This paper concerns the Christchurch shooter Brenton Tarrant and the American conservative commentator Candace Owens. When Owens was named in Tarrant’s manifesto as an inspiration, news media...Show moreThis paper concerns the Christchurch shooter Brenton Tarrant and the American conservative commentator Candace Owens. When Owens was named in Tarrant’s manifesto as an inspiration, news media spread the idea that this was an insincere statement by Tarrant. This idea went from news media and can now be found academic and reputable think tank publications. This paper makes the case that this idea has no firm grounding. Furthermore, this paper makes the case that Tarrant was influenced by Owens. This is established by looking at ideological similarities, Tarrant’s anti-black racism, writing and humour in Tarrant’s manifesto, and addressing counter arguments. The conclusion is that there is a strong case for the position that Owens did influence Tarrant and a very weak case for that not to be true.Show less
The terrorist attacks of Halle (2019) and Hanau (2020) are two examples of recent killings inspired by right-wing extremism in Germany. The manifestos written by the two shooters show significant...Show moreThe terrorist attacks of Halle (2019) and Hanau (2020) are two examples of recent killings inspired by right-wing extremism in Germany. The manifestos written by the two shooters show significant differences in ideology, both through their style and their content. This paper explores to what extent these differences can be reconciled under the same concept of far-right ideologies. This research project, based on grounded theory, consisted of a discourse analysis applied on both manifestos. The two manifestos, selected in accordance with theoretical sampling, were coded in three steps, following the Charmaz approach to grounded theory. The manifestos mainly exhibited, to significantly different extents, four principal aspects: a) conspiracy theories, b) the construction of a nationalist identity and antagonization of ‘internal’ enemies, c) the stigmatization and targeting of groups due to ethnic or religious differences, and d) the interrelatedness of right-wing extremist ideologies and various subcultures, mostly stemming from the internet. All four of these aspects have been documented in other pieces of right-wing extremist writings, showing the difficulty of clearly delimiting the concept of right-wing extremism or even more precise movements contained within it.Show less
Master thesis | Crisis and Security Management (MSc)
open access
Preventive corona measures imposed by the Dutch government have resulted in a lot of turmoil and eventually in protests and demonstrations. This study aimed to link radicalization theory to the...Show morePreventive corona measures imposed by the Dutch government have resulted in a lot of turmoil and eventually in protests and demonstrations. This study aimed to link radicalization theory to the corona crisis. More specifically, the main objective was to find determinants of radicalization processes regarding attitudes about anti-corona measures demonstrations as well as participation in these demonstrations. Existing radicalization models were the basis of the study. A quantitative method was used, and results have been analysed statistically. The study found that group relative deprivation, trust in government officials and belief in conspiracy theories regarding the coronavirus significantly predicted attitudes towards (participation in) anti-corona measures demonstrations. The use of online news sources significantly predicted attitudes towards participation in anti-corona measures demonstrations as well.Show less
In Western societies, the threat of right-wing violence is becoming more prominent, however it appeared that various countries had inadequate ways to counter it. Nowadays, the attention is...Show moreIn Western societies, the threat of right-wing violence is becoming more prominent, however it appeared that various countries had inadequate ways to counter it. Nowadays, the attention is increasingly turning to this topic. With the use of the law-in-context analysis method, the aim of this paper is to make a cross-country evaluation of the legal and non-legal approaches that Germany and the Netherlands used to combat right-wing violence. By focusing on the three themes (1) legal culture, (2) content, meaning, and application, and (3) invisible patterns, it is concluded that the measures the countries take can be traced back to their historical and societal context. Germany relies more on the letter of law and is more formal in its prosecuting, while the Netherlands looks more at the context of an incident and also considers alternative prosecuting options. Germany has also implemented a lot more non-legal measures because of its history.Show less
The Utøya massacre in 2011 and the Christchurch attack in 2019 stand out as two of the most horrendous and deadly terrorist attacks perpetrated by right-wing extremist lone-actors. While the...Show moreThe Utøya massacre in 2011 and the Christchurch attack in 2019 stand out as two of the most horrendous and deadly terrorist attacks perpetrated by right-wing extremist lone-actors. While the violence by both Breivik and Tarrant was rooted in a similar hateful, anti-Muslim migration right-wing ideology, their target selection differs greatly. Hence, these two cases provide a unique opportunity to comparatively explore which variables can aid our understanding of the target selection process of lone-actors. By applying a framework by Hemmingby and Bjørgo rooted in four interlinked factors (ideology, strategy, internal and external factors), this thesis will present a structured and focused comparative case study analysis. The primary data and information used as evidence is collected from the Gjørv Report and the Ko tō tātou kāinga tēnei Report. The findings indicate that Breivik and Tarrant pose as two highly interlinked case studies, in which their preparatory phase shares a significant amount of similarities. The aspects in which their preparatory phase diverge relates to personal circumstances and oftentimes mere coincidences which arguably led them to select different targets for their violence. Evidently, the target selection of lone-actors is a complex process which is inevitably influenced by factors both inside and outside the control of the individual.Show less
