Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seal. (AP Photo)
By Sean Yoes
AFRO Senior Reporter
syoes@afro.com
For Black Americans, the threat of White supremacist violence has been persistent and ubiquitous for centuries.
But, a new report by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), titled, “State of the Homeland Threat Assessment 2020,” suggests White supremacists will remain the most “persistent and lethal threat” in the United States through 2021.
Although the report has not been officially published yet, the AFRO was able to view a copy of the document prepared by DHS. In the introductory section, under the heading of “Terrorism,” it specifically states: “Lone offenders and small cells of individuals motivated by a diverse array of social, ideological and personal factors will pose the primary terrorist threat to the United States,” the document reads. “Among these groups, we assess that White supremacist extremist, who increasingly are networking with likeminded persons abroad, will pose the most persistent and lethal threat.”
When you dig deeper into the document DHS presents a more specific explanation of the growing White supremacist threat to the country and the role of White extremist media in carrying out attacks.
“Violent extremist media catering to these persons almost certainly spread violent extremist ideologies, especially via social media and encourage violence within the United States,” it reads. “Violent extremists almost certainly will continue their efforts to exploit public fears associated with COVID-19 to incite violence, intimidate targets and promote their violent extremist ideologies. Simple tactics, such as vehicle ramming, small arms, edged weapons, arson and rudimentary improvised explosive devices, probably will be most common. However, lone offenders could employ more sophisticated means, to include using crude chemical, biological and radiological materials.”
The DHS document continues, “Some DVE’s (Domestic Violent Extremist), and other violent actors might seek to target events related to the 2020 Presidential campaigns and the election itself and those actors could mobilize quickly to threaten or engage in violence.”
Largely peaceful protests erupted across the nation in May after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. Donald Trump and many of his acolytes have incessantly blamed the violence that has been sparked associated with these protests on Antifa, a left-leaning loosely organized anti-fascist group that implements non-violent and violent direct action instead of policy reform. Antifa is not mentioned once in any of the three drafts of the DHS document. Trump has gone so far as to label Black Lives Matter (BLM) a “domestic terrorist group.” BLM is not mentioned in the document either.
However, Trump has refused to condemn the actions of 17-year old Kyle Rittenhouse, which many argue is the type of domestic violence extremism outlined extensively in the DHS document.
Rittenhouse faces homicide charges after killing two men at a protest in Kenosha, Wisc., in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man by Kenosha law enforcement. Rittenhouse, who traveled from Illinois to Wisconsin to allegedly “protect property,” which did not belong to him, is also charged with attempted homicide for shooting a third man during that protest in Kenosha. Rittenhouse is allegedly affiliated with the American militia movement and according to social media accounts is an avid supporter of the Blue Lives Matter movement and Trump himself.
