sign in sign up
<<
Home , 1980 Miami riots, Abiding Truth Ministries, Alex Jones, American Free Press, American Front, American Nazi Party

PUBLISHED BY 2017 // ISSUE 162 THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER

THETHE YEARYEAR ININ HATEHATE ANDAND EXTREMISMEXTREMISM AFTER HALF A CENTURY, THE ENTERS THE MAINSTREAM

PLUS MAP & LISTING INSIDE EDITORIAL

Donald Trump, ‘’ and the Rise of BY MARK POTOK Last December, an armed, 28-year-old that 80% of white victims in America are killed man stormed into a , D.C., pizza parlor called by people. He described Mexican immigrants as Comet Ping-Pong, bent on investigating rapists and drug dealers, said should be banned the he’d heard about it being part of from the country, and seemed to encourage by a child sex- ring closely tied to the his supporters against black protesters. presidential campaign of . During the campaign, Trump only weakly disavowed Before it was over, Edgar Welch had fired a the white supremacists who were electrified by his shot that harmed no one, but terrified res- candidacy. And once elected, he selected appointees taurant customers and staff alike. known for their anti-LGBT, anti-Muslim and “The on this wasn’t 100%,” Welch anti-immigrant ideas. Chief among them was Breitbart sheepishly conceded later. News executive Stephen Bannon, a partisan of right- That may have been the understatement of the year. wing who many observers see as having pro- The “intel” on what came to be called “Pizzagate” moted . was utterly and completely false. It soon transpired After half a century of being pushed to the very mar- that Welch had been taken in by a “documentary” he gins of American society, the radical right has entered watched on the Infowars site of , America’s the political mainstream in a way not even imagined most unhinged conspiracist and a man who sees the fed- since the 1968 run for the presidency by segregation- eral government as being the author of almost every ter- ist . rorist attack since 1995. In this issue, we take a look at of the radi- But the most remarkable thing about the whole cal right in America in the aftermath of one of the most bizarre episode wasn’t that significant numbers of remarkable presidential races in history. According to Americans are so taken in by Jones’ “fake news” that a the Southern Poverty Law Center’s latest count, the man like Welch actually begins shooting. What’s gen- number of hate groups in the U.S. remained at near-his- uinely stunning is that then-presidential candidate toric levels, increasing from 892 in 2015 to 917 last year. had in late 2015 gone on Jones’ radio That approaches the all-time high in some 30 years of show, where the future U.S. president pronounced his counting groups, 1,018 in 2011, when hatred of President interviewer’s reputation “amazing.” Obama on the political right was white hot. That statement, along with Jones’ claim that Trump These numbers don’t tell the whole story. Increasing called him personally right after the election to thank numbers of extremists — like , who was him for his support and to promise to go on his show convicted late last year of the 2015 murder of nine black once again, was a reflection of just how far the radi- churchgoers in a bid to start a race war — are lurking cal right in America has come in recent years. And it on the , absorbing radical ideas without actu- wasn’t the only such sign. During the campaign, Trump ally ever joining a hate group. Some small proportion retweeted a white supremacist’s completely false claim of these people, and invisible until the very last moment like Roof, go on to kill. America is at a crossroads. On one hand, the coun- RETRACTION In the Summer 2015 issue of the Intelligence Report, we try has come a remarkable distance from a past marred reported that Cathy Brennan was removed in 2012 as liaison to the by slavery, Jim Crow and against minor- ’s Committee on and ities of all kinds. On the other, like most European coun- Identity. This report was not accurate; Ms. Brennan was not a tries, we are facing a resurgence of racial nationalism member of this American Bar Association Committee in 2012, having that imperils the progress we’ve made. served a one-year term from 2008-2009. We deeply regret this error. Alex Jones may try scrub the evidence of his role In the same story, we reported that Ms. Brennan “outed [a in promoting , as he did immediately after ] student to school officials by revealing his female birth name.” Ms. Brennan disputes this and claims that the student Welch’s attack in the nation’s capital. But it is impera- published his “female birth name” on his and pages, tive that we remember the Joneses of the world, and that which Ms. Brennan only became aware of after this person repeatedly we work to identify, isolate and neutralize those who contacted Ms. Brennan. would make America less than the country it could be. ▲ SPRING 2017 // ISSUE 162

HATE GROUP MAP // HATE GROUP LISTING // ‘PATRIOT’ GROUP LISTING // STARTING ON PAGE 43

ON THE COVER 36 The Year in Hate & Extremism After a half century on the margins of American society, the radical right last year entered the political mainstream. Recurring strains of and other forms of big- otry, stoked by the effects of globalization and free , helped elect a right-wing populist to the presidency of the . Donald Trump’s subsequent appoint- ment of a raft of hardliners also heartened extremists across the nation.

13 Eye of the Stormer 23 One More Enemy 26 The In recent months, , Officials arrested three members of an a -Nazi website run by Andrew antigovernment “Patriot” group called of Isabella The 2009 parental kidnapping of Anglin, has surpassed as the the Kansas Security Force last fall, a 7-year-old girl by a woman who leading white supremacist forum on the accusing them of forming a subgroup renounced her past and took up Internet. This remarkable development that planned to Somali with a radical anti-LGBT group resulted was propelled by the Trump campaign, Muslim immigrants in Garden City, Kan. last fall in the conviction of a a “Stormer Army” set up by Anglin The case highlighted the convergence of Christian activist. Now, with a civil to harass his enemies, and Anglin’s the antigovernment movement and anti- in the works, others on the anti- “click bait” prowess. Muslim hatred. LGBT right could be implicated in the COVER ART BY SEAN MCCABE BY ART COVER international abduction. Intelligence Report

INTELLIGENCE REPORT EDITOR Mark Potok

INTELLIGENCE PROJECT DIRECTOR Heidi Beirich

ONLINE EDITOR/SENIOR WRITER Ryan Lenz

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF INVESTIGATIONS Laurie Wood

DATA MANAGER 18 Attorney for Keegan Hankes Kyle Bristow has a long history with youth-oriented hate groups. RESEARCH TEAM LEAD Now the lawyer has created a foundation that is poised to Stephen Piggott become the legal arm of the radical right. RESEARCH ANALYSTS Rose Falvey, Evelyn Schlatter, Sarah Viets 32 The Trump Effect PROGRAM ASSOCIATE From the start of his presidential campaign, Donald Trump’s Karla Griffin rhetoric encouraged political violence. After his victory, DESIGN DIRECTOR unleashed hatred soared to new highs. Russell Estes

