> I fundamentally don't believe that information can be violent in any way.
Then congrats on never suffering verbal abuse. Words can hurt and information in itself can do a lot of things in a right(or wrong) context.
For example. You arrive in a communist hating community (let's pretend it's during the Red scare). Someone accuses you of being a communist. Witch hunt ensues.
Listen, downvote all you like, but it seems you never were on the wrong end of verbal abuse. Trust me a well sharpened remark, can be waaaaay more painful than a gut punch.
I never said witchhunt needed to end with violence. You can become black sheep, losing job, family, friends without a single follicles of your hair being torn. Your freedom could be taken, without you suffering any violence, e.g. house arrest.
For example. You arrive in a communist hating community (let's pretend it's during the Red scare). Someone accuses you of being a communist. Witch hunt ensues.