White supremacist propaganda exercise surged in Massachusetts and throughout New England final yr, as reported incidents hit an all-time excessive for the area and within the U.S.
That’s in keeping with the Anti-Defamation League’s annual evaluation of reported white supremacist propaganda incidents.
ADL recorded 6,751 incidents nationally final yr, a 38% soar over the 4,876 incidents recorded throughout 2021.
The 5 states that comprise the ADL New England area noticed a whopping 96% spike in recorded white supremacist propaganda exercise.
In addition to the July march by means of Boston by white nationalist hate group Patriot Front, New England propaganda actions included gatherings by white supremacists with anti-Semitic, racist, anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ+ messages at native bookstores, libraries, theaters, shelters and hospitals throughout the area.
“White supremacist propaganda has the dual and devious purpose to intimidate specific groups and lure others to join their hateful activities,” stated Peggy Shukur, ADL New England interim regional director. “Too many of these groups have set New England as their home base.”
Other white supremacist incidents final yr included shows of racist and anti-Semitic banners at Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, and on the Route 1 overpasses in Danvers and Saugus on September 11.
Ahead of this week’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, the town is on excessive alert to maintain out the hate teams.
“With deliberation and intention, they target their hate against Jewish, Black, Muslim and LGBTQ+ communities and non-white immigrants through despicable and disruptive stunts on freeway overpasses and public events, including the St. Patrick’s Day parade,” Shukur stated.
“While their message and often their faces are often intentionally disguised, their goal is to inspire and incite people to act,” Shukur added. “In the face of ever increasing propaganda activities in the region, we have witnessed communities uniting throughout New England to reject this hate. We also welcome efforts to hold these groups accountable for the harm they inflict on those targeted.”
In 2022, hateful propaganda appeared in each state in ADL’s New England area and every state recorded a rise in such exercise: Massachusetts had 465 incidents, up 72%; New Hampshire had 183 incidents, up 383%; Rhode Island had 142 incidents, up 74%; Vermont had 131 incidents, up 64%; Maine had 30 incidents, up 50%.
Patriot Front and Nationalist Socialist Club had been essentially the most lively teams throughout the area, with Patriot Front being chargeable for 909 of the 951 incidents in New England. Massachusetts ranked second solely to Texas within the variety of recorded propaganda actions in 2022.
ADL New England urges the general public to report incidents at www.adl.org/reportincident.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”
