White Supremacists And Neo-Nazis Becoming A ‘Transnational Threat’, UN Secretary-General Says

Topline

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres raised the alarm about white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups becoming a “transnational threat” on Monday, warning that the groups have taken advantage of the pandemic to boost their support and echoing concerns raised by U.S. President Joe Biden who has referred to these groups as the greatest domestic threat.

Key Facts

What To Watch For

Michelle Bachelet, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, is set to submit a report to the UNHRC on March 18 on the issue of systemic racism against people of African descent. An inquiry into the issue was launched after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis last year after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

Key Background

In a town hall event earlier this month, Biden referred to white supremacists as the greatest domestic terror threat in the U.S. and called people who support white supremacist ideals “demented” and “dangerous.” Biden’s repudiation of white supremacists comes after four years of growing racial tension under his predecessor Donald Trump. Trump often failed to condemn white supremacists in public forums and at one point asked the notorious far-right group Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.” Tensions boiled over on January 6 after a group of Trump supporters—including prominent neo-nazi and white nationalist groups—laid siege to the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn the election. White nationalists and far right groups in Europe have also become more active during the pandemic by spreading conspiracy theories about the virus and participating in various anti-lockdown protests.

Further Reading

White supremacy a ‘transnational threat’, U.N. chief warns (Reuters)