White supremacist propaganda reached alarming levels across US in 2020, says report

As per a new report from the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism, white supremacist propaganda has hit an all-time high in the year 2020. The report has tracked the racist propaganda for decades. In the year 2020, anti-Semitic, racist and anti-LGBTQ+ posters, flyers and graffiti were recorded 5,125 times. This is almost twice the number that was recorded in 2019. The report focuses on incidents in every state excluding Hawaii. 

Promoting white supremacist propaganda

The report comprises 130 incidents of white supremacists involving banners, 56 in-person white supremacist events and 283 incidents of anti-semitic language or propaganda that specifically targeted Jewish institutions. This is a 68 per cent increase from what was seen in 2019. As per the reports, the highest level of such activity has been recorded in Texas, Washington, California, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Virginia and Pennsylvania. The report provides a visual representation of the propaganda distribution efforts by geographic location. It can be used to highlight other specific trends.

Throughout the year 2020, there were several white supremacist groups that distributed propaganda, however, three groups named Patriot Front, New Jersey European Heritage Association and Nationalist Social Club were responsible for 92 per cent of the activity. In the year 2019, a Texas-based group Patriot Front was responsible for the vast majority of propaganda distribution. According to the reports by ADL.org, the group was behind 4105 of the incidents, or 80 per cent of all propaganda incidents nationally. The number of incidents by Patriot Front in 2020 more than doubled its incident total in 2019. The group distributed propaganda in all except Hawaii and Kansas in 2020. The group was the most active in Texas, Washington, California, Massachusetts, New York and Virginia. 

New Jersey European Heritage Association was responsible for 508 incidents in 2020. In 2020, its propaganda was most frequently reported in New Jersey, New York, Florida and Pennsylvania. The NJEHA distributes white supremacist propaganda with messages targeting various groups. It also includes Jewish people, Black people and immigrants. As per the report, some of its 2020 propaganda read: “Antifa is a Jewish communist militia”, “Black Crimes Matter” and “Reject White Guilt”.

(Image Credits: Unsplash/JoshJohnson)