DESIGNERS Shannon Anderson, Valerie Downes, Michelle Leland, Sunny Paulk, Scott Phillips, Kristina Turner 63 Picturing Extremism

PRODUCTION MANAGER The director and a screenwriter discuss their “Imperium,” a new Regina Collins movie starring Daniel Radcliffe about the FBI infiltration of a

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR white supremacist hate group. Alex Amend

MEDIA AND GENERAL INQUIRIES Heidi Beirich LAW ENFORCEMENT INQUIRIES Laurie Wood SUBSCRIPTION REQUESTS Karla Griffin departments Southern Poverty Law Center 400 Washington Ave. • Montgomery, AL 36104 (334) 956-8200 • intelligencereport.org 3 Intelligence Briefs theories produce terror plots; organized PUBLISHED BY THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER’S is on the rise; police officers are assassinated by violent ; INTELLIGENCE PROJECT and other glimpses of extremism.

67 For the Record A sampling of hate crimes and hate group activities from the second half of 2016 is summarized in state-by-state listings. SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER PRESIDENT J. Richard Cohen

SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER FOUNDERS 69 The Last Word Joseph J. Levin Jr. A Klan leader decided to hold a “Victory Klavalkade” to SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS celebrate the election of Donald Trump. But in the end, Alan B. Howard, Chair Henry Solano, Vice Chair Chris Barker couldn’t make it to his own parade. , Bryan Fair, Bennett Grau, Will Little, Howard Mandell, James McElroy, Lida Orzeck, Elden Rosenthal, James Rucker, Ellen Sudow law enforcement inquiries welcomed The Intelligence Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)

The Intelligence Report is published two times a year by the staff of the Intelligence resources renewable 27.3% containing with inks Printed Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center and provided free of charge to law welcomes law enforcement inquiries regarding radical right extremists enforcement officials, journalists, scholars and others. The Southern Poverty and hate groups. Please direct questions during normal business hours Law Center is supported entirely by private donations. No government funds are involved. © 2017 Southern Poverty Law Center. All rights reserved. to Laurie Wood via the SPLC’s general number, (334) 956-8200. INTELLIGENCE

Briefs EXTREMISM IN THE U.S.

[FAKE NEWS] Tall Tales Spread by Alex Jones Breed Dangerous Plots

On Dec. 4, a 28-year-old North the weather, controls and says the U.S. government was Carolina man bearing a handgun traps . Mancil, 30, behind everything from the 1995 and a military-style rifle stormed and James Dryden Jr., 22, both to the a Washington, D.C., pizza joint of Douglas, Ga., had amassed an terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Seeds of violence: called Comet Ping-Pong, deter- arsenal — including AR-15 mil- including the massacres of school- The unhinged claims mined to “self-investigate” rumors itary-style rifles, four children at Columbine and Sandy spread by arch-con- that the restaurant was the cen- handguns, a rifle and more Hook and the Boston Marathon spiracy theorist Alex Jones might be amus- ter of a child sex-slave ring with than 2,000 rounds of ammuni- bombing, and who claims that ing if they were not so connections to the Clinton cam- tion, radios and flak jackets — that “Hillary Clinton has personally dangerous. But that paign. Edgar M. Welch, of Salis- authorities say they planned to use murdered and chopped up and didn’t stop then-pres- bury, N.C., who fired his weapon to attack ’s High-Frequency raped” children. idential candidate inside the restaurant but injured Active Auroral Research Program Jones, who has been spread- Donald Trump from going on Jones’ radio no one, later admitted “the intel (HAARP), a large radio transmit- ing fake news and ginning up show, where he on this wasn’t 100%.” ter cited in numerous antigovern- antigovernment hysteria for praised the “amaz- Earlier, in late October, two ment conspiracy theories. well over a decade, has recently ing” reputation of his men were arrested in con- These two incidents, either of gained new prominence through interviewer. nection with an alleged domes- which could easily have ended his connection to the Trump cam- tic terror plot to travel nearly in bloodshed, have one man in paign. As a candidate, Donald 3,500 miles to a former mili- common: Internet personality Trump appeared on Jones’ show Visit intelligencereport.org for more information tary research facility in Alaska Alex Jones, an influential and in December 2015, where he on the state of hate

BROOKS KRAFT/GETTY IMAGES KRAFT/GETTY BROOKS that they believed manipulates prolific conspiracy theorist who told Jones, “Your reputation is in America.

Leah Nelson and Mark Potok contributed. spring 2017 3 INTELLIGENCE BRIEFS

Bullets not ballots: amazing. I will not let you down.” Among those who Jones claims to have personally faced charges in advised Trump in the run-up to the armed Malheur National Wildlife the election, and also asserted Refuge takeover were that a grateful Trump called him (clockwise from top after his victory and promised to left) Ryan Bundy, appear on the show again. , Brian That was before the fake Cavalier, Pete Santilli, Shawna Cox, Ryan news item known as “Pizzagate,” Payne and Joseph which was born on the O’Shaughnessy. and Internet forums and gained a dubious kind of credibil- ity when Jones’ Infowars website began posting videos and articles pushing it, nearly ended in trag- edy with Welch’s armed “inves- tigation.” After an FBI complaint [ANTIGOVERNMENT VIOLENCE] FBI — was merely an act of civil showed that Welch had been disobedience, akin to a sit-in, by watching an Infowars “documen- Acquittal of Bundy civic-minded individuals opposed tary” promoting the conspiracy to government “overreach.” theory, Jones scrubbed his site of Militants Further Experts say the Bundys’ inter- most of its Pizzagate content in an Emboldens Radicals pretation of the Constitution flies apparent effort to distance himself in the face of nearly 200 years from the fallout of this particu- A federal stunned court of legal precedent, including the larly toxic lie. watchers on Oct. 27 by deliver- Property Clause, which delegates to His contrition, if that’s what it ing a not guilty verdict for Ryan Congress the power to make “need- is, apparently ends with Pizzagate: and Ammon Bundy and five other ful Rules and Regulations respect- Infowars still teems with gro- defendants charged in connection ing Territory or other Property tesquely misleading headlines with the armed, 41-day-long take- belonging to the United States.” and conspiracy theories about over of ’s Malheur National “We have 175 years of consis- vaccinations, a supposed Obama Wildlife Refuge. interpretation of the Property “scorched earth” policy, and a Despite guilty pleas from a Clause and then we have the coup allegedly being plotted number of other individuals Bundys,” Michael Blumm, a law by . arrested in connection with the professor at Oregon’s Lewis & Jones is not alone. The mar- occupation — including Bundy Clark College who specializes in ket for fake news is crowded, “bodyguard” Wesley Kjar’s June public lands, told High Country and likely to get more so under 23 admission that “I agreed to News. “Which is more persuasive?” the leadership of a president who occupy the Malheur National The Bundy brothers know said in December, “The whole Wildlife Refuge as part of an the answer to that question. age of [the] computer has made armed political protest against Emboldened by their acquittals, it where nobody knows exactly federal power” — the jurors felt they have already threatened fur- what’s going on,” and whose sur- the government failed to prove ther action. “The government rogate, “journalist” Scottie Nell that the militants had conspired should be scared,” Ryan Bundy

