Pogrom

A pogrom is a violent riot incited with the aim of massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. Historically, the term has been used to describe large-scale, targeted episodes of violence, often spontaneous or with tacit approval or instigation from authorities, that result in significant loss of life, property destruction, and displacement of the targeted group.

Pogroms are characterized by:

• Targeted Violence: The violence is specifically directed at a particular ethnic or religious group.
• Widespread Participation: They often involve large segments of the local population, not just isolated individuals.
• Systematic Destruction: The violence is often systematic, involving the destruction of homes, businesses, and religious institutions.
• Official Complicity or Incitement: Pogroms frequently occur with the tacit support, encouragement, or direct involvement of government officials, law enforcement, or other authority figures. This may manifest as failure to intervene, providing weapons or resources to the perpetrators, or even actively organizing the violence.
• Impunity: Those responsible for the violence often escape punishment, reinforcing a sense of vulnerability and persecution among the targeted group.

The term "pogrom" originated in the Russian language in the 19th century, referring to attacks on Jews in the Russian Empire. The word gained wider usage following the large-scale anti-Jewish riots in Russia between 1881 and 1921. While the term is most often associated with anti-Jewish violence in Eastern Europe, it can also be applied to similar acts of violence against other groups throughout history. The underlying dynamic involves scapegoating, dehumanization, and the exploitation of existing social tensions to incite violence against a vulnerable minority.