Introduction
Political violence is a direct assault on US democracy, the Constitution, and the rights and freedoms of people across the nation. It does enormous damage, and it is increasing.
For a country with a population of over 330 million, relatively few in the United States are directly physically attacked for their political activities. However, when these incidents happen, fear ripples outward among public officials and communities and significantly undermines democracy.
Equally damaging is the growing number of people who receive threats based on their political views or professional responsibilities. Virtually no one is exempt from being targeted. Threats are directed at non-partisan election workers; elected officials of both major parties; professionals in schools, healthcare, and libraries; clergy; journalists; members of the judiciary and juries; members of law enforcement; non-profit organizations; historically marginalized groups; businesses; and ordinary people seeking to uphold democracy and constitutional rights.
This is a guide for individuals and groups across the US who are fed up with this. It’s for people who recognize the dire stakes that political violence (PV) creates for our country, and who want to work together nonviolently to protect our communities and uphold democracy. We need to stand up to those who want to silence our voices, who try to deny us our rights, and who aim to bully their way into political influence through intimidation and violence.
What is political violence?
Political violence (PV) is one form of oppressive violence in our society. There are others, including violent crime, hate crimes, domestic violence, terrorism, and various forms of psychological violence and structural violence. PV can intersect with these categories. What defines it is that it is: force or violence, including threats and intimidation, used with a political motivation to achieve a political goal, to assert political power over another group, or to disseminate a political message to an outside audience.*
All forms of violence have political implications. What distinguishes PV is the clear and direct political intent with which it is used.
* Definition from: Jennifer Dresden and Ben Raderstorf, “Threats of Political Violence Are Injurious to Democracy Too”, The UnPopulist, January 6, 2024.
Part I of this guide addresses the deeply corrosive impact that PV has on individuals, communities, and democracy. The damage that it creates is so significant that in order to uphold democracy in the United States, it is essential that people around the country organize to counter it.
Part II provides five time-tested principles on how to make political violence backfire against perpetrators and their enablers. This backfire framework was developed based on analysis of cases all over the world. The five principles have frequently been adopted by communities seeking to turn the tide against violence and injustice.
Part III offers guidance on applying the five backfire principles in the current US context. Topics such as planning tactics, developing effective messaging, and finding allies are addressed.
Part IV is a reference section to improve understanding of certain federal and state laws, and other resources, that address political violence. Government plays an essential role in countering PV, and grassroots groups should know when and how to engage with government on this issue. At the same time, government has limits, which is why relying on it primarily to reverse rising PV has been inadequate thus far, and is likely to be insufficient in the future. Instead, what is needed is a combination of bottom-up (grassroots community) and top-down (government and institutional) efforts. This is why nonviolent organizing by communities is essential.
The Appendix shares key facts and analysis about PV in the US right now. It is important for organizers to have this kind of background knowledge on this issue. Written in simple question and answer format, it addresses questions such as: Who’s making threats? (hint: a very small minority); What percentage of the public opposes them? (hint: a very large majority); Which communities are being threatened?; How much are threats rising?; How high is the risk of physical political violence in the United States?; and What actions have government and others taken to counter this threat so far?
“We are at a moment of time where our democracy literally is on the line, and we have to figure out if we are just going to turn it over to a bunch of insurrectionists who think it is perfectly okay to use violence and intimidation to get the rulings that they want in a courtroom. Or are we going to have a democracy where people follow the rule of law? And if I don’t stand up and if other people don’t stand up, and we don’t talk about this, we’re going to lose this battle.”