Hughes, claimed, astonishingly, to impede federal workers from told in early MULTNOMAH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE/HANDOUT VIA /FILE PHOTO that “there are no such things, doing their jobs. November. Discussing his opposi- unfortunately, anymore, as facts.” Instead, they apparently were tion to an Obama administration Facts do, in fact, exist. But with persuaded by the defense argu- plan to create a national monu- platforms and search ment that the armed occupa- ment on federal land abutting the engines making only the feeblest tion — which disrupted life in the Bundy ranch, he said: “Read the of efforts to identify and marginal- rural corner of Oregon for over Declaration of Independence. It ize false content, a president who a month, inconvenienced locals, says right there that if the gov- is all too happy to exploit the fear menaced federal employees, and ernment becomes abusive, it’s uncertainty engenders, and con- led to the death of LaVoy Finicum, our right and our duty to abolish spiracists like Alex Jones continu- a spokesman for the group who that government. If the govern- ing to propagate lies, reality seems was shot while reaching for a gun ment won’t restrain itself, what- likely to lose out. during a confrontation with the ever happens is their own fault.”

4 splc intelligence report The government will have a casual misogyny and alleged sex- see the value in fat women who second crack at the Bundys in ual assault (“grab them by the don’t take care of themselves, and February, when, together with pussy”) energized an explicitly neither should you.” their father Cliven, the brothers sexist element within the noxious Matt Forney, a racist blogger will face a federal jury in “Alt-Right” movement. who claims women secretly want connection with the armed 2014 Though he is best known for to be “raped” and “beat[en],” over government efforts to his white nationalism, Alt-Right endorsed Trump because, as he stop the elder Bundy from illegally personality Richard Spencer has wrote on Oct. 26, “Trump is show- grazing cattle on federal land. The made it clear that women, too, ing the world that not only is the brothers have already staked out a would be marginalized in his emperor naked, his dick is the size defiant position, refusing to leave fantasy world. During the first of a clit.” He was apparently refer- their holding cells to attend a pre- presidential debate of 2016, he ring to mainstream conservatives trial hearing in December. tweeted that “[w]omen should who he sees “cuckolds” who have No matter what happens, the never be allowed to make foreign sold out. Bundy family has made its mark. policy. It’s not that they’re ‘weak.’ With misogynist Alt-Right Washington State Rep. To the contrary, their vindictive- personalities on the rise, day-to- (R), a longtime antigovernment ness knows no bounds.” Female day acts of anti-woman violence activist who claimed credit for citizens of his ideal white “ethno- took on new significance. At the averting a massacre at Malheur state,” he told The Washington University of on Sept. 20, by sending a confrontational Post, would stay at home and pro- Dean Saxon, a street preacher best gun-rights activist to the ref- offspring. known for “slut-shaming” women uge to meet with the occupiers, And, according to Mother and hollering “You deserve ,” in December pre-filed a bill that Jones, Spencer dismisses the idea would drastically restrict the abil- that Trump’s alleged history of ity of state natural resource agen- forcing himself on women, - cies to acquire and manage public ing and groping them without land in Washington. their consent, constitutes sex- And the GOP’s 2016 platform, ual assault. Indeed, he seems to widely criticized for lurching endorse rape, writing, “At some right on nearly every major issue, part of every woman’s , they includes language demanding want to be taken by a strong man.” that Congress “immediately pass Then there’s Stephen K. Bannon, universal legislation providing a chief strategist, who timely and orderly mechanism presided over far-right Breitbart requiring the federal government News — which he called a “platform to convey certain federally con- for the alt-right” — when it fea- trolled public lands to the states.” tured headlines like, “Birth Control Makes Women Unattractive and was arrested and banned from Stephen Bannon, [MISOGYNY] Crazy” and “Would You Rather campus for a year for allegedly now a top advisor to Your Child Have or kicking a woman in the chest. Donald Trump, is one of those who led the Woman Hatred, Cancer?” It also carried endless On Oct. 13, host resurgence in ver- anti-feminist pieces by Alt-Right “doxxed” Jessica Leeds, bal attacks on women Fueled by Presidential arch-troll , who retweeting a post that included the and feminists that has Campaign, on the Rise wrote in August, “In terms of female address and phone numbers of afflicted the nation in happiness, women’s liberation was the 74-year-old, who alleges that recent years. Much has been made of the rise probably a mistake.” Trump sexually assaulted her on a in racist and xenophobic rhet- Misogyny, in other words, is plane in the early 1980s. oric, anti-Muslim attacks, and making a comeback. And on Dec. 9, a anti-Semitic trolling in the wake Celebrating Trump’s victory, judge sentenced to eight years in of Donald Trump’s ascent, and self-declared “neo-masculinist” prison — the maximum — Alex rightly so. But just as Trump’s Daryush Valizadeh (alias “Roosh Smith, a professional “pickup art- promises to build a wall on the V”) wrote: “I’m in a state of exuber- ist” who, together with a fellow U.S.- border, block Muslim ance that we now have a President pickup “instructor” and a “stu- , and restore “law and who rates women on a 1-10 scale dent,” -raped a woman who order” have emboldened nativists the same way we do. … The presi- found out how she was attacked

REUTERS/CARLO ALLEGRI REUTERS/CARLO and racists, so has his history of dent of the United States does not from Smith’s online profile.

