EXTREMISMExtremist Propaganda Soars to All-Time High in 2022
In 2022, there has been a significant increase in racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist (RMVE) propaganda efforts, which included the distribution of racist and antisemitic fliers, stickers, banners, graffiti, and posters, as well as laser projections - with a total of 6,751 cases reported in 2022, compared to 4,876 in 2021.
In 2022, the ADL Center on Extremism (COE) tracked a significant increase in racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist (RMVE) propaganda efforts, which included the distribution of racist, antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ+ fliers, stickers, banners, graffiti and posters, as well as laser projections. Our data shows a 38 percent increase in incidents from the previous year, with a total of 6,751 cases reported in 2022, compared to 4,876 in 2021. This is the highest number of RMVE propaganda incidents ADL has ever recorded.
In addition to the overall increase in incidents, 2022 also saw antisemitic propaganda more than double, rising from 352 incidents in 2021 to 852 incidents in 2022. For the third straight year, the number of overall propaganda incidents on campuses dropped, from 232 to 219, the lowest since ADL began tracking campus incidents in 2017.
Propaganda campaigns allow racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) to maximize media and online attention for their groups and messaging while limiting the risk of individual exposure, negative media coverage, arrests and public backlash that often accompanies more public activities. Propaganda, which affects entire communities, allows a small number of people to have an outsized impact.
Propaganda was reported in 2022 in every U.S. state except Hawaii, with the highest levels of activity (from most to least active) in Texas, Massachusetts, Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Utah, Florida, Connecticut and Georgia. The ADL H.E.A.T. Map provides a visual representation of the propaganda efforts by geographic location.
The Perpetrators
Throughout 2022, at least 50 different RMVE groups and networks distributed propaganda, but three of them – Patriot Front, Goyim Defense League (GDL) and White Lives Matter (WLM) - were responsible for 93 percent of the activity.
As has been the case since 2019, Texas-based Patriot Front was responsible for the vast majority – 80 percent – of propaganda distributions in 2022. The group distributed propaganda in every state except Alaska and Hawaii but was most active (from most to least active) in Massachusetts, Texas, Michigan, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Utah.
