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.
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 the Threat Bulletin provides.
This blog contains a short excerpt from May’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.
May 2022 National Trends
Developing narratives and online searches
Following the Buffalo shooting in New York State, violent extremist sentiment and calls to spread the ‘The Great Replacement’ increased, with the suspect labeled a “saint” for referencing the conspiracy in his manifesto. Discussion of conspiracy theories such as ‘The Great Replacement’ and ‘White Genocide’ increased by 186% in the two weeks after the attack. Posts celebrating Christchurch mosque attacker Brenton Tarrant also surged.
Uvalde school shooter is celebrated for murdering Latino children with some labelling the attack as a “high score”, a term used in DVE spaces to praise attacks with a high number of casualties. Across DVE spaces, images of a transgender individual unconnected to the attack were also shared, prompting claims that the attacker was transgender and sparking a high volume of anti-transgender sentiment.
Throughout the month, the transgender community is targeted with violent threats and harassment. Calvin Klein’s Mother’s Day campaign, which features a pregnant transgender man leads to calls for violence against the LGBTQ+ community. Across DVE spaces, users also share conspiracy theories regarding the “epidemic of transhumanism”, which claims that vaccinations have led to a perceived increase in “transgenderism” across the U.S.
A leaked draft of Supreme Court opinion overturn Roe v. Wade sparked incitement to violence against pro-abortion rights groups. Allegations that the activist group ‘Ruth Sent Us’ released the addresses of Supreme Court Justices and organized protests are being circulated across DVE spaces, prompting violent rhetoric and calls to “shoot” those protesting outside the Justices’ houses.
Violent language and threats
In May, threats of violence driven by racial or ethnic bias increased, with a high volume of threats of violence towards the Black community driven by the Buffalo shooting (a 39% increase over April). The attack is being criticized by DVE audiences, who are claiming that alternative locations or perpetrators would have been more “effective” at killing members of the Black community. DVE audiences criticized the Buffalo shooter for not targeting politicians, which led to a 290% increase in threats of violence against elected officials.
Following the Ulvade, Texas school shooting, threats of violence against the police surged. Footage appearing to show police restraining parents outside the Elementary School prompted allegations that the police are “cowards,” and “let the shooting happen”, with users calling on the parents to “shoot” the police.
The Threat Bulletin also monitors and forecasts future trends and events to watch across online DVE spaces. For more detailed insights and analysis, including geo-spatial assessments of DVE threats across the U.S., please get in touch: threatbulletin@moonshotteam.com.
