Caroline Orr BuenoNov 28, 2022
I wrote an article diving into the statistics on far-right extremist violence compared to far-left extremist violence, and to say the least, it’s not a “both sides” problem. An estimated 75% of extremist killings in the US over the past decade are attributed to far-right extremists, compared to 4% attributed to far-left extremists — and that’s on the high end of the estimates for far-left extremist violence.
https://weaponizedspaces.substack.com/p/violent-extremism-in-america-is-a
Violent extremism in America is a far-right phenomenon

The stats are irrefutable. Trying to make it a "both sides" issue just distracts from the real deadly threat — which comes from the far-right.

Weaponized
Show threadCaroline Orr BuenoNov 28, 2022
The ADL, which publishes annual reports on extremist violence, found that all but three of 29 extremist killings in 2021 were attributable to far-right extremism. Looking at data from the past decade (2012-2021), the picture remains very similar: far-right extremists are responsible for 75% of extremist killings, compared to 4% attributed to far-left extremists.
D▲▼L ENov 30, 2022
Show threadCaroline Orr Bueno
The New America Foundation, which breaks down the categories of extremist violence a bit more than ADL, found that only one extremist killing since 9/11 is attributable to left-wing extremism, compared to 122 deaths attributed to far-right extremism. Here’s what that looks like visualized:
Nov 28, 2022 at 4:05pmWeb
Show threadCaroline Orr BuenoNov 28, 2022
Another analysis, conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), found that just one deadly extremist attack since 1994 was attributable to antifascists (“antifa”). During the same time period, right-wing extremists carried out attacks that resulted in 329 deaths.
Show threadCaroline Orr BuenoNov 28, 2022
But it’s about more than just the static numbers — it’s also about the rise in far-right extremist violence, which is shown below in yellow. Far-left extremist violence is shown in dark grey, and extremist violence categorized as “other” is shown in light grey. As you can see, far-right extremist violence accounts for nearly all of the rise of domestic extremism over the past two decades.
Show threadCaroline Orr BuenoNov 28, 2022
Furthermore, far-right extremist attacks are more likely to result in deaths & injuries than far-left extremist attacks. This has a lot to do with the overlap with America’s gun culture: 83% of extremist murders over the past decade were firearms-related, and far-right extremist violence is significantly more likely to involve firearms than far-left extremist violence.
Show threadCaroline Orr BuenoNov 28, 2022
I also addressed the “what about antifa?” trope that is commonly used to deflect from discussions of far-right extremism & to try to make extremist violence seem like it’s a matter of two unruly sides “clashing” with each other. But the depiction of antifa put forth by the far-right (and the former POTUS) is largely detached from reality & has become a catch-all term for any/all left-wing activists or just perceived opposition, and is commonly used to identify targets for harassment or worse.
Show threadCaroline Orr BuenoNov 28, 2022
Disturbingly, some national security & intelligence officials in the Trump admin said they were pressured into reporting false numbers and exaggerated threat profiles in order to falsely inflate the threat of violence posed by “far-left groups” and overplay their role in violence during protests. In other words, the Trump admin was trying to manufacture a threat of violence while simultaneously failing to adequately address the growing threat of far-right extremist violence. Really, really bad.
Show threadCaroline Orr BuenoNov 28, 2022
In an effort to falsely inflate the threat of “antifa” violence, far-right disinformation actors & propagandists, along with far-right activists & influencers, produces a steady of stream of propaganda about “antifa” that is then disseminated through social media & right-wing media — and at times, makes it way into law enforcement intelligence reports and even influences policing decisions. I’ve documented this dangerous pattern extensively on Twitter for over 5 years. A few examples are below.
Show threadCaroline Orr BuenoNov 28, 2022
Similarly, I have also documented how far-right activists, influencers, propagandists, and politicians carried out an expansive and coordinated disinformation campaign aimed at getting “antifa” labeled as a domestic terror threat, which was really an effort to criminalize dissent and left-wing activism more broadly. This involved falsely linking “antifa” to mass shootings and other acts of violence in an attempt to make people mentally associate “antifa” with “violence” and “terrorism”.
Show threadCaroline Orr BuenoNov 28, 2022
Importantly, the specter of antifa also played a major role in the far-right’s plan for Jan. 6th. This effort involved everyone from far-right militias like the Oath Keepers, to Fox News & Alex Jones, to Trump himself, and it built on the disinfo campaign that had brewing for 4 yrs at that point. The plan was to instigate fights with “antifa” at the Capitol, then blame the violence on “antifa” and use that to give Trump a rationale for invoking the Insurrection Act. But antifa didn’t show up.
Show threadBob Blaskiewicz 🇺🇦 🇨🇦 🇬🇱Nov 28, 2022
@rvawonk I remember how clear that intention was, how clearly explosive the rally was going to be, and how much explicit leaders were about staying home.
Show threadJennifer DoyleNov 28, 2022
@rvawonk LOL. "Antifa" was busy in Georgia supporting free & fair elections! On January 6 we slept in and had a late brunch.
Show threadGrowingFamilyNov 29, 2022
@rvawonk Caroline, I am so happy to see you on here!
Show threadJudith PakosinskiNov 29, 2022
@rvawonk the word was out, at least in Portland, that the better idea for that day was to not get played and to stay home.
Show threadSparkle TeaNov 30, 2022

@rvawonk

I am still thrilled that people on the left did not take the bait.