spring 2017 5 INTELLIGENCE BRIEFS

[OBITUARIES ON THE FAR RIGHT] the mid-, was patrolling the wrote or co-authored is called The border with the Minute- Conservative Case for Trump. Sunrise, Sunset: Five man Support Team. The “III Per- Charles Weisman, a Christian cent” term, which he helped coin Identity publisher and promoter Leading Extremists and popularize, supposedly refers of anti-Semitic conspiracy theo- Dead in 2016 to “at least 3% of American gun ries, died on Oct. 8. owners” — those who “will not He was in his early The story of 2016 was one of disarm, will not compromise and 60s. Weisman, a right-wing extremists ascendant. will no longer back up at the pas- self-proclaimed But even as young racist radicals sage of the next act.” scholar who traf- gained attention and influence, “When turns to tyr- ficked in the sort important members of the gener- anny, the armed citizen still gets of conspiracy theories that fea- ation that preceded them passed to vote — with his rifle,” wrote ture clandestine rabbinical coun- away. Among them: Vanderboegh, who participated sels plotting a Jewish takeover of Victor Thorn, an antigovernment in and applauded the 2014 armed the planet, subscribed to a ver- conspiracy theorist and “Clinton standoff between Nevada rancher sion of the anti-Semitic researcher,” died on Aug. 1. He and government called , which was 54. Thorn was officials. “Any grasping would-be holds that are a cursed peo- a Holocaust denier tyrant who ignores that truth does ple intent on destroying the white and anti-Sem- so at his own peril.” race. He ran Weisman Publica- ite whose books , ultraconservative tions out of a suburb of Minneap- included The Holo- anti-feminist, antigovernment olis, Minn., selling over 90 titles, caust Hoax Exposed, conspiracy theorist and anti- including his own works and anti- 9-11 EVIL: ’s Central Role in agitator, died Semitic classics such as the forged the September 11, 2001 Terror- on Sept. 5 at the Protocols of the Learned Elders of ist Attacks, and a trilogy “expos- age of 92. Schlafly Zion, which purports to reveal a ing” Bill and Hillary Clinton, as entered the pub- secret plan by Jewish “elders” well as numerous articles for the lic sphere in the plotting world domination. “My anti-Semitic, conspiracist Ameri- 1950s by denounc- beliefs are grounded in the truths can Free Press (AFP). Though AFP ing , opposing limits I’ve found out in my study, my reported that Thorn’s family and on nuclear testing, and gunning research,” he told City Pages of FACEBOOK (THORN); AP IMAGES/ ELAINE THOMPSON (VANDERBOEGH); REUTERS/HYUNGWON KANG (SCHLAFLY); YOUTUBE (WEISMAN); CHICK.COM (CHICK) friends described his death as a for a constitutional amendment Minneapolis in 2015. “The biggest suicide, his death was immedi- to prevent the president from farce in the world [is that Jews ately seized upon by AFP eulogists negotiating international trea- are] God’s .” and others as further “proof” that ties. A devout Catholic, she mobi- Jack Chick — prolific cartoonist the Clintons make a habit of “mur- lized conservative women in favor and founder of the anti-atheist, dering” their enemies. of public school prayer after the anti-gay, anti-Muslim, anti-Mor- Michael Brian Vanderboegh, anti- Supreme Court banned it in the mon and anti- government activist and and became a household Catholic Chick co-founder of the extremist Three name in the 1970s, when her Publications — died Percent movement “Stop ERA” movement success- on Oct. 23 at the age who once mailed fully derailed the Equal Rights of 92. Chick, whose the editor of this Amendment for women. Her cartoons warning magazine a realis- grass-roots movement, oppos- against various evils including tic-looking plastic ing feminism, , , , Hal- human skull, died and cultural changes in American loween, , evolution, Aug. 10 at the age of 64. Vander- society, eventually morphed into infant baptism, , and boegh, who bragged that he had the -based , the children’s fantasy game Dun- been on the “enemies lists of a far-right group espousing var- geons and Dragons have been the last THREE White Houses,” ious conspiracy theories includ- described as “a form of religious appeared on the national anti- ing the claim that there is a secret pornography,” was a World War II government scene during the plan to merge , Mexico and veteran and one-time theater stu- 1993 siege of the Branch David- the United States. In 2016, despite dent who claimed to have been ian in Waco, . her age and failing health, Schlafly converted during his 1948 hon- He associated with - endorsed Donald Trump for pres- eymoon. Famously disinclined to wing militia movement, and by ident. The last of the 20 books she be photographed, he used images

6 splc intelligence report EXTREMISM IN THE MAINSTREAM

to great effect, spreading his fire- and-brimstone interpretation of Christian Scripture through “It is a melting pot of 3rd world miscreants and accessible black-and-white comics ghetto thugs.” known as Chick Tracts. His best- — assistant state attorney KENNETH LEWIS, in a June 12 Facebook post that selling tract, “This Was Your Life,” resulted in his being fired, describing downtown Orlando hours after an Islamist radical shows the angel of death review- murdered 49 people at an LGBT nightclub there ing a man’s sinful , then shows the man being cast into hell. “This is now war. Watch out Obama. Watch out punks. Real America is coming after you.” [ONLINE EXTREMISM] —Former U.S. Rep. JOE WALSH (R-Ill.), who later deleted the July 7 tweet he sent hours Social Media after five police officers were murdered by a black sniper Platforms’ Anti-Hate “[T]he shooter was a .” —Former Miss Alabama KALYN JAMES, who in 1993 became the first African American to Efforts Inch Ahead win that title, in a July 10 Facebook video praising Micah Xavier Johnson, who was killed by a police robot after murdering five Dallas police officers Google aspires “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” “Where did any other subgroup of people contribute Facebook’s mission is to “make the more to civilization?” world more open and connected.” —U.S. Rep. (R-), who in a July 18 interview with MSNBC also suggested , while occasionally bill- that “white people” have contributed more than other “categories of people” ing itself as “the free speech wing of the free speech party,” pro- “My culture is a very dominant culture. And it’s hibits “hateful conduct,” telling imposing, and it’s causing problems. If you don’t do users: “You may not promote vio- something about it, you’re gonna have taco trucks on lence against or directly attack or threaten other people on the basis every corner.” of race, ethnicity, national origin, —Latinos for Trump founder MARCO GUTIERREZ, warning of the dangers of Mexican immigrants in a much-mocked Sept. 1 appearance on MSNBC sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or disease.” “The majority of those people in these situations that In December, all three com- are shot are on the way to jail.” panies, together with Microsoft, —Henrico County, Va., SheriffMIKE WADE, a GOP congressional nominee who later lost, in announced an ambitious plan to an Oct. 20 comment shrugging off concerns about police shootings of black men curb the online spread of extrem- ism through the creation of a joint “Think of them like termites. They get into the wood industry database of “content that of the house and they eat away at the very moral promotes ” — a move that has been widely interpreted fabric of the foundation of our country.” to mean that the companies will —Conservative Republicans of Texas president STEVEN HOTZE, claiming to a crowd on Oct. 29 that homosexuality was introduced to America by Soviet premier Nikita Kruschev focus on created by as part of a plot to “create moral in our country” jihadist terrorist groups like the . Yet when it comes to tackling “Holding up that faggot flag, it’s unforgivable to me, right-wing extremist content and it’s unforgivable — and in an ideal society, people like , the companies seem Mr. Trump would also be put to death.” mysteriously helpless. —Anti-LGBT activist THEODORE SHOEBAT, reacting on Oct. 30 to Donald Trump’s holding Twitter is probably the worst up an “ for Trump” flag offender: Despite explicitly banning “accounts whose pri- “I’m tired of seeing a Ape in heels.” mary purpose is inciting harm —Clay County, W. Va., Development Corporation Director PAMELA TAYLOR, in an early towards others on the basis of November Facebook post about that cost her her job and also led to the these categories,” it has done resignation of Clay Mayor BEVERLY WHALING, who wrote approvingly on the post

