authoritarianism – Page 5 – Desdemona Despair

Map showing no-contest elections, coups, and power grabs globally in 2021. Numbers indicate score declines for events in 2021, on a 100-point scale, in the 2022 edition of the “Freedom in the World” report. Coups were more common in 2021 than in any of the previous 10 years. Graphic: Freedom House

March 11, 2022

The global expansion of authoritarian rule – “The present threat to democracy is the product of 16 consecutive years of decline in global freedom”

By Sarah Repucci and Amy Slipowitz 24 February 2022 (Freedom House) – Global freedom faces a dire threat. Around the world, the enemies of liberal democracy—a form of self-government in which human rights are recognized and every individual is entitled to equal treatment under law—are accelerating their attacks. Authoritarian regimes have become more effective at […]

A trailer indicating support for anti-vax Freedom Convoy blocks the highway close to the Customs Inspection cubicles throughout a protest towards COVID-19 vaccine mandates on the Ambassador Bridge border crossing, in Windsor, Ontario, on 8 February 2022. The protestors, helping the Truckers Convoy in Ottawa, blocked visitors within the Canada certain lanes since the night of 8 February 2022. Roughly $323 million price of products cross the Windsor-Detroit border every day on the Ambassador Bridge, making it North America’s busiest worldwide border crossing. Photo: AFP

February 15, 2022

How a spy from the Ram Ranch Resistance infiltrated and seized anti-vax trucker chat rooms – “What they did in Windsor, blocking an international border, that to me is domestic terrorism”

By Claire Goforth 14 February 2022 (Daily Dot) – A member of a group that trolled trucker convoy protests by spamming them with a gay porn song infiltrated and took over a private chat protesters used to communicate and strategize. In recent weeks, truckers and people sympathetic to them have protested Canada’s requirements for truckers […]

Protesters carry swastikas and other flags at the truckers' anti-vaccine occupation in Ottawa, 29 January 2022. Photo: Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs / Twitter

February 8, 2022

Fearful Ottawa residents flee downtown as anti-vaccine mandate occupation drags on – Residents fed up with noise, racist harassment, and threats of violence – Police hate crimes hotline receives more than 200 calls – PM denounces “people waving swastikas”

By Kimberley Molina 8 February 2022 (CBC News) – As the disruptive protest in Ottawa drags into its second week, some residents of the downtown core say they’ve been living a nightmare, under siege and terrified to leave their homes — except to seek refuge away from the epicentre. For 10 days, downtown residents have been subjected to relentless honking, random fireworks and choking diesel fumes […]

Followers of Tennessee pastor and pro-Trump conspiracy theorist Greg Locke burn books on 2 February 2022. The books included Millennial staples like Harry Potter and Twilight. Photo: Tyler Salinas / Nashville Scene

February 5, 2022

COVID-19 mortality in U.S. exceeds 900,000 as Covid deaths surge in low-vaccination states – Tennessee has lowest vaccination rate and highest book-burning rate

By Nigel Chiwaya 4 February 2022 (NBC News) – More than 900,000 people have died in the United States from Covid-19 as of Friday, according to NBC News’ tally, and data shows that states with low vaccination rates have had the biggest share of deaths over the past six weeks. The country has recorded 100,000 […]

Far-right conspiracy theorist Ben Bergquam tweets from the National Butterfly Center on 30 January 2022, espousing the unfounded claim that the center participates in child sex trafficking. On 1 February 2022, the National Butterfly Center was forced to close indefinitely due to ongoing threats from QAnon and MAGA conspiracy theorists. Photo: Twitter

February 2, 2022

Ongoing threats from conspiracy theorists force National Butterfly Center to close – “Our staff should not suffer a loss of wages due to this unexpected business disruption caused by false and defamatory attacks directed by political operatives”

2 February 2022 (National Butterfly Center) – We regret to announce that the National Butterfly Center will be closed to the public—both members and visitors—for the immediate future. This difficult decision was made Tuesday evening, 1 February 2022, by the board of directors of the North American Butterfly Association, in the wake of recent events targeting the center. […]

Fake photo of rafts at the National Butterfly Center dock in Mission, Texas, composed and disseminated by Brian Kolfage as part of a QAnon/MAGA disinformation campaign. Kolfage was indicted in 2021 for fraud for his “We Build The Wall” fundraising scheme and had his Twitter account suspended for repeated violent threats. The National Butterfly Center was forced to close for the weekend of 28 January 2022 because of credible threats from QAnon/MAGA conspiracy theorists. Photo: National Butterfly Center