Lots of people were warning us all about it.
Nice restraint.

(I mean I'm not talking about AntiFa, but they don't make such distinctions.)

Show threadBabu SarkerNov 30, 2022
@rvawonk
Show threadSir Dr Rusty o the Isle 🖤💛❤️Nov 30, 2022
@rvawonk Never forget the role of #TraitorMurdoch in the #USInsurrection. He would like you to forget he stoked it, for years.
#uspolitics
Show threadRyan Michael (he/they)Dec 5, 2022
@rvawonk I am against n*zis (idk how searches work here, so safety censoring), and so many communities were so vocal with warnings and the like. I'm so grateful for that, bc that meant we knew to stay home *and actually did so*
Show threadmarie_cast Nov 29, 2022

@rvawonk

@Adirondack

The current “Antifa board game” outrage in France is the result of the same disinformation campaign. Far-right activists inundated the Fnac website and social media with bad reviews and comments. Since we are still not used to those tactics being used in France (sigh), they got what they wanted, the game was removed from sale, and most of all, they generated some outrage.

https://www.sudouest.fr/economie/conso-distribution/polemique-autour-du-jeu-antifa-la-fnac-retire-sa-commercialisation-sous-pression-de-l-extreme-droite-13158351.amp.html

Polémique autour du jeu « Antifa » : la Fnac retire sa commercialisation sous pression de l’extrême droite

Interpellée sur les réseaux, notamment par des élus Rassemblement national, la Fnac a fini par s’excuser et a retiré de la vente un jeu de société baptisé « Antifa » dont l’objectif est de « lutter contre l’extrême droite »

Sud Ouest
Show threadCaroline Orr BuenoNov 29, 2022
@marie_cast @Adirondack it’s like a rotating circus. A world circus.
Show threadSir Dr Rusty o the Isle 🖤💛❤️Nov 30, 2022
@rvawonk Excellent work
Show thread5klp471Dec 3, 2022
@rvawonk Who told tha loses they get to dictate terms?
Show threadMilennialZeroDec 4, 2022
@rvawonk You are doing seriously important work. If we are to be saved, it will require more people like you. Thank you.
Show threadStan FletcherDec 8, 2022
@rvawonk So basically they designated all branches in the US Armed Forces terrorist organizations.
Show threadThe Spoonless KitchenNov 29, 2022

@rvawonk I remember I used to reply "Antifa isn't a thing. Stop trying to make antifa a thing." with the "Stop trying to make fetch happen" gif everytime I saw one of these in the wild on the site-which-shall-not-be-named.

Let's be real, that was a lot of times. Always, I was the one hidden under "Show more replies" or "Show more replies that may be offensive."

I also liked to post this article.

https://www.wired.com/story/antifa-social-media-rumor-forks-washington/

Show threadold_babyNov 28, 2022
@rvawonk i don't mean to sound like a dick but this was obvious at the time, who is surprised by this?
Show threadSabNov 28, 2022

@old_baby @rvawonk Sometimes it's important to document things even when they're not surprising, even though it might not seem all too intuitive.

Take the current world championship in Quatar. Not a single person on planet earth with any knowledge of the situation is remotely surprised that FIFA is deeply corrupt and that infrastructure was built using modern day slavery. Still, we need to cover these things and to turn assumptions into knowledge. :)

Show threadTerritanNov 30, 2022

@old_baby @rvawonk Sometimes, you just have to repeat it for the ones in the back, undecided or just not paying attention.

It might also be fair to replace “undecided” with “willfully ignorant.” Either way, it doesn’t hurt to remind them of the truth (so they have no excuse).

Show threadVee, TheVGMLoverNov 28, 2022
@rvawonk Yeah... what isn't Trump doing that's really, really bad and plunging America into death-filled misery? =-=
Show threadRobNov 28, 2022
@rvawonk there she is! Yea. Missed the Orr posts.
Show threadStephen Rockower MDNov 28, 2022
@rvawonk Re: Threat levels. Are you surprised? I'm not.
Show threadRadicalWoman111Nov 28, 2022

@rvawonk
Funny how people are ratting out everything we knew Trump and his administration were doing.

There'll be more.

