How Extremists will Capitalize from COVID-19 ​

Extremists from across the political spectrum have been exploiting COVID-19. Crisis are the perfect episode for them to capitalize as leaves a vacuum in the political space for them to fill with misinformation or exacerbate people’s fears of the other. These groups may even take credit for unfortunate events for which they are not responsible. The Anti-Defamation League and the FBI both have warned about the potential surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans because of this pandemic. Politicization of the virus, such as calling it the “Wuhan flu,” have led to actual cases of hate crimes throughout the country.

It is closer than you think: a sign reading “Wuhan Plague” was spotted in the Atlanta Beltline

“Their instinct to capitalize on people’s misery and suffering is consistent across the ideological spectrum, from right-wing extremists to violent jihadists” says Dr. Mia Bloom, Professor at Georgia State University. Dr. Bloom, an expert in terrorism and violent extremism, will share her analysis of how this health crisis is serving extremists groups to recruit new followers who may perceive them as more capable or more honest than their own governments.