Latest news with #hategroups
Daily Mail
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Sickening scenes in Melbourne as white supremacists descend on shopping centre
A group of vile white supremacists gathered outside the busy Northland Shopping Centre in Melbourne, where they were filmed chanting slogans such as 'white man fight back' and 'white pride' while holding an offensive sign. Victoria Police is currently investigating the incident.
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The Independent
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
The number of hate groups in the US is shrinking — but their voice is growing louder
The number of white nationalist, hate, and anti-government groups in the U.S. declined slightly in 2024, not because their influence is fading. Many believe that racist ideologies and narratives of Christian persecution are becoming more accepted in government and mainstream conversations - allowing their voice to grow while the number of groups shrinks. The Southern Poverty Law Center reported a 5 percent decrease in hate and extremist groups in its annual 'Year in Hate and Extremism' report released Thursday. The nonprofit organization attributes the decline to a reduced need for formal organization, as hateful beliefs have increasingly permeated politics, education, and general society. According to the report, the influence is evident in efforts to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, restrict books and protest drag story hours. 'After years of courting politicians and chasing power, hard-right groups are now fully infiltrating our politics andenactingtheir dangerous ideology into law,' said Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the SPLC. 'Extremists at all levels of government are using cruelty, chaos and constant attacks on communities and our democracy to make us feel powerless. We cannot surrender to fear. It is up to all of us to organize against the forces of hate and tyranny. This report offers data that is essential to understanding the landscape of hate and helping communities fight for the multiracial, inclusive democracy we deserve.' In 2024, there were 533 active hate groups, including those promoting anti-LGBTQ+, anti-immigrant, antisemitic and anti-Muslim views. This figure has been gradually decreasing since peaking at a record high of 1,021 in 2018, according to the report. "The trends have slightly sort of gone up and down but let's just say generally, since our tracking, have increased. And that's not just on a total numbers level but also on a per capita," said Rachel Carroll Rivas, interim director of the SPLC's Intelligence Project. According to the Montgomery, Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center, the number of anti-government groups increased to 838 in 2024. These groups, which include militias and self-identified sovereign citizens, often view the federal government as "tyrannical." The SPLC also noted a growing presence of male supremacist hate groups, documenting seven new ones in 2024 for a total of 16. These groups promote misogynistic views and rigid gender roles. Their increased visibility happened in a historic election year with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris becoming the first woman of color nominated for president by a major political party. While not directly attributing it to Harris's candidacy, SPLC researchers found 'intense vilification' of her in white supremacist chat rooms, along with claims that women are unqualified for leadership. Additionally, some far-right groups promote the belief that white Christian culture is under threat due to a so-called "demographic crisis," including declining birth rates. "Politicians, pundits and provocateurs on the right have turned toward demonic language to tar those who disagree with them," the report states. Last year's report found record levels of white nationalist and anti-LGBTQ groups in 2023. It detailed how far-right organizations sought to undermine democracy through disinformation, conspiracy theories, and threats against election workers. The report also highlighted how advocates of Christian supremacy used these issues to rally support for authoritarian goals. The SPLC is a liberal advocacy group that tracks hate groups, files justice-related lawsuits, and runs educational programs to combat prejudice. It has faced criticism from conservatives and legal challenges over its classification of certain organizations as hate groups.
