The alt-right thrives off anonymity to spread its fascist, racist and misogynistic ideology, making it one of the most dangerous extremist movements America has ever seen.

During the 2016 presidential election, a white nationalist movement known as the alt-right gained media attention. Since Donald Trump became president, its followers have wreaked havoc across America in violent rallies and hateful protests.

The alt-right is defined by the Associated Press as: “A political grouping or tendency mixing racism, white nationalism, anti-Semitism and populism; a name currently embraced by some white supremacists and white nationalists to refer to themselves and their ideology, which emphasizes preserving and protecting the white race in the United States.”

Andrew Anglin, founder of the neo-Nazi Daily Stormer website, acts as a poster child for the alt-right. Writing off members such as Anglin as “disturbed” could be dangerous. These extremists are part of a growing movement in both the online and offline realms.

The rise in hate crime and an increase in anti-Semitism within the US could be accredited to the expansion of the alt-right. The movement uses social media sites such as 4chan, Facebook and Reddit to spread propaganda and recruit young, white men to join its movement. Researchers in Britain found that these far-right extremists are “weaponizing internet culture” to advance their radical ideas around the globe. It is believed they are using the United Kingdom as a “bridge” to link movements in Europe and America.

The anonymity of the online world allows the alt-right to expose the public to its toxic ideas in ways that American extremist groups have not been able to before. If the alt-right’s hateful tweets, posts and websites are not taken seriously, things could get out of hand.

*Watch the video above by The Atlantic to find out more.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.

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