White Aryan Resistance (WAR) is the name of a large, Arkansas-based white supremacist prison gang, who borrowed the name from California white supremacist Tom Metzger. Their main symbol is an elaborate pyramid-shaped tattoo that contains symbols representing rank and other meanings.
White Aryan Resistance (WAR) was a loosely organized racist skinhead movement in the late 1980s and early 1990s centered around white supremacist Tom Metzger. Now the symbol is associated with Metzger himself or used as a general hate symbol.
The White Knights are a Texas-based white supremacist prison gang (also active in Arizona in recent years). Their main symbol consists of a knight's helmet containing a skull. Behind the skull are two crossed swords, while the words "white" and "knight" appear on "rockers" above and below the skull.
New York Man Arrested for Threatening Law Enforcement and Democratic Politicians
Article
November 12, 2020 Federal agents with New York’s Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested Brian Maiorana, 54, of Staten Island on November 10, 2020, charging him with making threatening interstate communications. According to the criminal complaint, Maiorana recently used social media accounts to threaten violence against Democratic politicians, law enforcement officers and social justice protestors.
While Maiorana does not appear to have fully committed to an extremist ideology, and many…
At the Extremes: The 2020 Election and American Extremism, Part 7
Article
November 12, 2020 In the weeks leading up to and after the 2020 presidential election, the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) Center on Extremism (COE) in conjunction with ADL’s Center for Technology and Society has been releasing a series of news briefs on topics of concern regarding the role extremists and extremism more broadly are playing in our current political environment.
Here's Part 7:
Extremists Plan to Attend “Million MAGA March” in Washington, D.C.
Who/What:…
Jonathan Greenblatt's Opening Remarks at ADL's 2020 Never Is Now Summit on Antisemitism and Hate
News
Remarks by Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO November 09, 2020 Thank you all for tuning in today for the 5th annual Never is Now conference. There is so much to discuss, but before we get started, I want to pause and remember Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks who left us too soon this weekend. He was an extraordinary leader, a remarkable rabbi, a gifted scholar and a beautiful man. He will be missed. May his memory always be for a blessing. We gather today -- virtually -- at what feels like the start…
QAnon proponent wins Georgia House race; ADL offering $3,000 reward for information on gravestone vandalism in Michigan
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November 06, 2020 THE WEEK’S BIG 3
As the country waited anxiously for all the votes to be counted in the U.S. presidential election, ADL urged calm and patience and reiterated our longstanding calls that every vote counts and every vote must be counted. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican candidate from Georgia who has espoused the antisemitic QAnon conspiracy theory and employed racist rhetoric during her congressional campaign was elected to the House of Representatives. And ADL…
Philadelphia Police Stop Potential Election-Related Attack by QAnon Adherent
Article
November 06, 2020 On November 5, 2020, Philadelphia police arrested two men from Virginia, thwarting a possible attack targeting people counting votes from Tuesday’s election at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Antonio LaMotta, 61, and Joshua Macias, 42, were arrested after police received a tip that the men were traveling to Philadelphia to allegedly engage in unspecified criminal activity. Police arrested the two men as they approached officers who were investigating their vehicle,…
Electoral Misinformation on Twitter: 39% of Problematic Tweets Reported by ADL Go Unaddressed by Platform in Crucial Post-Election Timeframe
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November 05, 2020 A subset of high-profile, misinformation-laden posts reached a combined potential audience of more than 108M followers, with over 1.1M likes and retweets prior to ADL reporting them to Twitter on November 4, 2020. From the time ADL reported the tweets to Twitter on November 4 until our final check on November 9, we found that the misleading tweets that remained unaddressed by the social media platform had been liked or retweeted more than 297,000 additional times. Tweets…
Statement on the Undetermined Presidential Election Outcome from ADL’s CEO
Press Release
As the final votes are tallied, we reiterate our longstanding calls that every vote counts and every vote must be counted. New York, NY, November 4, 2020 ... Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO of ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), today issued the following statement on the undetermined outcome of the United States presidential election:
We have just witnessed one of the most consequential presidential election contests in the history of our nation. The turnout exceeded expectations across the…
At the Extremes: The 2020 Election and American Extremism | Part 6
Article
October 28, 2020 In the weeks leading up to the 2020 presidential election, the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) Center on Extremism (COE) in conjunction with ADL’s Center for Technology and Society is releasing a series of news briefs on topics of concern regarding the role extremists and extremism more broadly are playing in our current political environment.
