The Moonshot Threat Bulletin at a Glance: June 2022

This blog contains a short excerpt from June’s Moonshot Threat Bulletin. If you would like to access a one month free-trial to the full Threat Bulletin and discuss a paid subscription for your organization, please get in touch: threatbulletin@moonshotteam.com.

June 2022 National Trends

Developing narratives

Threats of violence towards the LGBTQ+ community increase by 14% during Pride Month. Posts containing homophobic slurs increase by 25%.

In anarchist spaces, the overturning of Roe v. Wade sparks calls for agitation and disruption at organized protests against the ruling. Direct threats towards groups including federal agents and Fox News anchors were also identified.

Encouragements for violence against pro-abortion rights groups. Calls in DVE spaces to “take up arms” to protect churches and pregnancy centers against anarchist and pro-abortion rights groups are widespread.

Bipartisan gun control bill prompts calls for violent resistance Congressional passing of the bill sparks calls to use weapons against those attempting to enforce it.

Patriot Front are organizing large, military-style training events.
Moonshot has mapped Patriot Front activity across the U.S. in June, highlighting the group’s heightened activity in Northeastern U.S.

Violent language and threats

Threats of violence towards politicians increase by 5% in June. 1,381 threats of violence against politicians were identified in June. Violent rhetoric peaked on June 10, following the opening hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol. Separately, following mass shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo, DVE audiences are continuing to claim that perpetrators should target politicians instead of civilians.

About the Moonshot Threat Bulletin

Moonshot has launched a new monthly subscription product, the Moonshot Threat Bulletin, providing an overview of the key events, themes and narratives discussed by audiences within online U.S.-based Domestic Violent Extremist (DVE) spaces, including:

• Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremism (REMVE)
• Anti-Government and Anti-Authority Violent Extremism (AGAAVE) (including Militia Violent Extremism, Sovereign Citizen Violent Extremism, and Anarchist Violent Extremism)
• Harmful Conspiracy Theories online.

It also provides an assessment of violent hate, threats, and harassment trends online.

The Threat Bulletin includes comprehensive coverage of both mainstream and niche platforms, including Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, Gab, Telegram, 4chan, Stormfront, Gettr, MyMilitia, 8kun, among others.

The Threat Bulletin also monitors and forecasts future trends and events to watch across online DVE spaces.

In this series, we provide a monthly glimpse into The Threat Bulletin’s national trends analysis of online DVE spaces across the U.S. Our aim is to give a preview of the critical insights and coverage that Threat Bulletin provides.

For more detailed insights and analysis, including geo-spatial assessments of DVE threats across the U.S., please get in touch: threatbulletin@moonshotteam.com.