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CSUSB criminal justice professor talks political violence and hate crimes
Vice News
Dec. 14, 2020
The ongoing rejection of political norms and protocol, plus the continued ideological symbiosis between mainstream GOP and fringe extremists, sows fertile ground for violence, according to experts, including Brian Levin, who heads the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. GOP elected officials are giving an air of legitimacy to a conspiracy movement that started on the fringes, which in turn emboldens the fringe.
“When overly divisive and violent political rhetoric travels in a feedback loop that includes the president and a chain of his prominent supporters, it routinely ends up correlating to increases in political violence and related hate crimes,” said Levin. “We’ve seen a disturbing precursor here with Stop The Steal.”
“We are urging caution for authorities now with respect to the rising invective we’ve seen online,” Levin added.
Read the whole article at “The far-right-GOP ‘Feedback Loop’ is exactly what experts warned us about.”
Alabama Political Reporter
Dec. 15, 2020
Brian Levin, criminal justice professor and director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino, was quoted in an article about how unfounded claims of election fraud could have lasting destabilizing effects.
After an event last month called the Million MAGA March, Levin told NPR that the rally indicated that behind the scenes, planning is taking place that amounts to a political insurgency.
“Irrespective of the crowd, the fact that this is being organized shows that the hard, hard right is angling for some kind of activity to show that they have some potency,” Levin told the outlet.
Read the whole article at “SPLC warns election fraud claims may solidify as ‘key belief’ of the far right.”
Threats against public officials increased last year says CSUSB professor
Daily Kos
Dec. 14, 2020
In an article about the increasing harassment of public officials, Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, said that threats targeting government officials increased last year and were then exacerbated by the onset of coronavirus restrictions.
“The direction of the threats and intimidation against state and local officials took an eerie turn in the last couple of years and accelerated during the pandemic because aggrieved people are interacting with their government at the local level — in public health and elections,” Levin said. “And those officials are the very ones labeled as legitimate targets for aggressions on cable news, social media and particularly by the president.”
Read the whole article at “Trump cultists threaten to make America ungovernable by intimidating public servants out of jobs.”
CSUSB’s Brian Levin referenced in article about the increasing harassment toward public officials
The Washington Post
Dec. 14, 2020
Brian Levin, criminal justice professor and director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino, was referenced in an article about the increasing harassment toward public officials.
“Last week, an ‘enemies’ list of state and federal officials who rejected Trump’s baseless election conspiracy theories floated up from the dark corners of the Web, with home addresses listed and red targets over their photos,” Hannah Knowles, Annie Gowen and Tom Hamburger report. “Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University at San Bernardino, said his analysts began noticing an uptick in threats against government officials last year, probably inspired by Trump’s outspoken criticism of those he disagrees with. The aggression has worsened during the pandemic. … Levin said hate crimes rose to some of the highest levels in a decade after Trump said of a 2017 demonstration by white nationalists and neo-Nazis in Charlottesville that there were ‘very fine people, on both sides.’”
Read the whole article at “The Daily 202: Michigan Capitol lockdown for electoral college gathering follows weekend of chilling violence.”
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