Show threadamyseekstruthNov 28, 2022
@rvawonk that tracks
Show threadTeach Honest HistoryNov 28, 2022
@rvawonk This is a very interesting and provocative claim. What is the source of this information?
Show threadJohn_G_R_WilsonNov 29, 2022
@rvawonk
Show threadDimplesNov 29, 2022
@rvawonk And DHS has admitted to creating false dossiers on individuals who took part in various protests against police brutality at the request of the former administration.
Show threadAlgoCompSynth by znmeb #MaskUpNov 30, 2022
@rvawonk Did said national security and intelligence officials directly break the law? Because their underlings here in Portland violated peoples' constitutional rights, killed a man without a trial, and used less-than-lethal weapons on peaceful protestors acting on orders from those officials.
Show threadJohn ShirleyNov 30, 2022
@rvawonk I wish it were surprising.
Show threadCatmikkJan 6, 2023
@rvawonk I remember this. It’s a pattern of behavior we saw everywhere. Filthy.
Show threadMabbNov 28, 2022
@rvawonk
My father was a Anti-Fascist, and I proudly follow in his footsteps.
Show threadBritScotNov 28, 2022

@rvawonk to the people in the back,

antifa=ANTI-FASCISM
Now do you get it? No? Then GTFOH

✌️🇬🇧

Show threadKarl Morant 🇨🇦  🖖Nov 28, 2022

@rvawonk They use this in Canada to attack Canadian lefties as well.

They say "What about the Antifa and BLM riots", to which I reply "what riots?", they reply "the ones in the US", to which I just shrug....

Show threadDoug 🇨🇦🌈Nov 29, 2022
@rvawonk we just aren't doing our share of murdering. Oh well, manãna.
Show threadWord of Mouth Nov 30, 2022

@rvawonk The thing is... #antifa is NOT "far-left". It's not a *positive* position. It's *negative*.

I'm about as basic a #liberal as you're likely to find. The Very Online Left would probably call me a #neoliberal (or worse).

But I'm antifa all the fucking way to the grave.

Antifa pretty much mainstream for anyone left of "What the Actual Fuck?!"

Show threadTofu GolemNov 30, 2022

@rvawonk
Correct response to "what about antifa" subject changes. Use it as an opportunity.

According to police, BLM protests resulted in 2,000 police injuries over the course of 8,700 protests for an average of 0.23 police injuries per protest.

Compare that to 140 police injuries at a single "peaceful protest" on January 6.

140 ÷ 0.23 = 609

So Republicans are 609 times more violent than antifa and BLM put together

Throw that in their faces. Show them the math

1/2

https://www.policemag.com/585160/more-than-2-000-officers-injured-in-summers-protests-and-riots

Show threadTofu GolemNov 30, 2022

@rvawonk
Basically, they are using "what about antifa" to change the subject away from the violent coup.

Use the above math to steer the conversation back to the violence of the coup on January 6.

2/2

Show threadCeleste RamsayNov 28, 2022
@rvawonk All those dark gray dots in the early 00s are likely sabotage of logging equipment that were charged as domestic terrorism after the Patriot Act.
Show threadDaphneNov 28, 2022
@rvawonk what kinds of incidents were responsible for the supposed leftist violence in the early 2000s? Was it just the Bush administration making things up?
Show threaddungbeetleNov 28, 2022
@daphne @rvawonk was just wondering this as well. possibly the iraq war protests? i don't remember those being violent.
Show threadMaxNov 28, 2022
@dungbeetle @daphne @rvawonk
https://ohai.social/@cramsay/109422349825391294
Celeste Ramsay (@[email protected])

@[email protected] All those dark gray dots in the early 00s are likely sabotage of logging equipment that were charged as domestic terrorism after the Patriot Act.

ohai.social
Show threaddungbeetleNov 28, 2022
@Maxpower @daphne @rvawonk interesting... that would account for the last quarter of 2001 - 2003, but what about 2000?
Show threadDaphneNov 28, 2022
@dungbeetle @Maxpower @rvawonk is it possible they grandfathered-in pending vandalism cases from the year 2000 if they hadn't yet gone to trial?
Show threadCeleste RamsayNov 28, 2022
@daphne @rvawonk Yeah, pretty much. After the Patriot Act was passed, they used it to go after environmentalists trying to stop logging by sabotaging equipment. No one was harmed, but charges were domestic terrorism.
Show threaddungbeetleNov 28, 2022
@rvawonk what counts as the far-left violence that seems to be the majority of incidents between 2000 - 2003? irc WTO protests were 1999.
Show threadSerenitiNov 28, 2022
@rvawonk that explains why Portland is being heavily targeted on twit today.
Show threadRiskmgmtmomNov 28, 2022
@rvawonk Thank you for sharing. As others have stated I am hard pressed to think of far-left groups but can easily name people that are part of the Proud Boys. The difference is staggering between the two though!
Show threadRyan Michael (he/they)Dec 5, 2022
@rvawonk I thought it was difficult to compare the two, especially since other was also gray, so I just spent 10min dotting purple on the dark grays, for anyone else struggling <3
Show threadcatjungleNov 28, 2022
@rvawonk Um, that misogyny number should be more like in the thousands. They just don't all have a manifesto.
Show threadEmacsenNov 30, 2022

@rvawonk

I don't doubt your statistics, but the idea of violence is too narrow in such statistics.

As a Jew, I fear physical violence from right wing extremists, but I fear other types of violence from the left, including exclusion from public spaces, gatekeeping from jobs, and invisibility when talking about Jew Hatred.

The extreme right wants to kill us, but for many in the far left #JewsDontCount