May 08, 2020
THE WEEK’S BIG 3
Antisemitic signs and imagery are seen at anti-quarantine rallies across the country, including in Chicago, where a protester held up a sign with a Nazi slogan that appeared on the gates of Auschwitz. A new report outlines the failures of Steam to adequately address the prevalence of extremists and neo-Nazis on the gaming platform. And in California, a man was seen donning a Ku Klux Klan hood as he shopped for groceries.
Read on for more on these headlines, news you can use to fight hate and the latest info about ADL from around the country.
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Stay-At-Home Protests Draw Extremist Groups, ADL Says
“White supremacist organizations have infiltrated stay-at-home protests such as those in Springfield and Chicago last week, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism… with signs featuring swastikas and other hate messages, including one at the state Capitol, which read Heil, Pritzker.” NPR Illinois: READ MORE
+ ADL Resource: Coronavirus Protest Rallies Draw Extremists, Conservative Activists and Guns
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ADL Calls Out Steam for Giving Extremists a Pass
“’It was disturbingly easy for ADL’s researchers to locate Steam users who espouse extremist beliefs, using language associated with white supremacist ideology and subcultures, including key terms, common numeric hate symbols, and acronyms,’ the report reads. In a random search, researchers found hundreds of Steam profiles advertising Nazi or white supremacist imagery in their usernames, profile pictures, posts, or bio descriptions.” WIRED: FULL STORY
+ ADL Resource: This is Not a Game – How Steam Harbors Extremists
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Local Leaders Condemn Man Wearing KKK Hood at Grocery Store
“Images of a man wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood as a face covering inside a Santee grocery store have circulated on social media, prompting condemnation from local leaders including the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League… A company spokesperson said grocery store workers repeatedly asked the man to remove the hood, but all requests were ignored until he was in the checkout area.” NBC San Diego: FULL STORY
+ Sujeto ingresa a un supermercado con capucha del KKK – Univision San Diego, Monica Bauer interviewed en Espanol
KEY ADL SOCIAL STATEMENTS
- We are calling for an independent, transparent, federal investigation into this repugnant murder. There needs to be justice for #AhmaudArbery.
- As a parent myself, I want to thank ALL of the amazing and dedicated teachers out there who are working incredibly hard to make sure all of our kids learn and grow, esp during this crisis. You have our gratitude. #TeacherAppreciationDay
- As hate related to COVID-19 increases, thanks to @SenKamalaHarris & @SenatorDurbin for leading this letter asking for funding for state & local law enforcement to investigate & prosecute hate crimes.
IN THE COMMUNITY
- GOP Pennsylvania Lawmaker Compares Gov. Tom Wolf's Handling of Coronavirus to the Nazi Party (Newsweek)
- Detroit Rabbi Calls on Shelter-in-Place Protesters to Stop Making Nazi Comparisons (Jewish Journal)
- Pandemic Repercussions: Anti-Asian Bias Re-emerges (Hawaii Public Radio)
ADL IN THE NEWS
- Orthodox Jews Are Being Scapegoated for COVID-19, ADL Reports (Jewish Journal)
- Anti-Semitism already was on the rise. Now we must contend with its post-pandemic forms. (JTA – Jonathan Greenblatt Op-Ed)
- Hate Wave: Strange Thanks for Communities of Color Carrying Us on Their Backs (Creators)