Main Findings
- Overall, 71% of all respondents, both globally and in the five countries, reported having experienced violence from the public, whether online, offline or both.
- Violence is heavily concentrated online, with between 65% and 77% of MPs in the five countries reporting online abuse.
- The most common forms of public intimidation overall reported by MPs are insults and degrading language, the spread of false or misleading information, and threats.
- Most respondents believe that the situation is deteriorating. In Argentina and the Netherlands, 8 out of 10 MPs reported an increase in violence over the past five years.
- Online violence is frequently triggered by elections, high-profile legislative debates or polarizing political or cultural issues.
- Women are more affected than men: 76% of women MPs across the case studies reported exposure to violence, compared to 68% of men.
- Women are disproportionately affected by gendered and sexualized forms of violence, especially online.
- MPs who belong to minority or disadvantaged groups – including racial minorities, people with disabilities and LGBTQIA+ communities – face even greater exposure to online violence.
When the public turns hostile: Political violence against parliamentarians
“People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.”
Fear leads people to do stupid evil shit
Stupid is good. Stupid can be exploited. Evil is unfortunate, but part of the human condition. We must destroy it, by taking advantage of it whenever it tries to do stupid evil shit. If they do stupid evil shit (and they probably will) we will destroy them. There is no other option. Appeasement does not work. Tolerance does not work. Concessions do not work. When it comes to evil, only total victory is worth pursuing. I am a militant pacifist, I will fight all evil until we can have some peace from it. But evil is eternal, and the cost of freedom and peace is eternal vigilance.