All posts tagged: extremism

Far-Right Extremists Are LARPing as Emergency Workers in Los Angeles

Far-Right Extremists Are LARPing as Emergency Workers in Los Angeles

Published by skeptic

Extremists including white supremacists and border livestreamers have descended on Los Angeles in the midst of the wildfires there to gain followers, juice social media engagement, solicit donations and, experts claim, recruit new members, while in some cases LARPing as emergency workers. This past weekend Ryan Sánchez and three other members of his Nationalist Network group set up shop at the entrance to Santa Monica Pier. Sánchez, who was caught on video giving a Nazi salute during last year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, and his crew had driven overnight from Arizona, where they live. Sánchez, who was a member of the now-defunct white supremacist fight club known as the Rise Above Movement, is an ally of white supremacist Nick Fuentes and is sometimes known by his online moniker “Culture War Criminal.” Sánchez, who did not respond to WIRED’s requests for comment, claims on his social media accounts that his group “got much more support than anticipated” and said that all of the donations were given to the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall, a building said to …

As the Mastermind of Far-Right ‘Active Clubs’ Goes to Prison, His Violent Movement Goes Global

As the Mastermind of Far-Right ‘Active Clubs’ Goes to Prison, His Violent Movement Goes Global

Published by skeptic

American neo-Nazi Robert Rundo’s six-year “battle with the feds”—a fight that spans two dismissals, three appellate reversals, and an extradition and deportation from at least two countries—concludes today with his sentencing to federal prison for attacking ideological opponents at political rallies across California in 2017. Along with several members of the Rise Above Movement, a fight club-cum-street gang Rundo cofounded with fellow extremist Ben Daley in Southern California during the peak of the alt-right movement, Rundo was convicted on 2018 charges of conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Riot Act for training and planning a series of attacks on political opponents at rallies across California and Unite the Right in Virginia the year prior. While Rundo may be locked behind bars for years, the movement he created is running wild around the globe. In the interceding years since his initial arrest, indictment, imprisonment, and flight from the US after his case was initially dismissed in 2019, Rundo helped mastermind an international network of RAM clones known as “Active Clubs.” A transnational alliance of far-right fight clubs …

NSS refers charity in extremism case to regulator over misogyny

NSS refers charity in extremism case to regulator over misogyny

Published by skeptic

The National Secular Society has reported a charity involved in an extremism court case to the regulator, after a misogynistic sermon at the charity came to light. The NSS referred Tawheed Islamic Education Centre of Maidenhead (TIEC) to the Charity Commission over a sermon which said “the place of a woman is in a home” and that a man should ‘force’ his wife to wear a hijab. A recent court case has revealed TIEC gave a teaching role to Dzhamilya Timaeva, who has been charged with disseminating terrorist publications possessing a document for terrorist purposes. The court heard Timaeva had made lesson plans for TIEC, starting in September 2022, which made reference to a book called “Little Muwahideen”. The book has a “colourful, cartoon” style aimed at children and has sections about waging war for Islam and “hatred for the sake of Allah”. The prosecutor said the book is about “indoctrinating young minds”. He added Timaeva “saw it as her duty to teach these extremist beliefs to young children”. Timaeva is alleged to have sent …

Europe, let’s get uncomfortable – POLITICO

Europe, let’s get uncomfortable – POLITICO

Published by skeptic

Brussels can be a comfortable city for a politician. A place far from voters and their concerns, where the grand scale of European issues can overshadow the very real impact of decisions made, or not made. It’s a stark contrast to the immediacy of local politics. When I worked in Düsseldorf, people walked up to me in the street or around town, telling me their concerns and how decisions affected them. Or about how politicians’ indecision made them unsure about the future. The same goes for Berlin. It’s this direct interaction that taught me the value of stepping out of my comfort zone as a leader. Making myself uncomfortable. Make no mistake, these are uncomfortable times for Europeans. We face uncomfortable challenges. There is no comfortable way forward. No way of pleasing everyone. Difficult decisions must be made. And precisely at this time, we see politicians shying away from these hard choices. Shelving them for later. Pushing them further into the future. Hoping that problems will solve themselves. Most of all, people want competent politicians …

In Burkina Faso, Islamist extremism can make it dangerous to dance. But villagers find a way.

In Burkina Faso, Islamist extremism can make it dangerous to dance. But villagers find a way.

