Washington, DC — Over the weekend, nativist riots broke out across the United Kingdom following disinformation spreading online and organized anti-immigrant bigotry on the ground. The ugly and violent scenes that played out the same weekend that marks five years since the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, is a duel reminder of the violent downstream consequences of nativist disinformation. America’s Voice has been closely tracking the mainstreaming of the white nationalist replacement conspiracy theory that inspired the El Paso attack and is increasingly concerned that nativist disinformation spreading online boosted by American political leaders will lead to more political violence like is playing in the United Kingdom.
According to Zachary Mueller, Research Director for America’s Voice:
“The proliferation of bigoted political violence threatens a functioning democracy. Beyond the immediate threat to public safety, political leaders have an urgent responsibility not to spread dehumanizing disinformation that courts political violence. Tragically, we have seen the exact opposite from far too many Republican leaders in the five years following the white nationalist attack in El Paso. A similar toxic brew of online disinformation, organized anti-immigrant forces, and dehumanizing nativist rhetoric from political leaders that fed the violence in the United Kingdom over the weekend is boiling here at home. We must take these two points of nativist political violence as an urgent reminder to switch course in the national conversation about immigration and immigrants.”
Among the attention to El Paso anniversary included:
- NBC News, “Five years after El Paso massacre targeting Latinos killed 23, ‘invasion’ rhetoric has amplified: “In the five years since 23 people were massacred in the racially motivated El Paso, Texas, Walmart mass shooting, the incendiary rhetoric that motivated their murderer has worsened and become normalized, say leaders of anti-hate, immigration and antisemitic groups.
- Cindy Ramirez writing for El Paso Matters, “The immigration ‘invasion’ rhetoric that started on the right-wing fringe has increasingly become a part of mainstream conservative messaging. Republican lawmakers at various levels of government continue to amplify the message, saying that the terminology is accurate as record numbers of migrants arrive at the Southwest border.”
- In Telemundo, “Cinco años después de la masacre contra latinos de El Paso, la retórica de una ‘invasión’ en la frontera se ha amplificado”
Additional Resources
- Read El Paso native Mario Carrillo’s statement ahead of this year’s five year anniversary (HERE)
- Ahead of El Paso Shooting Anniversary, National and Local Experts Convene to Discuss Lessons Not Learned re. White Nationalist Conspiracies
- New Report Details Dangerous Normalization of Bigoted Conspiracy Theories in 118th Congress (HERE)
