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Online calls for imagined civil war raise concerns ahead of US elections

Discussions occur in anonymous, unmoderated online forums, says Homeland Security report

Online calls for imagined civil war raise concerns ahead of US elections

A Trump supporter raises a 'Save America' placard at a rally in Ohio.

AFP

US Department of Homeland Security expresses concern over election violence

Internet users citing fake news to justify violence

5 people arrested this year for promoting idea of civil war

Online discussions about preparations for an imagined civil war are on the rise, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These conversations occur in anonymous, unmoderated online forums and often reflect concerns about immigration.

“Some domestic violent extremists (DVEs) are reacting to the 2024 election season and prominent policy issues by engaging in illegal preparatory or violent activity that they link to the narrative of an impending civil war, raising the risk of violence against government targets and ideological opponents,” the report from the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis states.

The report expresses concerns that violence could mar the November elections. This threat is underscored by the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, where a mob of former President Donald Trump supporters attempted to derail the electoral process after President Joe Biden's victory.

At least five people have been arrested this year for promoting the idea of civil war, including one individual who murdered and beheaded his father, a retired federal employee, in an attempt to “save America from traitors.”

One internet user, citing a hypothetical executive order granting citizenship to migrants, suggested that such an order would justify violence. “Biden does that executive order, we shoot all Democrat officials,” the user wrote, referring to federal agents as well.

However, the report indicates that large-scale action by extremists is unlikely, as law enforcement has infiltrated many of these online groups. In preparation for the upcoming elections, law enforcement agencies in the U.S. are developing safety plans for polling places, and the Justice Department has established a task force to prosecute individuals who threaten election workers.

From 2017 through 2023, more than 480 people with military backgrounds have been accused of ideologically driven extremist crimes, including over 230 arrested in connection with the January 6 insurrection.

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