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CSUSB’s Kevin Grisham discusses Dept. of Homeland Security’s warning of more violence by domestic extremists
KCRW Radio (Los Angeles)
Jan. 28, 2021
Kevin Grisham, associate director of Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at CSUSB, discussed the Department of Homeland Security’s warning that the violence of the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot could persist for weeks or months, led by domestic extremists “fueled by false narratives.”
In response to a question of whether extremist groups are working together, Grisham said that prior the November presidential election, based on their online activity, it appeared many were operating independently, though there was some overlap.
“Then as we got closer to the time of the election, we started to see a merging of some of those ideologies, some calls for action,” Grisham said. “And then, of course, on Jan. 6, we definitely saw some groups that were often sharing.” Since the violence on Jan. 6, “we’ve actually seen a lot more people who traditionally would not been on a Proud Boys (an extremist group) channel, based on their characteristics they’ve posted on other (online channels) – and all of a sudden they’re on Proud Boy channels. Or they’re on group channels on Telegram or other platforms that are more akin to the white supremacy or neo-Nazi movement … So you see a lot more merging. It’s kind of an outcome, I would argue, of the de-platforming that occurred right in the aftermath of the siege on the Capitol.”
Listen to the interview at “Federal government warns of continued threat from domestic violent extremists
Brian Levin: ‘Extremism has taken hold in the police and military. We need to root it out.’
The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada)
Jan. 29, 2021
In an op-ed, Brian Levin, director of CSUSB’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, wrote: “Among the most concerning sights from the deadly U.S. Capitol mob insurrection earlier this month was the presence of armed extremists who were organized and prepared for violence. Amid the selfie-obsessed mob were extremists moving as platoons, attacking police. Some displayed restraints or used hand signals or walkie talkie apps to communicate with each other. Alongside shrill calls for the Speaker of the House and Vice-President to be lynched, some co-ordinated to discern the location of ‘traitorous’ elected officials. Outcry over the attack has even led some prominent counterterrorism analysts to call for new broad domestic terror laws.”
Read the complete article at “Extremism has taken hold in the police and military. We need to root it out.”
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