FACEBOOK (LEWIS); BILL CLARK/ROLL CALL/GETTY IMAGES (WALSH); JARED SISKIN/PATRICK MCMULLAN/GETTY IMAGES (JAMES); REUTERS/MARK KAUZLARICH KAUZLARICH REUTERS/MARK (JAMES); IMAGES MCMULLAN/GETTY SISKIN/PATRICK JARED (WALSH); IMAGES CALL/GETTY BILL CLARK/ROLL (LEWIS); FACEBOOK (TAYLOR) FACEBOOK TWITTER (SHOEBAT); (HOTZE); OWEN AP IMAGES/CLIFF (WADE); MIKEWADEFORCONGRESS.COM (GUTIERREZ); (KING); YOUTUBE remarkably little in the way of

spring 2017 7 INTELLIGENCE BRIEFS

enforcement. In late November, past is precedent, these Whac-A- The gunman, -born it won from progres- Mole efforts are unlikely to sig- , was shot and killed sives when it strengthened report- nificantly reduce the spread of by police. The son of Afghan immi- ing tools and banned numerous hate online. grants, Mateen was a former secu- “alternative right” accounts that As Elon University communica- rity guard who had twice been pumped out racist, anti-Semitic, tions professor Jonathan Albright, investigated by the FBI for pro- anti-Muslim and misogynis- who studies the spread of online fessing interest in radical . tic content, most notably that of hate, told , promot- The 29-year-old, who had a wife prominent white nationalist ers of hateful false information and young son, dreamed of work- leader Richard Spencer. “have created a web that is bleed- ing in law enforcement, but was But in December, Spencer’s ing through on to our web. This expelled from a training program account was back up, and it isn’t a conspiracy. There isn’t one run by the Florida Department of emerged that Twitter had only person who’s created this. It’s a Corrections, in part for making off- banned him for violating a policy vast system of hundreds of differ- color comments about bringing a that prohibits individuals from ent sites that are using all the same weapon to class. He lost another running multiple accounts with tricks that all websites use. They’re job as a security guard after claim- overlapping uses. (The social sending out thousands of links to ing connections to both Al Qaeda, media platform has not restored other sites and together this has a Sunni group, and , a the account of Milo Yiannopoulos, created a vast satellite system of Shiite organization and avowed an Alt-Right “troll” whose vicious rightwing news and propaganda enemy of Al Qaeda. His first known online attacks even Spencer that has completely surrounded pledge of loyalty to the Islamic acknowledged as “harassment.”) the system … State came during a 911 call the Facebook and Google, mean- like an organism that is growing night of the attack, less than three while, have done little to coun- and getting stronger all the time.” hours before he was killed. ter the use of their platforms to Indeed. Even as Reddit, a Though Mateen’s terrorist spread hateful, false “informa- major platform for online hate, bona fides bordered on fantasy, tion,” from conspiracy theories announced that it would ban the carnage he inflicted was all accusing various minority groups some of its most vicious users, too real. Survivors of the massacre of plotting against America to , neo-Nazi editor at Pulse, which was particularly Neo-Nazi Andrew websites promoting Holocaust of the viciously racist online Daily popular among Latino members Anglin has led his “Troll Army” in some denial and false “facts” about Stormer, was rallying his follow- of the Orlando LGBT commu- of the more vicious Islam, LGBT people, women, ers for their next attack. Urging nity, suffered inside the club for online attacks seen Mexicans and others. Facebook’s them to create “fake black person upwards of three hours as Mateen in recent years. But hate speech policy, as leaked accounts,” he wrote: “We wish to murdered their friends and held he is far from alone to the German newspaper create a state of chaos on twitter, them . He was killed dur- among haters who Süddeutsche Zeitung, are increasingly prohibits among the black twitter popula- ing a SWAT raid around 5 a.m. using social media to attacks on individuals based on tion, by sowing distrust and sus- Racists, anti-LGBT activists intimidate and harass their race, national origin, reli- picion. … Chaos is the name of and other extrem- their enemies. gion, or sexual orientation, but the game.” ists wasted no seemingly permits attacks on time in celebrat- and nationalities more [ISLAMIST TERROR] ing the slaughter. generally. And a recent report by , Mateen The Guardian found that Google’s 49 Murdered at president of the autocomplete function, which neo-Confederate League of the predicts what people mean to Orlando Club, and South, a theocratic, anti-black ask when they start typing, filled Extremists Celebrate group with fantasies of becom- in “evil” after a user typed “Are ing a paramilitary organization, Jews” and “Are women.” Orlando, Fla., became the site of proclaimed: “In a free & inde- The platform altered the deadliest by a pendent South, Islam would be these particular autocom- single gunman in U.S. history, and banned, Muslims deported, and all DAILY STORMER (ANGLIN); DMV(MATEEN) plete answers following the deadliest terrorist attack on closed down. The own- The Guardian’s article, and U.S. soil since 9/11, when a man ership of firearms, including mil- appeared to take steps to who proclaimed allegiance to the itary grade, would be encouraged assure that the top results Islamic State killed 49 people and for all Southern citizens.” no longer included wounded 53 at Pulse, a popular gay Andrew Anglin, editor and hate sites. But if nightclub, before dawn on June 12. publisher of the neo-Nazi website

