PRAIRIE STATE.

THAT IS ACCORDING TO A REPORT FROM THE ANTIDEFAMATION LEAGUE.

THAT REPORT SHOWS HATE CRIMES AND EXTREMISM HAVE SHARPLY INCREASED IN ILLINOIS SINCE 2021.

ANTI-SEMITISM ALONE INCREASING 120% BETWEEN 2021 AND 2022.

JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THE REPORT IS DAVID GOLDENBERG, MIDWEST REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF THE ANTIDEFAMATION LEAGUE.

WELCOME BACK.

IN THE REPORT, YOU DETAIL ANTI-SEMITIC INCIDENTS UP 128%.

WHITE SUPREMACIST PROPAGANDA DISTRIBUTION IS UP 111% SINCE 2021.

HATE CRIMES ARE UP 80% SINCE 2020.

WHAT DOES ALL THIS TELL YOU?

>> IT TELLS US THAT ILLINOIS IS NOT IMMUNE TO THESE INCREASES IN HATE AND EXTREMISM.

MANY OF US THINK WE LIVE IN A STATE THAT IS IN A SAFE SPACE.

WE ARE NOT BANNING BOOKS HERE, WE ARE NOT HAVING QUESTIONS ABOUT CRITICAL RACE THEORY.

WE THINK THESE ISSUES ARE PUT TO BED, BUT THE REALITY IS, RIGHT HERE IN ILLINOIS, NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS, WE ARE DEALING WITH ACTS OF HATE AND EXTREMISM.

>> HOW DOES ILLINOIS COMPARE TO OTHER STATES?

>> IN SOME AREAS, WE ARE BETTER OFF.

IS SOME OTHER AREAS, WE ARE NOT DOING SO WELL.

THE ANTI-SEMITISM, YOU GAVE THAT ONE STATISTIC, WE GO BACK A FEW EXTRA YEARS BACK TO 2016, IT IS A 430% INCREASE IN ANTI-SEMITIC INCIDENTS.

WE ARE AT A 20 YEAR HIGH FOR HATE CRIMES.

THERE ARE SOME AREAS WHERE WE ARE DOING BETTER, BUT A LOT OF AREAS WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.

>> HERE IS WHAT THE LEADER OF THE CHINESE-AMERICAN SERVICE LEAGUE HAD TO SAY ON THIS REPORT TODAY.

>> IT IS SAD THAT NO UNDERREPRESENTED A COMMUNITY HAS BEEN COMPLETELY SAFE FROM THE IMPACT OF HATE.

THIS REPORT REMINDS US THAT WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE WHERE HATE IS AND HOW IT MANIFESTS AND SPREADS.

WHEN IT COMES TO FIGHTING HATE, IT TRULY TAKES A VILLAGE.

WE KNOW HOW MUCH WORK GOES INTO IT.

>> HOW WILL THE SUPPORTS OF THAT SUPPORT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS?

>> TODAY, WITH OUR NEWS CONFERENCE WE HAD WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND CITY OF CHICAGO AND OTHER STATE OFFICIALS, WE ALSO HAD NEARLY 10 COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTING THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN TARGETED MOST BY EXTREMIST IDEOLOGIES.

NOT ONLY DID WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, AAPI, BLACK, LGBTQ+, BUT ALSO WOMEN'S HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN THIS TOO.

THE DATA IS IMPORTANT, BUT IT DOESN'T TELL THE WHOLE PICTURE.

IT DOESN'T TALK ABOUT EXTREMISTS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.

THE DATA DOESN'T TALK ABOUT THE TARGETING OF WOMEN'S HEALTH FACILITIES >> DOESN'T TALK ABOUT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS USING PUBLIC ENTITIES TO SPREAD TRANSFER LBO, HOMOPHOBIA, AND ANTI-SEMITISM.

>> WHAT YOU THINK IS DRIVING THE INCREASE.

>> SEVERAL THINGS, BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST, WHEN YOU LOOK AT TECHNOLOGY.

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS.

THERE ARE BUSINESS MODELS THAT PROFIT OFF OF HATE.

WE HAVE ALGORITHMS THAT DIRECT PEOPLE TOWARDS HATEFUL CONTENT AND IDEOLOGY.

YOU ALSO HAVE THE CURRENT POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT.

