In recent years, there has been an increasing trend in extremist-related incidents both nationwide and in Florida

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — According to a new report that was released on Tuesday by the Anti-Defamation League, there has been a considerable increase in extremist-related occurrences both in the United States and in the state of Florida over the previous couple of years (ADL).

According to the group, these instances have been partially fuelled by widespread disinformation and conspiracy theories, which have emboldened radicals and stoked antisemitism.

Because of this, there has been unrest and violence, including an attack on the United States on January 6th. Capitol since the previous year, as well as a spike in the number of hate crimes and acts of white supremacist activities.

According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), between January 2020 and August 2022, they reported more than 400 incidents of white supremacists distributing propaganda in the state of Florida.

According to the study that was compiled by the organization, the vast majority of these occurrences were caused by the white supremacist groups Patriot Front and the New Jersey European Heritage Association.

According to the findings of the report, Florida is home to a number of other hate groups, some of which are headquartered there while others maintain a physical presence there. These groups include the NSDAP, Sunshine State Nationalists, NatSoc Florida, White Lives Matter, American First/Groyper Movement, Endangered Souls, and Florida Nationalists.

According to the report, 95 of these occurrences either used antisemitic language or symbols, targeted Jewish institutions, or both.

According to the findings of the study, the number of hate crimes committed in Florida over the past few years has been steadily increasing.

According to what was stated in the report, “antisemitism and extremism have been disseminated by groups of different political and ideological origins.”

If we are unable to identify the nature and scope of the extremist threat that exists in our community, we will be unable to effectively combat it. The examination of groups, ideologies, and events is something that is always worth doing, and it is important that we look into any and all nuances that we can “Ben Popp, an ADL Investigative Researcher, made this statement.

The Jewish community was the target of 56.1% of all religion-based hate crimes that were reported to the FBI in 2020, according to the most recent data that was included in the report on Hate Crime Statistics from the FBI.

In the state of Florida, antisemitic hate crimes have increased by 300% since 2012, and hate crimes directed on Jews accounted for 80% of all religiously motivated incidents in the year 2020.

“We know from history that oftentimes violent historical events are often preceded by hateful rhetoric. And the normalization of this type of hateful rhetoric. As a result, the work we’re doing here in Florida and nationwide with the Anti-Defamation League is really aimed around STOPping and intercepting this hateful rhetoric right now so that it doesn’t escalate to violence in the future, ” “Sarah Emmons, who serves as the ADL’s Regional Director in Florida, stated.

According to information compiled by the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, of the 855 people charged in relation to the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 90 are natives of the state of Florida, making this the state with the highest number of suspects when compared to all other states.

We witnessed a group of Oath Keepers who functioned in a stack, military stack style structure, on January 6th, and that group’s genesis was in Florida, said Popp. “In addition to simply the sheer quantity of individuals, there are also quite substantial networks in Florida that contributed to the uprising.”

The Anti-Defamation League of Florida suggested the following measures to prevent extremism:

1. CONDEMN HATRED:

Antisemitism and other forms of extremism must be denounced unequivocally and unequivocally by community leaders and elected officials alike, no matter where or when they take place.

2. PASS LEGISLATION TO PROTECT MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AND ENSURE THAT IT IS ENFORCED:

Our political leaders have a responsibility to enact and uphold the law, which includes a comprehensive hate crimes measure as well as a state Non-Profit Security Grant Program.

3. PROTECT FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS:

It is incumbent upon both political officials and members of the community to campaign for voting procedures that are both accessible to all voters and safe from the threat of violence.

4. DISABLING BIGOTRY AND RADICALISM by Means of Appropriate Law Enforcement Measures:

Training on how to recognize and document hate crimes, antisemitic incidents, and other bias-motivated incidents should be provided to law enforcement agencies, and these agencies should dedicate resources to hate crimes units. The training that law enforcement agencies need can be provided by the ADL.

5. ANTI-BIAS AND HOLOCAUST EDUCATION Ought to Be Given Top Priority:

In order for students to be able to acquire both a correct understanding of historical events like the Holocaust and meaningful opportunities to learn about and investigate bias, they need to be given the authority to do so. The ultimate goal is to assist students in becoming productive citizens.