Report: Michigan ranked 4th in nation for white nationalist incidents
LANSING — A report released by an anti-hate organization said white nationalist organizations targeted the Great Lakes more often than most of the country in 2022.
The Anti-Defamation League released a report from its Center on Extremism on Thursday that said propaganda distribution and events "reached an all-time high" in the U.S. in the past year. The nation experienced a 38% increase compared to Michigan, which experienced a 132% increase from 153 incidents in 2021 to 355 in 2022.
“It’s disappointing and alarming to see Michigan near the top of any list related to hate and extremism,” said ADL Michigan Regional Director Carolyn Normandin said in a release. “We believe we have reached a critical moment in the fight against extremism and bigotry. Now is the time for millions of Michiganders to support our neighbors and reject the intimidation efforts of white supremacists in our communities.”
More:Hate in Michigan: How the KKK gave way to new extremists, and why they're so hard to track
According to the organization's heat map, East Lansing, Ann Arbor, Detroit, Flint, Kalamazoo, Portage and Royal Oak were some of the most targeted cities by the Patriot Front, Goyim Defense League, White Lives Matter and Folkish Resistance Movement.
Patriot Front accounted for 92% of all incidents, according to the ADL. Most instances involved spreading fliers or other materials making false claims.
Most white nationalist propaganda and events happened in the lower half of the Lower Peninsula.
The group recorded white nationalist activities on educational campuses in 39 states where Michigan ranked eight among the top with the most activity. Jake Kurz, strategic communications director of the ADL, said at least 10 incidents happened at the University of Michigan, Kettering University, Kalamazoo College, Spring Arbor University, Western Michigan University and Albion College.
The Michigan State Police releases yearly reports about bias intimidation crimes. It has not yet released the 2022 report. Its 2021 report stated white people made up 53.2% of the offender's race. Race served as the leading motivation factor in the bias crimes at 57.1%.
Last year, Washtenaw County Judge Patrick Conlin sentenced Justen Watkins, a described leader of The Base, to 56 months to 20 years in prison for targeting a family's home in 2019. Watkins pleaded guilty to one count of gang membership. Three others members have been convicted in county courts for the incident.
The Base is a white nationalist group. They infamously ran a hate camp in Michigan and targeted a Black Dexter family's home in the case of mistaken identity.
Attorney General Dana Nessel's office encourages people who believe they're the target of a hate crime to report it to law enforcement and her office immediately. Possible incidents can be emailed to her office at HateCrimes@michigan.gov or by phone at 313-456-0180.
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Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at 517-267-1344 or knurse@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @KrystalRNurse.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Report: Michigan ranked 4th in nation for white nationalist incidents
