There seems to be a lot of strange comments here. As if to create a cacophony quickly and limit the chance of quality discussions forming.
"Internet armies" is very real, not some conspiracy.
It was weird, because news started out as a blend of neutral/positive/negative when the issue was first known. Then suddenly--and not only on reddit--within 30 minutes of a Chelsea Manning topic being posted anywhere, it would have an absurd number of outrageous, angry responses.
The same happened with Assange news. Sometimes even Snowden.