8 splc intelligence report Daily Stormer, hoped the attack on July 8 to the nightmarish news progressive philanthropist George signaled “the start of the terror- that a sniper had assassinated five Soros had engineered the shoot- ist/faggot .” Dallas police officers who were ings to provoke a race war. Arch- Timothy Buchanan of BarbWire, providing security at an other- Islamophobe an anti-gay website, blamed LGBT wise peaceful Black Lives Mat- claimed that Johnson was “in people for provoking the attack: ter protest. effect” acting as the “military “Flaunting gross immorality and Six other individuals were wing” of the Black Lives Matter defiant wickedness that is hid- wounded in the shooting, and movement, and demanded that eous, odious and wretched to an the shooter, 25-year-old Micah the latter be declared a domestic overwhelming majority of people Johnson of Mesquite, Texas, was terrorist organization. Stewart is a foolish and dangerous course killed by a police robot in the early Rhodes of the radical antigov- of action.” In a bizarre showing of hours of that summer day. ernment Keepers called on moral empathy with Mateen, he Johnson was an Army vet- his group to “unite and coordi- continued: “Those who come to eran and black nationalist sym- nate in mutual defense against the United States from other cul- pathizer who reportedly told this orchestrated campaign of tures — some of which are infinitely police that “he was upset about Marxist terrorism.” more moral than our own — are the recent police shootings” and While extremists bloviated, going to be offended and repulsed “wanted to kill white people, real and threatened attacks on by the rampant depravity that has especially white officers.” After police across the country con- become a defining characteristic of being discharged while under tinued. In on July 8, our culture.” investigation for sexual harrass- one woman was killed and three of the Faithful ment, he gravitated toward black others, including a police offi- Word Baptist in Tempe, nationalist hate groups includ- cer, were wounded by a black Ariz., put it like this: “The good ing the racist, anti-Semitic New Army veteran who reportedly news is that there’s 50 less pedo- , the Nation explained his indiscriminate philes in this world, because, you of Islam, and the Black Riders shooting attack by saying he know, these homosexuals are Liberation Party. was angry about police violence a bunch of disgusting perverts Extremists wasted no time against black Americans. Officers and pedophiles.” Another pastor, in co-opting Johnson’s act of in and Georgia were Kenneth Adkins, who runs three for their own wounded by gunfire the next churches in Georgia and who was purposes. A handful of black day, though the shooters’ motives arrested in August on charges of nationalists endorsed Johnson’s were unclear. molesting a boy under the age of 16, actions. Black Riders Liberation A few days later in Detroit, tweeted that the victims got “what Party leader Lakesia Washington four black men, including one they deserved.” And in a widely posted an “R.I.P.” message for who called Johnson a “hero” and circulated video, Pastor Roger Johnson on the group’s Facebook another who wrote, “It’s time to Jimenez of Sacramento’s Verity page, where another member wage war and shoot the police Baptist Church told his congrega- called him the “Nat Turner of first,” were arrested for alleg- tion, “The tragedy is that more of Our Time.” edly threatening on Facebook to them didn’t die. The tragedy is— On the other side of the racial kill police. Exploiting a trag- edy: Extremists (from I’m kind of upset that he didn’t fin- extremist spectrum, Matt Parrott, And on July 17, 29-year-old top) Matt Parrott, ish the job.” co-founder of the Traditionalist Gavin Eugene Long, a black man Alex Jones, David Youth Network and Traditionalist from Kansas City who in 2015 Horowitz and Stewart [ANTI-POLICE VIOLENCE] Worker Party — racist white filed documents declaring him- Rhodes all tried to groups that were involved in a self an antigovernment “sover- use a black sniper’s July murder of five bloody fight during a protest in eign citizen,” shot and killed three Officers Murdered Dallas police offi- Sacramento, Calif., that left sev- Baton Rouge police officers and cers to make wildly Across U.S. in eral stabbed and wounded — pre- wounded three others. dubious claims about of Extremist Violence dicted “race war.” And so did As the anti-police attacks and race war, Black Lives numerous posters on racist online threats continued sporadically Matter, and “Marxist terrorism.” A nation roiled by a vicious and bulletin boards throughout the fall, with inci- protracted presidential campaign like Stormfront. dents in , , and shocked and saddened by Right-wing , Alabama and else- graphic evidence of the deaths of conspiracy the- where, police and pundits strug- multiple unarmed black men at orist Alex Joes gled to make sense of the violence Johnson FACEBOOK (JOHNSON); TRADYOUTH.ORG (PARROTT); TWITTER (JONES); AP IMAGES/PHELAN M. EBENHACK (HOROWITZ); AP IMAGES/JOURNAL INQUIRER, JARED RAMSDELL (RHODES) INQUIRER, JARED AP IMAGES/JOURNAL (HOROWITZ); M. EBENHACK AP IMAGES/PHELAN TWITTER (JONES); (PARROTT); TRADYOUTH.ORG (JOHNSON); FACEBOOK the hands of police officers, woke claimed that and chart a path forward. Some

spring 2017 9 INTELLIGENCE BRIEFS

departments spoke of falling back on July 31 in , . shot. And Monroe, 29, was on military training, while oth- Erykah Tijerina, 36, was found shot to death in Newport News, The price of hate: ers planned to have officers work dead in her El Paso home on Va., on Dec. 21. Before she was The wave of appar- in pairs at all times. Dallas police Aug. 8; police suspected foul play. buried, her long hair was shorn ent of chief David Brown, a black man Rae’Lynn Thomas, 28, was shot and she was dressed in a . transgender or gen- der-nonconforming who rose to national prominence and beaten to death, allegedly Each of these apparent homi- women continued in in the wake of Johnson’s attack, by her mother’s ex-boyfriend, in cide victims was either transgen- the second half of retired in October but urged aspir- Columbus, Ohio, on Aug. 10. der or gender-nonconforming. 2016 (pictured from ing police officers, especially peo- Lexxi T. Sironen, 43, was Most were trans women, and most top left in same order ple of color, not to “quit on me” and found dead Sept. 6, in Waterville, of those, black trans women, who, as the story at right). to “[f ]inish what you’ve started.” Maine. T.T. Saffore, 27, was found according to Mic.com, constituted dead, her throat slit, in ’s 72% of transgender homicide vic- [TRANSGENDER VICTIMIZATION] West Garfield Park neighborhood tims since 2010. Together with 14 on Sept. 11. Crystal Edmonds, 32, others murdered in the first half Transgender Hate was shot to death in Baltimore on of this year, these 13 are victims Sept. 16. Jazz Alford, 30, of North of trend that made 2016 the dead- Murders Hit New All- Carolina, was also shot to death, liest year on record for transgen- Time High at a Birmingham, Ala., motel on der people. Sept. 23. These deaths, which due to The horrific list just keeps growing. Brandi Bledsoe, 32, was found inaccurate and incomplete report- Deeniquia Dodds, 22, died on dead with a bag around her head ing almost certainly constitute July 13, nine days after she was shot on Oct. 8, in what Cleveland police only a fraction of the actual toll in the early morning hours of July suspect was a homicide. The body of transgender people murdered 4 near her Washington, D.C., home. of Sierra/Simon Bush, 18, was last year, took place against the Dee Whigham, 25, was robbed and found in a creek near City, backdrop of a prominent pub- stabbed to death near Biloxi, Miss., Idaho, on Oct. 22, under what lic conversation about transgen- on July 23, while in town for the police termed “suspicious cir- der rights. Progressive activists Gulf Coast Black Rodeo. cumstances.” Noony Norwood, had been demanding that trans- Skye Mockabee, 26, was found 30, died Nov. 6 in a Richmond, gender people be allowed to use dead of an apparent head wound Va., hospital, the day after she was facilities aligned with their gender BLOTTER UPDATES ON EXTREMISM AND THE LAW

