US white supremacist activity soars in 2018 says ADL
According to the organization, reported white supremacist activity in 2018 increased by some 182% over 2017 figures.
By JEREMY SHARON‘Banners of Hate’ placed by US white supremacist groups(photo credit: ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE)
White supremacist activity in the US increased dramatically in 2018 the Anti-Defamation League said on Tuesday, with such groups holding rallies and events and distributing fliers to a much greater extent than previously seen.The ADL recorded 1,187 incidents in which white supremacist groups distributed fliers and other literature, and another 91 events of various kinds held by white supremacists around the country.According to the organization, reported white supremacist activity in 2018 increased by some 182% over 2017 figures.“Posting fliers is a tried-and-true tactic for hate groups, one that enables them to spread hateful ideas and sow fear across an entire community,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director.“Hate groups were emboldened in 2018, but their increasing reliance on hate leafleting indicates that most of their members understand this is a fringe activity and are unwilling to risk greater public exposure or arrest.”The literature distributed by such groups included explicitly racist images and words, as well as veiled white supremacist language, and often featured a recruitment element, and frequently targeted minority groups, including Jews, Blacks, Muslims, immigrants and the LGBTQ community.In some cases, the literature was packaged in a plastic bag with candy or rocks to weigh it down.According to ADL figures, there were 868 examples of white supremacists distributing material in the general community in 2018, up from 129 incidents in 2017, where various white supremacist and white nationalist groups were responsible for the majority of these efforts, such as Patriot Front and Identity Evropa, ADL also recorded 319 incidents of white supremacist propaganda on 212 college and university campuses in 37 states and in Washington, D.C. This was up from 292 campus incidents in 2017. Identity Evropa and Patriot Front were responsible for the bulk of campus incidents.
