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A Report from the Southern Poverty Law Center THE YEAR IN HATE AND EXTREMISM A REPORT FROM THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER ON THE COVER People gather at a makeshift memorial in El Paso, Texas, on August 7, 2019, four days after a gunman killed 22 people and injured two dozen others. An online manifesto linked to the 21-year-old suspect referred to an immigrant “invasion” of Texas. GETTY IMAGES/MARIO TAMA THE YEAR IN HATE AND EXTREMISM A REPORT FROM THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER ABOUT THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER The Southern Poverty Law Center, based in Montgomery, Alabama, is a nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1971 and dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society. For more information about the SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER visit splcenter.org Explore what’s happening in your state at splcenter.org/hate-map For media inquiries, please contact our press team at [email protected]. Comments, suggestions or tips? Send them to [email protected] Get the latest news and join the conversation. @Hatewatch SPLCenter © 2020 SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 THE YEAR IN HATE AND EXTREMISM 2019 6 A FLURRY OF FLYERING 15 NOTABLE EXTREMIST ATTACKS AND PLOTS 17 THE YEAR IN TECHNOLOGY 20 METHODOLOGY 22 HATE GROUP MAP AND LISTS 24 ANTIGOVERNMENT GROUPS IN 2019 38 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 45 THE YEAR IN HATE AND EXTREMISM 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Inclusive democracy, America’s greatest challenge to a “national threat priority.” His remarks ampli- and achievement, is currently in the crosshairs of fied his message from November, when he told the racism, antisemitism and Islamophobia—and the Senate Homeland Security Committee that a major- intersection of these toxic belief systems is fuel- ity of domestic terror attacks are “fueled by some ing the rise of hate violence and white nationalism type of white supremacy.” in the United States and around the world. Having Wray is right to be alarmed. White nationalism moved from the fringes of society to the main- poses a serious threat to national security and plu- stream, these ideologies now frame national nar- ralistic democracy. It’s a virulent and profoundly ratives and influence electoral outcomes. undemocratic ideology that infects our political sys- In 2019, the third year of the Trump presidency, tem with hate, fear and resentment. And, as we’ve data gathered by the Intelligence Project of the seen in recent years, the threat of violence is very Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) doc- real. In fact, there’s a growing sector of white uments a continued and rising threat to supremacists, calling themselves “acceler- inclusive democracy: a surging white ationists,” who believe mass violence is nationalist movement that has been necessary to bring about the collapse of linked to a series of racist and anti- our pluralistic society. semitic terror attacks and has coin- With heightened attention to cided with an increase in hate crime. the movement since the deadly The number of white nationalist groups 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in rose for the second straight year, a 55 Charlottesville, Virginia, internal percent increase since 2017, when struggles have surfaced. Some leaders Trump’s campaign energized white have been kicked off their social media nationalists who saw in him an ava- We elevated to the platforms and other internet services tar of their grievances and their anx- top-level priority they relied on to raise money, recruit iety over the country’s demographic racially motivated new members, and spread racist pro- changes. The numbers are a barome- violent extremism paganda. The organization of one of ter, though an imperfect one, of the size the country’s most recognizable white and growth of the movement. so it’s on the same nationalists, Richard Spencer, appears A series of terror attacks in the footing in terms of to have gone dormant. United States and abroad—including our national threat Despite these developments, the the mass killings in El Paso, Texas, and banding as ISIS white nationalist movement remains New Zealand—have led federal author- the most mobilized threat from the ities to put more focus on combating and homegrown American radical right. It is not, how- terrorism that stems from the move- violent extremism. ever, the only one tearing the social fab- ment. FBI Director Christopher Wray —CHRISTOPHER WRAY ric of inclusive democracy. Hundreds of BRANDON AP IMAGES/ALEX told the House Judiciary Committee hate groups are operating in America, in early February that the agency had targeting immigrants and refugees, upgraded its assessment of the threat LGBTQ people, Muslims, Jews, Blacks posed by racially motivated extremists and other people of color. 