A pantheon of extremist “saints” responsible for atrocities has been canonised and their hagiographies and manifestos spread on platforms such as 8kun and Telegram to inspire similar acts. Local issues of concern are made to fit into transnational online narratives about the impending elimination of the white race. In the ten years since Anders Breivik meticulously planned and carried out the massacre of dozens of people in Norway, right-wing extremism has grown truly international. The path that led an ordinary businesswoman to try to overthrow her government is increasingly well-trodden around the world. On February 22nd the secretary-general of the UN, António Guterres, called white-supremacist terrorism “a grave and growing danger”. It has bolstered its ranks by recruiting from the supporters of right-wing populists and conspiracy theorists, aided recently by the disaffection caused by the pandemic and efforts to control it. ![]() Between 20, according to a UN report, the number of far-right attacks around the world more than tripled. But the far right’s strength has been growing globally, too. Ms Bisignano’s story may seem uniquely American-she did, after all, storm the American legislature with the encouragement of a defeated American president. When the building was breached, she raised her megaphone to urge “strong, angry patriots to help” those inside the building, declaring: “This is 1776.” Ms Bisigano's conspiratorial thinking and diehard Trump support set the stage for her to act as a mouthpiece for the insurrectionist fantasies of the far right. When he encouraged people to come to Washington, DC to contest the certification of the presidential election he had lost, she tweeted back “I’ll be there”. When the pandemic struck she began to attend weekly anti-lockdown rallies and grew vocal in her support of Donald Trump. ![]() Then she became increasingly concerned about paedophiles controlling the government. According to a Beverly Hills Courier article, based on interviews with Ms Bisignano, before 2016 there was little notable about her political beliefs beyond a staunch opposition to abortion. Yet the transition undergone by the owner of Gina’s Eyelashes and Skincare in Beverly Hills from citizen to insurrectionist is symbolic of the coalition responsible for the riot. Not many chose to storm the Capitol dressed in Chanel boots, a Louis Vuitton sweater and fashionable sunglasses. ![]() GINA BISIGNANO cut an unusual figure among the rioters on January 6th.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |