(Reuters.) Investigators investigating a massacre in Buffalo on Saturday, New York are studying a manifesto of 180 pages that was believed to have been written by a teenager. The manifesto outlined the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, which is popular with white nationalists.

This article explains the significance of right-wing groups in America and around the world and explains how it came to be.

WHAT IS ‘REPLACEMENT?

This conspiracy theory suggests that Jewish and leftist elites have been working to replace white people with non-white migrants in order to create a culture and ethnic gap that can lead the “white genocide”. The belief is that the majority of the non-white indebted would keep the political and economic elite in power.

Payton Gendron (a Buffalo gunman aged 18), was accused of shooting at more Black people than 12 times. In an online post, he claimed that white Americans were being replaced in America by minorities.

What are the origins of ‘THE GREAT REMPLACEMENT?

The origins of this belief are believed to lie in the 20th century French nationalalism. The idea was first popularized by Renaud Camus (French writer), who claims that immigrants from Africa and Middle East will lead eventually to the end of the native European white race. This is according to ADL, an anti-defamation league. The false narrative, which is believed to be anti-Semitic by many white nationalists both in America and overseas, was created because they believe that Jewish people actively encourage non-white immigration. White “replacement theories” and “white genocide,” were two of Nazi Germany’s main ideologies. These views saw Jews as the most serious threat to the white race. Six million Jews were murdered by Nazis during World War Two.

WHAT IS THE CONNECTION OF MASS SHOOTINGS TO IT?

Authorities call the Buffalo attack an act of “racially motivated violence extremism”. It was just the latest example of racist violence that has been committed in America and elsewhere. Authorities said that the gunman responsible for killing more than 20 people at El Paso in Texas, in 2019, decried an “Hispanic invasion” in his manifesto. Rabid anti-Semitism was responsible for the fatal shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue. A gunman shouting “All Jews Must Die!” opened fire on worshippers a year prior.

There were also parallels between the Buffalo shooting and the attack on two New Zealand mosques which took place in 2019. The gunman broadcast the attack live, and also distributed an online manifesto promoting far-right views.

A group of people marched to the University of Virginia with torch-wielding and shouting, “Jews won’t replace us!” at a Charlottesville rally called “Unite the Right”. A reference to conspiracy theory.

IS IT CONDITIONED TO THE FRINGES

Some conservative media outlets and politicians have made it mainstream. Replacement theory was once mainly restricted to internet message boards, and remote areas of the web. Critics criticized Tucker Carlson of Fox News for the segment in which the Democratic Party claimed it was trying to replace America’s current electorate with people from other countries. Carlson denied any racism accusations.

Matt Gaetz (a Florida Republican congressman) expressed support for Carlson by tweeting that he was “CORRECT” about Replacement Theory while he explained the current state of America.