JULY 7 JULY 11 JULY 20 SEPT. 14 A federal indictment was An Arizona judge sentenced Criminal summonses were A Gresham, Ore., man and the unsealed that charged seven former border vigilante Chris issued for white nationalist girlfriend who allegedly egged members of the Latino gang Simcox to 19½ years in prison and two him on, shouting “Get him, Big Hazard with firebomb- on two counts of child moles- other men who were filmed baby!” as he plowed across ing four apartments in Los tation and one of furnishing shoving a black protester at a several lanes of oncoming Angeles’ Boyle Heights neigh- pornography to a minor. A for- March rally for Donald Trump traffic and struck and killed borhood in an effort to chase mer schoolteacher, Simcox, in Louisville, Ky. The three a black teenager, pleaded not out. The May 12, 55, rose to national promi- were charged with harass- guilty to first degree intimi- 2014, attacks were only the nence in the early 2000s as ment with physical contact dation charges, a , latest attempt by Latino street co-founder of the Minuteman for their attacks on Shiya in a Multnomah County court- over some two decades Project, a nativist extremist Nwanguma, a University of house. Russell Courtier, 38, to drive out of certain group that patrolled the U.S.- Louisville student. Heimbach, and Colleen Hunt, 35, had southern California neighbor- Mexico border. He had been a 25-year-old who heads already pleaded not guilty to hoods. Carlos Hernandez, 31, in prison since 2013, when he the racist and anti-Semitic murder in the death of Larnell the suspected leader of the was arrested for molesting Traditionalist Youth Network Bruce, 19. Courtier is alleged recent conspiracy, allegedly the 5-year-old daughter of a and Traditionalist Worker to be a member of the racist told fellow Big Hazard gang neighbor and his own daugh- Party, had bragged online prison gang European Kindred. members that the bombings ters, ages 6 and 4, although about the assault, but com- FACEBOOK would “get the out of charges involving the young- plained after his arrest of fac- OCT. 18 the neighborhood.” est were later dropped. ing a “political prosecution.” A 32-year-old Joplin, Mo.,

10 splc intelligence report identity, which social conserva- public venom, the Mic.com report Texas A&M, telling them that tives responded to by ginning up concluded, they will remain easy “America, at the end of the day, fears of malevolent perverts lurk- targets for violence and murder. belongs to white men. … Our bones ing in toilet stalls. are in the ground. We own it. At A study by Mic.com, a progres- [CAMPUS EXTREMISM] the end of the day, America can’t sive news site, revealed that law exist without us. We defined it.” enforcement and victims’ families White Nationalists , founded in are often hesitant to identify vic- March 2016 by 30-year-old Cal tims as transgender people, often Work to Make Inroads State Stanislaus student Nathan referring to trans women as gay at U.S. Colleges Damigo, hit the ground running men or using gendered pronouns over the July 4 weekend, when to describe non-binary individu- Emboldened by a presidential can- supporters posted fliers promot- als. Despite strong evidence in didate who embraced their ideas ing “European identity and sol- many cases, no homicide of a with a nudge and a wink, and idarity” in 17 cities. Damigo is a transgender person has led to a electrified by his victory, white former Marine corporal who dis- hate crime conviction since 2009, nationalists in 2016 fanned out covered his inner white nation- a problem Mic.com attributed and spread their message of fear alist by reading the work of at least in part to judicial bias and loathing among the nation’s Holocaust-denying ex-Klansman and prosecutors’ failure to fully young people. while serving five accept victims’ gender identities. Richard Spencer, 38, of the years for armed (while Many police departments were National Policy Institute, capi- drunk, he put a gun to the head of working to do better. Washington, talized on his newfound status as a cab driver he thought was Iraqi D.C., and Detroit now have ded- the man who coined the term “Alt- and stole $43). icated LGBT police units, and Right” to take his hateful message Addressing a class at Cal State other cities are working to train to campus. In addition to numer- Stanislaus, Damigo called himself police to be more sensitive to ous high-profile media appear- an “identitarian” — a reference transgender issues. But as long as ances which he used to shill his to a racist European movement transgender people remain eco- suit-and-tie of racial hatred, — and rejected terms like “rac- nomically and socially marginal- on Dec. 6 he addressed a crowd ist” and “supremacist” as “anti- ized, semi-acceptable targets of of 400 (including protesters) at white hate speech.” His group,