Here's Part 6:
As QAnon Tightens Its Paranoid Grip on the U.S., Here’s a Helpful Guide to the Lunacy
[See here:…
Two Years After Synagogue Massacre, Gab Remains Extremists' Online Destination of Choice
Article
October 27, 2020 Two years ago, white supremacist Robert Bowers killed 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh after posting antisemitic, anti-immigrant rants on Gab. Today, supported by a founder who encourages hate speech, the social media site appears to be gaining traction among right-wing extremists, including white supremacists: Sixty percent of the 47 right-wing extremist groups currently on Gab were created this year.
Gab is rife with white supremacist groups. …
At the Extremes: The 2020 Election and American Extremism | Part 5
Article
October 22, 2020 In the weeks leading up to the 2020 presidential election, the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) Center on Extremism (COE) in conjunction with ADL’s Center for Technology and Society is releasing a series of news briefs on topics of concern regarding the role extremists and extremism more broadly are playing in our current political environment.
Here's Part 5:
Extremists and non-Extremists alike target Michigan Governor with violent threats
Who/What: Michigan…
ADL Finds Hateful Content on Telegram Exceeds That on Facebook
Press Release
Analysis also found sharp rise in anti-Black content as Black Lives Matter protests erupted in May 2020 New York, NY, October 21, 2020 ... ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today released a new study evaluating anti-Black and antisemitic content in public groups on Facebook and private channels on Telegram since the start of the year, finding a much larger proportion of references to hateful content on Telegram. Reviewing content since the start of 2020 through September, there was a…
ADL Statement on Introduction of Protecting Americans from Dangerous Algorithms Act
Press Release
New York, NY, October 20, 2020 ... ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) CEO Jonathan Greenblatt issued the following statement regarding the introduction of the Protecting Americans from Dangerous Algorithms Act by Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) and Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA):
ADL has long fought against social media’s extraordinary amplification of violence and extremism, which is a profoundly harmful consequence of platforms optimizing for user engagement and revenue. Yet federal law has…
ADL Launches Online Election Incident Reporting Tool in Response to Concerns of Extremist Interference
Press Release
New York, NY, October 19, 2020 ... In response to growing concerns that extremists could attempt to interfere at the polls in the next few weeks as Americans cast their ballots, ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) has established a new online incident reporting tool that will enable voters to flag any potential hate crimes or disruptions involving extremists.
In addition to an online reporting form, where the public will be able to report possible hate crimes or extremism-related incidents…
At the Extremes: The 2020 Election and American Extremism | Part 4
Article
October 15, 2020 In the weeks leading up to the 2020 presidential election, the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) Center on Extremism (COE) in conjunction with ADL’s Center for Technology and Society is releasing a series of news briefs on topics of concern regarding the role extremists and extremism more broadly are playing in our current political environment.
Here's Part 4:
Extremism Resources: What You Need to Know to Navigate the Last Three Weeks of the 2020 Election…
After Long Fight, ADL is Relieved at Facebook Announcement That It Will Remove Holocaust Denial Content
Press Release
New York, NY, October 12, 2020 ... ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) is relieved by Facebook’s announcement that it was updating its hate speech policy to prohibit any content “that denies or distorts the Holocaust.” This comes after nearly a decade of ADL advocating for such changes and just weeks before the 2020 presidential election, where users have been using the platform to perpetuate hate and conspiracy theories at alarming rates.
Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO,…
Jewish lawmakers face ‘alarming’ antisemitic tweets; Facebook will ban groups that support QAnon; Feds thwart militia plot to kidnap Michigan governor
Article
October 11, 2020 THE WEEK’S BIG 3
Jewish members of Congress are facing antisemitic attacks on Twitter in the lead-up to the November election, according to a new report from ADL. Facebook said it is escalating the campaign against QAnon, pledging to remove any Facebook pages, groups and Instagram accounts aligned with the conspiracy group. The FBI says it thwarted what it described as a plot to violently overthrow the government and kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Read on…