Stern Discusses Capitol Siege, Motivation, and What’s Next
Jessica Stern, Research Professor at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, was featured in BU Today discussing the January 6 siege on the United States Capitol. The article details a conversation between Stern and BU Today in which they explored whether the attack was an act of terrorism, what motivated those behind the attack, and what she feels can be done to prevent further violence.
Stern unequivocally called the Capitol siege an act of terrorism as it sought to send a message not only to those involved – Members of Congress, police, and the rioters – but also the American people watching in hopes of either scaring them or persuading them to join their cause. Looking forward, Stern said that the refusal of many Republican lawmakers to condemn President Donald Trump’s role in the siege and the terrorists behind it will make any action by President-elect Joe Biden to bring people to justice as a witch hunt further radicalizing the groups involved in the “Stop the Steal” movement.
In discussing the lead up January 6’s events, Stern pointed to social media and the far-right’s retreat to fringe platforms – Parler, Gab, etc – as a motivator of these attacks as they serve as echo chambers for dangerous rhetoric as well as a means to communicate and coordinate. Stern has observed continued discourse online inciting further violence and fears what may some arise. She said that rooting out extremists online while also preserving freedom of expression will be a tough, interdisciplinary problem that today’s students will be tackling for years to come.
An excerpt:
What do you think is motivating these people?
I haven’t had the opportunity to interview any of the people involved in the insurrection, but it is common for terrorists to have a mix of motivations. Often there is a personal sense of grievance or humiliation. Some people who feel deeply humiliated—personally or politically—seem to be drawn to grievance cultures or ideologies that identify an enemy responsible for their humiliation. For white supremacists, the enemy includes people of color, Jews, and the liberals who allegedly promote them…“stopping the steal,” gives people who feel humiliated by lost status or power a sense of purpose or significance.
The full article can be read on BU Today‘s website.
Professor Jessica Stern is a Research Professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. She is the coauthor with J.M. Berger of ISIS: The State of Terror; and the author of Denial: A Memoir of Terror; Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill; and The Ultimate Terrorists. Learn more about Stern on her faculty profile.