4 SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER It is time to move beyond the illusion that hate violence and extremism is merely a criminal crisis in America. It is also a political crisis. It has to be engaged politically. Just as there was a national movement against racial segregation in the 1960s, there now needs to be a national movement against hate violence in America. The alarming rise of hate violence in our com- residents. More than 8,000 educators, represent- munities and bigoted rhetoric within mainstream ing every state and a number of other countries, political discourse has thus far failed to prompt a have begun using a toolkit to help them counter proportionate response from community leaders white nationalist recruitment in middle and high and political officials. We are no more prepared for schools. Dozens of congregations, civic groups and a backlash of hate violence that could surround the local leaders have come together to form their own coming 2020 election than we were in 2016. community-based responses to organized bigotry. It is time to move beyond the illusion that hate As detailed in this report’s review of the Year in violence and extremism is merely a criminal cri- Technology, there is also progress—though far too sis in America. It is also a political crisis. It has to slow—in response to the proliferation of hate on be engaged politically. Just as there was a national the internet. Increased pressure has to be brought movement against racial segregation in the 1960s, to bear on social media platforms to stop prioritiz- there now needs to be a national movement against ing profit over the safety of our communities and hate violence in America. inclusive democracy. Prioritizing profit at all costs What would such a movement against organized continues to have real and tragic results, not only bigotry look like? in the United States but internationally. It should include appropriate action on the fed- Through community pressure on elected lead- eral level, of course, as has now begun with the FBI ers, media organizations and corporate interests, a and Department of Homeland Security. broad-based response can be mobilized. Together, A full defense of inclusive democracy also we can demand and construct better data collec- requires local responses by city, county and state tion, improved law enforcement training, stron- governments; litigation strategies that hold hate ger prosecutorial and civil litigation strategies, groups accountable for the harm they cause; internet laws that keep guns away from those with violent companies that enforce their own policies restrict- intent, and upstream interventions that teach tol- ing the ability of hate groups to operate online; and erance and rebuild community trust. support for individuals and organizations willing By educating, training and assisting civil soci- to courageously reach out, neighbor to neighbor, ety to effectively respond to social movements that to stand up for each other’s civil and human rights. exploit bigotry and intolerance, we can limit the AP IMAGES/ALEX BRANDON AP IMAGES/ALEX Promising steps are already taking place across impact of white nationalism, hate violence and the country. In the Pacific Northwest, city councils authoritarian practices on inclusive democracy. and county commissions in five municipalities have The data on hate groups and extremism provided passed resolutions condemning white nationalist by the SPLC’s Intelligence Project is an essential activity and pledging support for all vulnerable tool in that effort. THE YEAR IN HATE AND EXTREMISM 5 THE YEAR IN HATE AND EXTREMISM 2019 EXTREMIST HATE THREATENS PLURALISTIC DEMOCRACY In 2019, the third year of the Trump hate crimes added to the death toll and presidency, data gathered by the reinforced the climate of violence that Intelligence Project of the SPLC docu- threatens lives as well as the function- ments a continued and rising threat to ing of inclusive democracy. inclusive democracy: a surging white Social media and the internet more nationalist movement that has been 940 generally have helped extremists extend linked to a series of racist and antise- hate groups in the reach of racist ideologies and con- mitic terror attacks and has coincided the U.S in 2019 spiracy theories. White supremacists, with an increase in hate crime. The in fact, are increasingly congregating number of white nationalist groups online, often not formally joining hate identified by the SPLC rose for the sec- groups but networking, raising funds, ond straight year, a 55 percent increase recruiting and spreading propaganda since 2017, when Donald Trump’s cam- that radicalizes young people and stokes paign energized white nationalists who 55% violence against nonwhite immigrants, saw him as an avatar of their grievances increase in Jews, Muslims, Black people and others and their anxiety over the country’s white nationalist who belong to minority groups. demographic changes. hate groups The man charged with the New White nationalism poses a serious Zealand massacre livestreamed part of since 2017 threat to national security and plural- the assault on Facebook. The El Paso istic democracy.
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