Published by Sam

BOBO-DIOULASSO, Burkina Faso — The musicians and dancers traveled in a military convoy to reach the competition, moving in armored cars with soldiers at the ready through parts of the country where Islamist extremists have banned their violins, drums and dance moves. There was a dancer whose close friend had been killed for listening to a radio while he farmed. A violinist who no longer dared to play at the marriages and baptisms in the villages where he used to make his living. A young dancer who could no longer go to concerts with her friends in neighboring villages. Source link

Extremist Militias Are Coordinating in More Than 100 Facebook Groups

Extremist Militias Are Coordinating in More Than 100 Facebook Groups

Published by skeptic

“Join Your Local Militia or III% Patriot Group,” a post urged the more than 650 members of a Facebook group called the Free American Army. Accompanied by the logo for the Three Percenters militia network and an image of a man in tactical gear holding a long rifle, the post continues: “Now more than ever. Support the American militia page.” Other content and messaging in the group is similar. And despite the fact that Facebook bans paramilitary organizing and deemed the Three Percenters an “armed militia group” on its 2021 Dangerous Individuals and Organizations List, the post and group remained up until WIRED contacted Meta for comment about its existence. Free American Army is just one of around 200 similar Facebook groups and profiles, most of which are still live, that anti-government and far-right extremists are using to coordinate local militia activity around the country. After lying low for several years in the aftermath of the US Capitol riot on January 6, militia extremists have been quietly reorganizing, ramping up recruitment and rhetoric on Facebook—with …

Russian Journalists Placed in Pre-Trial Detention in Alleged Extremism Cases

Russian Journalists Placed in Pre-Trial Detention in Alleged Extremism Cases

Published by skeptic

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Courts in Russia placed two journalists in pre-trial detention for two months on Saturday after state prosecutors accused them of taking part in the activities of an “extremist” organisation founded by late opposition politician Alexei Navalny. Moscow’s Basmanny court said in a statement that one of the journalists, Konstantin Gabov, had prepared video and photographic material for a YouTube channel, “Navalny Live”, run by allies of Navalny, who died in an Arctic prison in February. It did not provide further details. A spokeswoman for the Navalny movement did not respond to a request for comment. Neither Gabov nor his lawyer could be reached for comment. Video journalist Sergei Karelin, who has in the past worked for the Associated Press (AP) among others and has dual citizenship with Israel, was detained in Russia’s northern Murmansk region on Friday, AP reported. AP said in a statement that it was “very concerned” by his detention, and added, “We are seeking additional information.” Photos You Should See – April 2024 Karelin, like Gabov, is accused of …

Two Russian Journalists Jailed on ‘Extremism’ Charges for Alleged Work for Navalny Group

Two Russian Journalists Jailed on ‘Extremism’ Charges for Alleged Work for Navalny Group

Published by skeptic

LONDON (AP) — Two Russian journalists were arrested by their government on “extremism” charges and ordered by courts there on Saturday to remain in custody pending investigation and trial on accusations of working for a group founded by the late Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny. Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin both denied the charges for which they will be detained for a minimum of two months before any trials begin. Each faces a minimum of two years in prison and a maximum of six years for alleged “participation in an extremist organization,” according to Russian courts. They are just the latest journalists arrested amid a Russian government crackdown on dissent and independent media that intensified after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago. The Russian government passed laws criminalizing what it deems false information about the military, or statements seen as discrediting the military, effectively outlawing any criticism of the war in Ukraine or speech that deviates from the official narrative. Gabov and Karelin are accused of preparing materials for a YouTube …

Father of boy accused of stabbing 2 Sydney clerics saw no signs of extremism, Muslim leader says

Father of boy accused of stabbing 2 Sydney clerics saw no signs of extremism, Muslim leader says

Published by Sam

SYDNEY (AP) — The father of a boy accused of stabbing two Christian clerics in Australia saw no signs of his son’s extremism, a Muslim community leader said on Wednesday as police began arresting suspected rioters who besieged a Sydney church demanding revenge. The 16-year-old boy spoke in Arabic about the Prophet Muhammad after he stabbed Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and the Rev. Isaac Royel during a church service on Monday night that was being streamed online. Neither cleric sustained life-threatening injuries. The Orthodox Assyrian congregation overpowered the boy and he remained in an undisclosed hospital on Wednesday under police guard. He sustained severe hand wounds in the struggle. Lebanese Muslim Association secretary Gamel Kheir, an advocate for Sydney’s largest Muslim community, said he spent two hours with the boy’s distraught father at the family home soon after the attack. The family has since left their home for fear of retaliation. “He was in shock,” Kheir said of the father, who has not been identified. “He was not aware of any signs of becoming more …