Of course they are, it's a tactic as old as time. Find the weak and downtrodden, the helpless and the hopeless and bring them together under whatever poison is being peddled. It gives them a false sense of "doing things," having a voice, a sense of power for those without it. And they're easy to get onside because who doesn't want better for "the children?" Who doesn't want to blame others rather than working to actually make things better. Us vs Them is the easy way to bring disaffected people together, especially under hate.