Special Report: Armed extremists on the right and left exploit the AR-15 as a tool and symbol

Confrontations have erupted in recent months as leftists with long guns protect LGBTQ gatherings from armed right-wing agitators. Such scenes look ominous to extremism analysts who warn of an elevated risk of political violence from vigilantes who say they favor the AR-15 for the same reasons mainstream enthusiasts do — it's easy to handle, affordable and customizable — but also see benefits in the fear surrounding the weapon. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Sign up for alerts Post investigations, major projects and important reads   Special Report March 31, 10:12 a.m. EDT Armed extremists on the right and left exploit the AR-15 as a tool and symbol Confrontations have erupted in recent months as leftists with long guns protect LGBTQ gatherings from armed right-wing agitators. Such scenes look ominous to extremism analysts who warn of an elevated risk of political violence from vigilantes who say they favor the AR-15 for the same reasons mainstream enthusiasts do — it's easy to handle, affordable and customizable — but also see benefits in the fear surrounding the weapon. Read more   Advertisement

Manage my email newsletters and alerts | Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy | Help You received this email because you signed up for news alerts or because it is included in your subscription. ©2023 The Washington Post | 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071