A mass shooter indoctrinated into bigotry and antisemitism on the internet committed another act of domestic terrorism yesterday at a Buffalo market. This brutal hate crime, which left 10 people dead and three injured, is just another illustration of how networks of racial fanatics influence one other, encouraging murder and domestic terrorism.
Hate-based communities on the internet, including major social media and content platforms, as well as alternative platforms, websites, and services, provide a venue for White supremacist groups to operate, recruit, and finance.
The global spread of extremist manifestos and actions demonstrates the transnational dimension of the threat to democracy and human life. In the United States, Congress and the administration must take action to safeguard Americans from the horrific violence perpetrated by these individuals, groups, and platforms. The group has also warned federal politicians about the online spread of extremism.
The Washington Center for Human Rights mourns the death of 10 Americans who were murdered only because they were Black.” We must remember these victims and reveal the cause for this horrible act, White nationalist’replacement theory,’ as nothing more than racism and hate. Extremists who commit hate crimes like this one target anybody who believes in a fair, just, and multicultural society. As a result, everyone who supports human rights must band together to reaffirm our ideals, close the pipeline to extremism, and put a stop to the pervasive bloodshed perpetrated by extremists.
We will continue to fight to uncover the methods by which individuals are brainwashed into hatred and extremism, and we will engage with any and all partners to halt the torrent of violent activities that are a stain on our nation and an existential threat to our democracy. When radicals employ violence and kill innocent people, they cross the line from legitimate political debate to domestic terrorism. The hate-fueled violence epidemic must be halted.
We know as human rights activists that internet hatred does not remain online. The sad events of this weekend demonstrate how violence in one region of the world against a religious minority fuels lethal hatred towards people of color in our own. New and ambitious instruments are required to detect and prevent the growth of racial extremism. We will continue to innovate in order to identify and track online hatred in order to promote safety and avoid this type of horror.