Professor of Computer Science Megan Squire discussed the presence of far-right militia groups at social justice protests for a recent report by NBC News.
Following the killing of two protesters at a demonstration in Kenosha, Wisconsin, NBC News looked to Professor of Computer Science Megan Squire for insight into right-wing militia groups and their role in escalating tensions across the nation.
In the report, “Where protesters go, armed militias, vigilantes likely to follow with little to stop them,” NBC News discussed the case of 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot and killed two people and injured another during an Aug. 25 protest over the police shooting of Jacob Blake. The article highlighted Rittenhouse’s case as part of growing trend of right-wing armed militia groups appearing at social justice protests all over the country.
Squire, whose research focuses on online extremism, discussed the mindset and rhetoric of these militia groups, which often organize on the internet and social media platforms.
“The online rhetoric among armed militias and other right-wing gun enthusiasts is really at a fever pitch this whole summer,” Squire told NBC News. “Now, we’re seeing that come to bear in real life.”
For more of Squire’s insights, read the entire NBC News report here.