fox news jan 6 images online threats week in extremism
An all-ages drag show in Wadsworth, Ohio drew hundreds of protesters on Saturday, including armed neo-Nazis who chanted Nazi slogans, the latest in a nationwide escalation of extremists targeting drag shows. Meanwhile, after Fox News host Tucker Carlson aired a report full of Inaccuracies about the January 6 uprising, threats of violence and intimidation have exploded online, according to a report. And in San Diego, a pivotal criminal case that could redefining the movement known as Antifa is moving towards trial, with bizarre far-right media attention.
It’s extremism week.
Drag show targeted by neo-Nazis
Demonstrators from a who’s who of extremist white supremacist groups descended on a city park in Wadsworth, a small town in northern Ohio, on Saturday to protest a drag queen storytelling event. Two people have been arrested in scuffles in the latest example of the far-right’s focus on drag events.
A Drag Show, Protest, and Guns in Texas:A drag show, a protest, and a gun line: How the battle over an issue is tearing America apart
Club Q attack “unsurprisingly”:The Club Q attack comes as no surprise to extremism experts who saw an imminent threat, a decades-old pattern
- Among the demonstrators were a neo-Nazi group known to extremism experts, who shouted “Sieg heil” and carried firearms; white supremacist groups Patriot Front and White Lives Matter; and members of the Proud Boys.
- Counter-protesters, including a pro-LGBTQ group from Colorado, held up rainbow-colored umbrellas as a form of “shield”.
- Context: Drag shows, especially shows aimed at all ages, have become the focus of far-right extremists over the past two years. This is just the latest example of a marginalized group being targeted by hate groups.
- Learn more: We delved into the anti-drag phenomenon in this investigation of an all-ages drag show in Texas that was protected by armed anti-fascists.
Fox’s Fake January 6 Narrative Leads to Rise in Online Threats
A show on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight last week misrepresented the events of the Jan. 6 uprising, using new footage given to Carlson by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The show depicts January 6 as a mostly peaceful gathering of tourists. The show has led to an explosion of online threats and intimidation, according to a report provided exclusively to USA TODAY.
Threats on social networks are exploding:Social media threats skyrocketed after Tucker Carlson claims on January 6, analysis finds
- The Advance Democracy report found that Twitter posts relating to January 6 using violent rhetoric increased fivefold from the previous week. Violent threats included calls for the lynching of January 6 Committee members and Democratic lawmakers, such as “hang ’em high” and “hang ’em all.”
- The spike is about extremism experts, who fear this could lead to acts of violence against the targets of Carlson’s disinformation: “I mean, that’s basically what we’re expecting right now,” said an expert.
- No Journalism: Carlson’s latest lying report shows the Fox News host left behind any intention to inform his viewers, journalism ethics expert Kelly McBride told us: “There’s no way you can watch his Jan. 6 special (from Carlson) and conclude any interest in doing journalism,” McBride said.
San Diego Antifa Case Update
Last year, we published this in-depth investigation into a San Diego criminal case that caught the attention of extremism watchers across the country. The San Diego 11 case could become a model for prosecutors to indict leftist activists as Antifa and brand the movement as a criminal gang. This week I have an update on the case:
Antifa lawsuit:How a criminal case could redefine the murky left movement
The last:As crucial legal test for Antifa ideology heads to trial, right-wing media also comes under scrutiny
- Go to trial: While six of the San Diego 11 have reached plea deals with prosecutors, defense attorneys for the other defendants say they are determined to bring the case to trial. “It’s the criminalization of an ideology,” Curtis Briggs, one of the attorneys, told USA TODAY. “Really, this is McCarthyism, and the United States has been through this before.”
- Journalist using a false name: The San Diego case took a curious turn last month when one of the defense attorneys filed a motion alleging a local reporter committed crimes by filing court documents under an assumed name. Catherine Cranston, who long wrote for the San Diego Reader under the pseudonym Eva Knott, filed court forms under her pseudonym and had a police-issued press pass in that name.
- The defendants criticize the key expert: One of the defense attorneys handling the case said he also plans to file a motion to dismiss the charges against his client based on the claim that the prosecution’s leading expert was not qualified to give evidence to the grand jury. As USA TODAY reported last year, Dawn Perlmutter, who claims to be an expert on Antifa, has written articles on conservative media sites speaking out against the Black Lives Matter movement.
Stat of the week: $2,000
It’s not all bad news.
A reader contacted USA TODAY to share a positive story about a drag event at a Vermont elementary school: Two drag queens, Lucy Belle LeMay and Amber LeMay held a fundraiser to raise money to buy a dog from assistance for a young boy with autism.
The event raised $2,000.
“I would love to see a story about there being no hate everywhere,” wrote Amber LeMay.
Well, there it is !
Last week in extremism:January 6 accused released; Domestic terrorism charges at Atlanta ‘police town’ protest
USA Today
