The last few weeks have witnessed terror attacks in Charlottesville and Barcelona that shook our societies, once again sparking fear in many. Societal tensions are escalating globally; the constant rise of violent extremism is apparent and increasingly infiltrates our everyday lives.
The violent rally in Charlottesville, Virginia on 12 August 2017, where white supremacist and neo‑Nazis marched through the city and a car attack on counter-protesters left one woman dead and many injured is yet another reminder that the threat of white supremacist extremism is apparent. The UNITED Secretariat stands by the counter-protesters and reiterates that responding to societal tensions in a hateful and violent manner is not an acceptable form of expression of opinion.
Balint Josa, programme coordinator of UNITED for Intercultural Action deems the attack in Charlottesville as an act of terrorism and highlights the ever-recurring ambivalence of media coverage in the wake of the rally. “It has been a typical reaction of the general press to refer to the alleged perpetrator as merely an extremist if they are of white colour; however, perpetrators of migrant background are instantly condemned as terrorists. Acts of terrorism should be consequently condemned as terrorism, regardless of the background of the perpetrator.” “A mutual effort of responsible political conduct joined with the work of the civil society is needed in order to stop and reverse the escalation of social tensions,” Balint Josa added.
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