THIS IDEA THAT THINGS THAT WERE WOULD HAVE SAID THAT A POLITICIAN SAID THESE THINGS THEY WOULD'VE BEEN DISQUALIFIED FOR OFFICE 10 YEARS AGO, NOW THEY GET A JUMP IN THE POLLS.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE RISK TO OUR DEMOCRACY, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE ABILITY OR SEE SUCCESS IN SO WE DOUBT IN DEMOCRACY, THAT IS WHEN YOU SEE THESE HEALTH -- HATEFUL IDEOLOGIES COMING OUT.

PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO GRASP ONTO THEM.

THAT IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS.

>> HOW MUCH OF THIS IS A MATTER PEOPLE REPORTING THE INCIDENT MORE?

>> I THINK IT IS BOTH.

CERTAINLY, THE MORE YOU HAVE STORIES LIKE THIS ONE THE MORE NEW STORIES PEOPLE SEE, REPORTING BEGETS REPORTED.

THEY FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE AND NOWHERE TO GO.

BUT THE REALITY IS, WE ARE JUST HAVING MORE INCIDENTS.

>> THE REPORT TALKS ABOUT THE 111% INCREASE IN WHITE SUPREMACIST PROPAGANDA DISTRIBUTION.

WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?

>> THIS HAS TO DO WITH FLYERS.

WE HAVE SEEN LOTS OF REPORTS OVER TIME WERE COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND HAVE A FLYER ON THEIR LAWN.

IT INCLUDES ALSO STICKERS .

WE SEE THIS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES A LOT.

WHITE SUPREMACIST PROPAGANDA IN THE FORM OF STICKERS THAT GOES ON A TELEPHONE POLE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THOSE OF THE TYPES OF THINGS WE'RE SEEING.

>> YOU ALSO MENTIONED WOMEN'S PRODUCTIVE HEALTH ADVOCATES AND WHAT THEY ARE SEEN.

ILLINOIS HAS BEEN CONSIDERED A SAFE HAVEN FOR ABORTION, BUT OBVIOUSLY, YOU ALL ARE STILL REPORTING ACTS OF TERRORISM AND VANDALISM ON CLINICS.

WHAT HAVE THE PROVIDERS EXPERIENCED?

>> AS WE HEARD TODAY FROM PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF ILLINOIS ABOUT THE THREATS, VANDALISM, ACTUAL ACTS OF TERRORISM DIRECTED TOWARDS THESE FACILITIES, SO WHILE OUR STATE MAY BE A SAFE HAVEN FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS, IT ALSO BECOMES A TARGET OF THOSE WHO SEEK TO TAKE THOSE RIGHTS AWAY.

>> A DIRECTOR FROM THE QUALITY ILLINOIS ALSO JOINED YOU TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS REPORT TODAY.

HERE IS A LOOK AT WHAT HE SAID.

>> LGBTQ+ COMMUNITIES ARE RESILIENT.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR OWN, BETTER WORLD IN THE FACE OF BIAS AND VIOLENCE WITH ALLIES BEHIND US.

WE ALSO NEED I LIES IN GOVERNMENT RIGHT THERE WITH US.

WE PROJECT THE LEADERSHIP OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, SECRETARY OF STATE, THE GOVERNOR, BUT WE NEED PUBLIC OFFICIALS AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.

THEY NEED TO SHOW UP AND SPEAK UP IN SOLIDARITY.

>> SPECIFICALLY, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE PUBLIC OFFICIALS DO?

>> FIRST, ONE OF THE THINGS WE SAW TODAY WITH SEVERAL PUBLIC OFFICIALS SPEAKING OUT OF SHOWING STRENGTH WITH COMMUNITIES.

WE ARE FORTUNATE HERE IN ILLINOIS, IN MANY WAYS, AND THAT WE HAVE A STATE GOVERNMENT, LOCAL OFFICIALS WHO DON'T REALLY NEED A WHOLE LOT OF CONVINCING THAT WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE.

THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE HERE IN ILLINOIS ARE VERY DIFFERENT THAN OTHER PARTS OF THE MIDWEST.

WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM DO IS CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY TO ADDRESS DOMESTIC TERRORISM AND DOMESTIC EXTREMISM HERE IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.

WHEN IT COMES TO HATE CRIMES, WE NEED BETTER REPORTING OF HATE CRIMES.

THAT MEANS LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS TO BE FULLY TRAINED AND BETTER TRAINED.

WE DON'T MANDATE IT RIGHT NOW IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.

WE WOULD