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Number of white nationalist groups falls as extremist views go mainstream
The number of white nationalist, hate and anti-government extremist groups in the US has dropped not because of their declining influence, but because many of their proponents feel their beliefs have become normalized in government and mainstream society, according to a new report by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). The SPLC's annual Year in Hate and Extremism report, published on Thursday, said it documented 1,371 hate and extremist groups across the country in 2024, down from 1,430 groups in 2023. These groups use 'political, communication, violent, and online tactics to build strategies and training infrastructure to divide the country, demoralize people, and dismantle democracy', the non-profit group said. The 5% drop in hate and extremist groups in 2024 can be attributed to the fact that many feel a lesser sense of urgency to organize, because their beliefs have infiltrated politics, education and society in general, according to the report. In 2024, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives became 'ground zero' for many of these groups, the report said, some using threats of violence and 'creating chaos that opened the door for political strongmen and authoritarian measures'. These efforts built a foundation for nationwide policy actions to follow by Donald Trump, including legislative measures to restrict discussions of race and gender in classrooms, and cutting funding for programs that disproportionately affect marginalized communities. The SPLC said there were 533 active hate groups in 2024, including ones that express views that are anti-LGBTQ+, anti-immigrant, antisemitic and anti-Muslim. Last year's report saw 'record numbers' of white nationalist and anti-LGBTQ+ groups, as well as an increase in direct actions such as hate crimes, flyering, protests and intimidation campaigns. The groups featured in this year's report make up the 'hard-right movement that has long been behind rhetoric and actions that target Black people, women, immigrants, Jewish people, Muslims, and low-income, Indigenous and LGBTQ+ people,' according to the SPLC Intelligence Project's interim director, Rachel Carroll Rivas. 'Their power comes from the use of force, the capture of political parties and government, and infesting the mainstream discourse with conspiracy theories.' The report's release comes as a Japanese American college professor is scheduled to make his first public appearance after he was brutally attacked in Los Angeles last month in a possible hate crime. Aki Maehara, 71, was struck by a vehicle and called a racial slur while riding his bike in Montebello, 10 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. He suffered serious injuries to his elbow, neck, cheekbones, jaw, hips and lower back, according to the Los Angeles Times. Maehara teaches a course on the history of racism in the US at East Los Angeles Community College. 'There's a long history,' he told the paper. 'They've picketed my classroom at East LA College. Chicano Republicans came after me and picketed me at Cal State Long Beach. The KKK came to my classroom at Cal State Long Beach when I was teaching a course on the US-Vietnam war. This is not the first time I've been targeted.'
The Independent
22-05-2025
- The Independent
Southern Poverty Law Center to release its annual report on hate and extremism
The Southern Poverty Law Center is expected to release its annual report Thursday on white nationalist, neo-Nazi and anti-government extremist group activity in the United States. The Hate & Extremism Report will identify the number of active hate groups in 2024 and how that compares with previous years. It will also look at anti-government group trends. The law center based in Montgomery, Alabama, tracks racism, xenophobia and far-right militias. Last year's report found 'record numbers' of white nationalist and anti-LGBTQ groups in 2023. The analysis highlighted how far-right groups tried to waylay democracy through disinformation, false conspiracy theories and threats to election workers. It also examined how supporters of Christian supremacy used similar topics to organize a movement toward authoritarianism. The SPLC is a liberal advocacy organization that, besides monitoring hate groups, files lawsuits over justice issues and offers educational programs to counter prejudice. Frequently criticized by conservatives as biased, the nonprofit has faced lawsuits for its designation of some organizations as hate groups. The report's release comes as a Los Angeles college professor makes his first public appearance since he was severely injured in a hit and run that he reported as a hate crime. He is scheduled to speak Thursday morning at the Chinese American Museum in downtown Los Angeles. Aki Maehara, 71, was riding his electric bicycle in Montebello, 10 miles (16 kilometers) east of downtown Los Angeles, on April 29 when he says he heard a driver yell a racial slur. Maehara says a car then struck him and the driver fled. He was hospitalized with a concussion, neck injury, cheek bone fracture and bruises and swelling up and down his body. Maehara, who is Japanese American, teaches a course on the history of racism in the U.S. at East Los Angeles College. The Montebello Police Department is investigating. Photos of his injuries posted to a GoFundMe page have been shared multiple times on social media with users calling for hate crime charges. The crowdsourcing campaign has raised almost $77,000 for Maehara.
Washington Post
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Southern Poverty Law Center to release annual report on hate and extremism
The Southern Poverty Law Center is expected to release its annual report Thursday on white nationalist, neo-Nazi and anti-government extremist group activity in the United States. The Hate & Extremism Report will identify the number of active hate groups in 2024 and how that compares to previous years. It will also look at anti-government group trends. The law center based in Montgomery, Alabama, tracks racism, xenophobia and far-right militias.
