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U.S. NEWS Thursday 19 March 2020

In this undated photo, Lauderdale County Chancery Court
Judge Charles Smith poses for a photo in Mississippi.

Police say

shooting of Mississippi In this March 17, 2019 file photo, a police officer stands guard in front of the Masjid Al Noor mosque
in Christchurch, New Zealand, where one of two mass shootings occurred.
Associated Press
judge was 'personal' Report: Surge in white nationalism

MERIDIAN, Miss. (AP) — The Meridian, about 98 miles ramps up violence threat
recent shooting of a Missis- (158 kilometers) northeast
sippi judge outside a court- of Jackson.
house was "personal," au- The police have returned to SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) energy lies in the grow- an avatar of their grievanc-
thorities said Tuesday. the scene numerous times — A recent surge in white ing accelerationist wing, es and their anxiety over
Chancery Judge Char- and are working to pull nationalism in the U.S. has which, for the most part, is the country's demographic
lie Smith was shot near his video from every source in led to a growing threat of organized in informal online changes." The conspiracy
abdomen Monday morn- the area, Robbins added. violence by factions that communities rather than theory that white people
ing outside the Lauderdale So far, there is no suspect embrace bloodshed and formal groups," the report are experiencing a "great
County Courthouse as he and police have not found advocate for a race war, says. replacement" by nonwhite
was exiting his truck to go a gun. according to a report re- Over the past few months, populations is the most
into the courthouse, police Smith's district includes Lau- leased Wednesday by an the FBI has arrested a string powerful force driving far-
said. derdale and Clarke coun- organization that tracks far- of suspects linked to white right extremism, according
He was initially listed as be- ties. Among subjects that right extremists. supremacist groups, includ- to the law center.
ing in critical condition, but chancery judges in Missis- The Southern Poverty Law ing The Base and Atom- "Trump didn't create the
is now recovering, The Me- sippi handle are divorces, Center's annual report on waffen Division, that have fear of nonwhite immi-
ridian Star reported. child custody cases, adop- extremist groups said its advocated for violence grants but rather harnessed
"We feel very confident tions and guardianships. count of white nationalist and a race war. The man it to win the White House
that it is an isolated incident Smith became a judge in groups has risen 55% over accused of attacking two in 2016 and continues to
and that it was directed to- January 2019 after more the past three years, from mosques in Christchurch, nurture it by fanning the
ward him," said Interim Po- than 20 years as a youth 100 in 2017 to 148 in 2018 to New Zealand, and killing flames of resentment within
lice Chief Lewis Robbins. court and county court 155 in 2019. 51 people in March 2019 the most extreme elements
The shooting occurred in prosecutor.q Many of these white na- devoted a section of his of the Republican base,"
tionalists are embracing manifesto to the concept the report says.

1 dead, 1 hurt in St. "accelerationism," a fringe of accelerationism. White House spokesman
philosophy that promotes "There is little to suggest Judd Deere said that, while
mass violence to fuel soci-
that the violence that has the administration hasn't
Patrick's Day shooting ety's collapse, the law cen- accompanied the surge in seen the law center's re-
white nationalism in recent port, "President Trump has
ter said.
at Texas pub "In their view, political ac- years will abate," the report repeatedly condemned
tivity is pointless, and esca-
says.
racism, bigotry, and vio-
lating violence, on a broad The total number of "hate lence of all forms and his
scale, is the only way to groups" counted by the policies have reduced vio-
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas dead and another who bring down the pluralistic, law center dropped by lent crime and made com-
(AP) — One woman was had been shot in the torso, democratic society they about 8%, from a record munities safer." Deere also
killed and another injured the Corpus Christi Caller want to destroy," its report high of 1,020 in 2018 to 940 said the law center is a "far-
in a shooting on St. Patrick's Times reported. Police in- says. last year. But the law cen- left smear organization that
Day at an Irish pub in south- terviewed witnesses and The Montgomery, Ala- ter said the decline "does only wants to libel, slander,
east Texas, authorities said. identified a suspect, who bama-based law center not reflect a significant di- and defame this president
The shooting happened was later arrested after a described another faction minishment of the radical with its lies."
Tuesday night at Molly's Irish brief foot chase, Pace said. of U.S. white nationalism as right" given an increased "Their comments are dis-
Sports Pub in Corpus Christi The suspect's name was "mainstreamers," who often activity among white na- gusting, particularly while
and a suspect is in custody, not immediately released call themselves members tionalist groups. the president demonstrates
police spokesman Travis but Pace said that person of the "dissident right" and The law center said Don- unprecedented leadership
Pace said. will likely face charges of are trying to appeal to a ald Trump's first presidential to contain and mitigate
When officers arrived, murder and aggravated wider audience. campaign energized white the spread of COVID-19,"
they found one woman assault. q
"Much of the movement's nationalists "who saw him as Deere said in an email.q