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Friend, We’ve just released a new addition to our 2020 Year in Hate and Extremism report: a three-part deep dive into the dangerous spread of antigovernment extremism over the past year. Keep reading for a preview, or click here to read the report right away. In many ways, 2020 was a perfect storm of events for the antigovernment movement. In the spring, the COVID-19 pandemic led to public health lockdowns, restrictions on gatherings and mask mandates that galvanized these far-right extremists. Antigovernment groups led massive protests at state capitols all over the U.S.; in Michigan, a militia group hatched a serious plot to kidnap the governor – with plans to do the same to Virginia’s governor. Later in the year, as large-scale Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests against police violence arose in cities across the country, antigovernment groups turned out in large numbers to counterprotest. They painted BLM and supporters across social media with racist dog whistles such as “thugs” and blamed violence on leftists. Most recently, the 2020 presidential election provided fertile ground for dangerous conspiracy theories about voter fraud, which evolved into mass movements of right-wing activists upset about the legitimate election of Joe Biden. After the election, the “stop the steal” movement – trumpeted repeatedly by outgoing President Donald Trump as well as Republican lawmakers such as Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz – spread out of control before our very eyes, culminating in the domestic terror assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Our Year in Antigovernment Extremism report is divided into an introduction and three parts: “The Coronavirus Pandemic,” “Opposing Nationwide Protests Against Police Brutality,” and “Opposing the Election Results.” Below, we’ve highlighted selected excerpts from the three sections for you – though we encourage you to check out the entire report, which is disturbing but essential reading. Part 1: The Coronavirus Pandemic The coronavirus pandemic ignited activity by antigovernment groups in 2020 as many resisted stay-at-home orders and requests to wear masks. This included militias, constitutional sheriffs, conspiracy theorists, antigovernment secessionists and members of boogaloo and QAnon movements. Many groups have denied the virus’s existence or severity, reacting by spreading baseless conspiracy theories, claiming government health guidelines were tyrannical and calling lawmakers who implemented them tyrants. Constitutional sheriffs across the country refused to enforce stay-at-home orders, claiming they were “unconstitutional” mandates while antigovernment groups cheered them on. As stay-at-home orders were implemented to slow the spread of the virus, antigovernment groups took to the streets to protest, claiming their liberties were being infringed upon. Law enforcement has arrested members of at least two groups for plotting bombings and kidnappings, based on actions they took in opposition to coronavirus precautions. Part 2: Opposing Nationwide Protests Against Police Brutality Fewer antigovernment groups were active in 2020, but we witnessed the mobilization of extremist groups against the Black Lives Matter movement (BLM). BLM, a nationwide movement aimed at challenging and dismantling the structures of systemic racism, protested the killing of 46-year-old George Floyd, a Minneapolis man who was killed in May by a police officer while being detained on suspicion of buying cigarettes with a fake $20 bill. In response to protests in more than 150 cities, antigovernment groups that have historically been at odds with government agencies experienced division when some factions initially came out in support of the protests. Part 3: Opposing the Election Results Antigovernment extremist groups mobilized around the general election in 2020. The antigovernment movement’s response mirrored Trump’s rhetoric falsely claiming that the election was “stolen.” Many antigovernment groups supported Trump throughout his presidency and continued to do so during the 2020 election and beyond. Many antigovernment groups, including the Oath Keepers, were present at the Capitol insurrection. Some who broke through into the Capitol Building were photographed wearing Oath Keepers merchandise. The antigovernment movement as a whole tends to oppose the federal government only during Democratic presidencies, with few exceptions. The movement views Trump as a government outsider cleaning up from the inside, shepherding the government back to its “intended” form and purpose. In response, groups have redirected most of their ire toward state and local government officials. In solidarity, Your friends at the SPLC
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