Throughout ideological contradictions and changing perception of events on the ground, the Oath Keepers’ messaging remained consistent around one key element: the existence of a deep-state plot against US President Trump. By mid-April 2020, protests against government-imposed lockdowns began springing up across the United States. At their center was a pronounced distrust of the government… Continue reading “ANTI-GOVERNMENT IDEOLOGY IN THE TIMES OF COVID-19”
Introduction In April 2020, the German radical right party ‘Alternative for Germany’ (AfD) lost more than 4% in the opinion polls compared to January. Its popularity this month was at the level of 9-10% (down from a record of 18% nationally in 2018 and 25% in the eastern state polls). There are two reasons for… Continue reading “Will be the world more tolerant after the Covid-19 Pandemic?”
Almost four months after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in China, we can state with confidence that coronavirus pandemic has the potential to radically change the world and society that we live in. As part of mainstream narratives on the consequences of the pandemic has been the idea that globalisation will be reversed, and… Continue reading “The ‘other’ in a time of a crisis: Europe’s Populist Radical Right Response to Covid-19”
Isolation and fear are being used by the radical right to connect and indoctrinate people by spreading racist narratives about the virus. In the last four months, Coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread across every populated continent and infected more than two million people, with estimates of many more to come. More than just a tragic outbreak… Continue reading “The radical right is weaponising COVID-19 online”
From lies about 5G to vast conspiracies of a Bill Gates vaccine plot, COVID-19 has sparked an avalanche of conspiracy theories. Here’s how to spot them. Did you know that the anagram of “Carnivorous” spells “Coronavirus?” Think about it!!!!!!! (a Facebook post) This was posted by a vegan who peddles all types of conspiracies about… Continue reading “How To Debunk Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories”
“Five, 10 years from now—different party. You’re going to have a worker’s party.” These words, uttered by Donald Trump in the May of 2016, might at first appear prophetic given the current bout of protests that have taken off throughout the US. In these protests, the star-spangled banner is strewn across various cityscapes as largely… Continue reading “Contesting Class in the Lockdown Protests”
COVID-19 has shutdown numerous activities in the public spaces of Europe—including far-right demonstrations. Yet the relaxation of protective measures will surely bring renewed far-right demonstration activity. In most European countries, protective measures against COVID-19 have dramatically reduced activities in public space. While these measures have wide-ranging and diverse impacts, a particular effect on far-right social… Continue reading “COVID-19 and the Pause of Far-Right Demonstrations in Germany”
Researchers are asking if this era of self-isolation will increase radicalization, but they need to look at the existing extremism COVID-19 is exacerbating. There have been articles published that assert that there will be an uptick in far-right radicalization due to shelter-in-place orders currently occurring in many countries across the world—not to mention most of… Continue reading “Quarantined Radicals: Right-Wing Extremism In The Age Of COVID-19”
A number of far-right extremists have recently taken to social media platforms to spread conspiratorial content about COVID-19. Such conspiracy theories range from the virus being a biological weapon created by the Chinese government, to the predictable anti-Semitic tropes of ‘globalism’ claiming it was developed by the tech philanthropist Bill Gates in collaboration with the Jewish investor George… Continue reading ““#CoronaJihad”: How the Far-Right in India is Responding to the Pandemic”
Within the span of a few weeks, the social and academic lives of over 91% of the world’s youth have been completely upended, as 1.5 billion students’ schools have closed, leading to an unprecedented shift in youth online engagement. In the U.S. alone, over 55 million children now spend much of their days online in a variety of… Continue reading “The Risks of Online Radicalization in the COVID-19 Era”