COVID-19 – A Plague of Racism and Conspiracy Theories

“The novel coronavirus and the disease it causes (COVID-19) swept the globe in mere months. Entire economies shut down and people were confined to their homes for months. One more thing was also common, the loss of the feeling of security and the mourning of the life people used to live. COVID completely turned the world upside down and arguably changed how we live our lives forever.

Such major cataclysms always provide a fertile ground for hate and conspiracy theories. People, especially when they feel insecure, look for easy answers, people that they can blame, straightforward theories so they can make sense of the world once more. The pandemic has not been different. Multiple communities have been targets of vicious verbal racist attacks, discrimination has become rampant towards certain minorities and a myriad of conspiracy theories blossomed in the wake of the virus.

Many of our members diligently documented the instances of hate speech related to the Corona virus and the conspiracy theories it gave birth to. In this report, their findings will be collected, compiled and presented to provide stakeholders and the public with an extensive and overarching view of the situation and shine a light on the hardships, discrimination and intimidation that multiple communities have to face in a time when they are struggling too with a loss of financial and physical security.”