’t know when she will return to broadcasting, but in the meantime she has set up a GoFundMe to help her move and offset losses from the swatting incident.