19
agents were used to assault state troopers whilst others attempted to storm the Oregon State Capitol. 107
Far-right groups strategically exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to leverage
existing fears and uncertainties of the public by employing narratives that framed
health measures as political tools of
manipulation rather than public
health necessities and accused China
of inventing the virus as a weapon of
mass destruction. This helped
advance their ideas of government
overreach, depicting institutions like
WHO as mechanisms of authoritarian control, whilst also fuelling their white supremacist thinking. 108
How did the media contribute to the far-right backlash?
The pandemic transfixed the public on news coverage as the unprecedented
events increased the need for instantaneous answers, however, due to echo
chambers, media biases and filter bubbles, people weren’t always accessing
correct information. Groups like Qanon are responsible for spreading baseless
conspiracy theories and misinformation, with 15 17 adherents promoting claims
about the origins of the virus, the efficacy of public health measures, and alleged nefarious intentions behind vaccination efforts. 109 The Proud Boys are also liable
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