January 29, 2022

QAnon conspiracy theorists force National Butterfly Center to shut down for the weekend – “We simply cannot risk the safety and lives of our staff and visitors during this dangerous time”

By Shoshana Wodinsky 28 January 2022 (Gizmodo) – After spending years coming after furniture and pizza, QAnon followers are finally ruining life for butterflies and those who enjoy them. Far-right conspiracy theories have latched onto baseless claims that major Texas butterfly sanctuary is a hub for sex trafficking, leading to real-world threats against the sanctuary’s staff. On Thursday, […]

German language posts (top) and French language posts (bottom) containing antisemitic content, 1 January 2020 - 8 March 2021. German language posts are shown only for Telegram, because the numbers of antisemitic posts on Facebook and Twitter and were low and constant. In France, the huge increase in antisemitic posts during the pandemic occurred almost entirely on Twitter. Graphic: EU

January 27, 2022

World remembers Holocaust as antisemitism rises in pandemic – “The pandemic has acted like an accelerant”

By Vanessa Gera and Samuel Petrequin 27 January 2022 WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Survivors recalled their agony to a world they fear is forgetting, Israel’s parliamentary speaker wept in the German parliament and politicians warned of a resurgence of antisemitism on Thursday’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The day falls on the anniversary of the liberation […]

Florida Department of Health in Orange County director Dr. Raul Pino speaks during the press conference that Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings help on 13 April 2020 to discuss COVID-19 and County updates. On 19 January 2022, the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis put Dr. Pino on leave and threatened criminal prosecution for encouraging his staff to get vaccinated. Photo: Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda / Orlando Sentinel

January 19, 2022

DeSantis administration puts Florida health director on leave for encouraging vaccinations for his staff – “I have a hard time understanding how we can be in public health and not practice it”

By Frank Gluck 19 January 2022 (Fort Myers News-Press) – Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration, already facing criticism for downplaying the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccinations, has put on leave Orange County Health Director Dr. Raul Pino for encouraging his staff to get vaccinated. Pino had written in a 4 January 2022 email to his staff: “I […]

A plaque depicts Donald Trump as a “Hero of the Freedomsurrection”, part of an art installation in New York City’s Flatiron Plaza on 6 January 2022. The plaques were created by Trevor Noah and “The Daily Show” to commemorate the first anniversary of Trump's coup attempt and his co-conspirators in the insurrection. Trump’s plaque reads, “No hero played a bigger part in the Freedomsurrection than President Trump himself. Though too humble to willingly release documents detailing the full scope of his efforts to stop the tyrannical will of the people, we do know he fought tirelessly to install turnover-friendly allies in the Justice Department and directed officials to ‘just say the election was corrupt’ and ‘leave the rest to me.’ While his efforts were not enough to keep him in the White House, his bravery on January 6 will never be forgotten, unless Republicans retake Congress and disband the committees investigating it.” Photo: The Daily Show

January 6, 2022

Trevor Noah trolls Trump and conservatives with Capitol insurrection monuments – “Heroes of the Freedomsurrection honors eight of the patriots who tried to overthrow their country on January 6, 2021 – and failed miserably”

By Christi Carrasstaff 6 January 2022 (Los Angeles Times) – Trevor Noah and The Daily Show are commemorating the Jan. 6 insurrection in their own special way. On Thursday, the hit Comedy Central program erected a series of “monuments” holding former President Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Fox News pundit Tucker […]

Armed Trump coup supporters surround the home of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on 5 December 2020, as part of an organized harassment and intimidation campaign planned by convicted felon Bernard Kerik and other Trump insurrectionists. Photo: Genevieve Peters / Facebook / CNN

January 5, 2022

Trump coup plan included harassment and intimidation campaign against election officials – “I’ll never forget the moment armed protestors gathered outside my home in the dark of night last December”

By Andrew Feinberg 4 January 2022 WASHINGTON, D.C. (The Independent) – Allies of former president Donald Trump planned a campaign of harassment and intimidation against election officials and “weak” Republicans that was to culminate in what would become the worst attack on the US Capitol since the Burning of Washington in 1814, according to new […]