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Far-right individuals and groups like the Patriot Prayers framed these health
measures as infringements on personal freedoms and constructed narratives to
align with their anti-authoritarian ideologies. Opposition to the public
guidelines and health measures became a symbol of resistance and solidarity
against the perceived government violation of their rights.
Furthermore, The COVID-19 outbreak heavily increased the presence of
xenophobia and racialised rhetoric , most predominantly against the Asian-
American population Trump’s referral to COVID-19 as ‘the Chinese Virus’
triggered a wave of discrimination, harassment and hate crimes against Chinese individuals. 106
Individuals who already resonated with
anti-government and white supremacist
sentiments found a rallying point in
opposing COVID-related restrictions and
acting with xenophobic behaviour. Various far-right groups organised and
participated in protests, bringing together individuals who share the same far-
right ideologies, further solidifying their sentiments. An example of this was the
‘freedom rally’ organised by the Patriot Prayers in December 2020. Hundreds of
people had come together to protest COVID restrictions, but what originally
started as a peaceful demonstration, quickly escalated to a riot in which chemical
Figure 5 - Source: Redbird, B., Harbridge ‐ Yong, L., & Mersey, R. D. (2022). The social and Political Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Introduction. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, (p. 13)
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