2020: A year of gains for the far right

Shaimaa Hefzy

The year 2020 was full of security burdens and terrorist threats.

While there were fears from the Covid-19 pandemic, some people called for preparing for an expected wave of violence by the far right. They also warned against a growing pitch of hate and racist speech.

Appropriate conditions

These challenges have manifested themselves in western societies, especially in the United States and Europe. They accompanied political developments in the United States during the latest presidential elections. They also espoused talks between the UK and the European Union on the former’s exit from the union.

While the far right was not born in 2020, developments throughout the year made its expansion very possible.

In the United States, for example, the far right enjoyed support from outgoing president Donald Trump who opposed immigration to his country. Trump also encouraged far right groups to defend the electoral process across the US.

The far right consists of a wide range of ideologies which propagate belief in the superiority of white people and promotes hated to foreigners and minorities that do not hail from Europe.

Conspiracy

The far right adopts the conspiracy theory as far as the causes behind the Covid-19 pandemic are concerned. This helped extremist rhetoric to spread on the internet. This came as countries imposed lockdowns one after another.

According to media reports, 2020 witnessed an upsurge in arms sales throughout the United States. There was an increase also in the number of people and groups attacking and breaking into government facilities, the reports said.