man who burned down order to stop targeting OCT. 28 NOV. 4 a Joplin on Aug. Latinos, federal prosecutors The FBI arrested a mem- An Arizona judge sentenced 6, 2012, and attempted to in Arizona charged Maricopa ber of the violent, neo-Nazi an 18-year-old Tucson man do the same to the town’s County Sheriff Joe Arpaio Vinlanders Social Club at a to eight years in prison clinic with criminal contempt of motel in Valdosta, Ga., and and a lifetime of proba- the next year, was sentenced court, a . Arpaio, returned him to West Palm tion after he was convicted to more than five years in whose department in 2011 Beach, Fla., on federal charges of terrorism and conspir- federal prison and ordered was found to systematically related to a murder-for-hire, acy charges for plotting to to pay $701,971 in restitution. discriminate against Latinos, attempted drug possession bomb a Department of Motor Jedediah Stout, 32, told offi- built a national reputation with intent to distribute, Vehicles building. During cials that he opposed Islam with his bellicose nativist and robbery. Adrian “Skitz” the probe, Mahin Khan and abortion. The mosque fire rhetoric, disregard for civil Apodaca, 44, was arrested after instructed an undercover he set not only destroyed the rights, publicity stunts like undercover FBI agents set up FBI agent to build homemade building, but also consumed forcing inmates under his their own fake white suprem- grenades that Khan planned donations made by mosque supervision to wear pink acist gang and befriended to use to incite an upris- supporters during the holy underwear, and formation of him, conducting a five-month ing on behalf of the Islamic month of . a “Cold Case Posse” to inves- sting operation during which State. Khan had previously tigate President Obama’s cit- they secretly recorded his expressed interest in attack- OCT. 25 izenship. Arpaio, who first boasts of having “killed a lot ing a local Jewish commu- Saying the 84-year-old law- took office in 1993, lost his of people” and leaving “a trail nity center. man willfully defied a judge’s re-election bid in November. of dead hookers.”

spring 2017 11 INTELLIGENCE BRIEFS

offensive. Best known for being “take a stand” against “globalist banned from Twitter after orches- traitors” who are “destroying your trating a storm of online hatred race and heritage through open against a black female comedian, borders, , and Yiannopoulos — who seems to Marxist ‘.’” view misogyny and neo- TheRightStuff, a founded as witty affectations — makes his in 2012 that created the “paren- whose fliers have appeared at doz- campus appearances as miserable theses meme” in which Jewish ens of campuses across the coun- as possible. During a December people are targeted for online try as part of its “#ProjectSiege,” appearance at the University of harassment by trolls who iden- is a reimagining of the now- , , he mocked tify them as Jews by putting triple defunct National Youth Front, a transgender woman, showing her parentheses around their names, the youth arm of the white photo and name on screen. hopes to spark “dialogue among nationalist American Freedom Amplifying the efforts of these a disparate and edgy right-wing.” Party, which Damigo also led. headline personalities are youth The Southern Poverty Law Center, Hate on tour: Alt- Members must be of “European, groups like American Vanguard which tracked report distribu- Right personalities non-Semitic heritage.” and TheRightStuff, both of which tions of white nationalist, KKK spreading venom Where Damigo and Spencer have posted fliers at dozens and anti-Semitic posters and fli- on campus include are smooth-talking and slick, of campuses. ers on campus, found that Identity (clockwise from top left) Richard Spencer, Milo Yiannopoulos, 33, a third American Vanguard, founded Evropa, American Vanguard, and Nathan Damigo and rising young Alt-Right personal- in 2016 and based in Southern TheRightStuff were behind the Milo Yiannopoulos. ity, is flamboyant and deliberately California, urges white men to majority of incidents. ▲

April 29, 2016 In the 24 hours after her profile of Melania Trump was published in GQ LINDA DAVIDSON/THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES (SPENCER); TWITTER (DAMIGO); DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGES (YIANNOPOULOS); YOUTUBE (IOFFE) magazine, Julia Ioffe, whose family fled anti-Semitism in a quarter century ago, was bombarded by a series of incredibly vicious online messages and images. They included a cartoon of a Jew being murdered, a photo of a concentration camp victim with Ioffe’s face superimposed, and another of a lampshade with her face on it — an obvious reference to the myth that the Nazis used the of Jewish victims to make lampshades. The torrent of abuse — which included an anonymous caller who played a Hitler speech over the phone and a series of threats — followed Melania Trump’s sharp criticism of Ioffe’s relatively mild story as “yet another example of the dishonest media and their disingenuous reporting.” But it mainly stemmed from a post by neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin on his site The Daily Stormer that ran under the headline, “Empress Melania Attacked by Filthy Russian Kike Julia Ioffe in GQ!” In it, he urged followers to “go ahead and send her a tweet and let her know what you think of her dirty kike trickery. Make sure to identify her as a Jew working against White interests, or send her a picture with the Jude star from the top of this article.” Anglin has made a vile sport of sending his “Stormer Troll Army” after his enemies — a professor at the University of Missouri, a Nintendo employee, an anti-racist in and others. Ioffe filed a police report on the day after Anglin’s post, but it was not known if a criminal case is being pursued against anyone involved.

12 splc intelligence report EYE OF THE STORMER PROPELLED BY THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND A NEW FOCUS ON THE ‘ALT-RIGHT,’ THE DAILY STORMER IS NOW THE TOP HATE SITE IN AMERICA BY KEEGAN HANKES

he celebrations at The Daily Stormer began early on Nov. 9, just hours after the presidential election was called for Donald TTrump. And Andrew Anglin, the neo-Nazi who started the web- site in 2013, was in full-on arsonist mode. “Female Hajis Fear to Wear the Headtowel in Public After Trump Win — You Should Yell at Them,” read one of the first post-election headlines written by Anglin that day. “Fear,” he wrote below. “Now is the time for it. We want these people to feel unwanted. We want them to feel that every- thing around them is against them. And we want them to be afraid.” “This was not a presidential Election,” Anglin added. “It was a refer- endum on the international Jewish agenda. And the biggest part of that

spring 2017 13 agenda is .” Black inaugurated Stormfront in Anglin and his confederates had March 1995, just a month before the plenty of reasons to celebrate. The man Oklahoma City bombing left 168 men, Anglin had endorsed 17 months ear- women and children dead. Over the years lier, in the wake of Trump’s out-of-the- that followed, he built up the site to the gate description of Mexican immigrants point where it had hundreds of discus- as rapists and drug dealers, had won, sion threads going simultaneously, many shocking the entire American politi- of them in sections for languages other cal establishment. than English. The site also benefitted The campaign that preceded that vic- from enormous attention from the main- tory, with its dog whistles to the racist stream media, mainly because it was the right, had helped propel Anglin and his first of its kind and a relative rarity. movement into public consciousness. The site grew slowly at first but Just three months earlier, The Daily then much more rapidly as the white Stormer had moved into the real world in and from cyberspace, setting up a “Troll the United States expanded. In early Army” of activists who follow Anglin’s 2002, Stormfront had a mere 5,000 reg- lead in the vicious online harassment of istered users, but that grew to 11,000 in enemies of his movement. 2003, 23,000 in 2004, and so on. By 2015, And in July, four months before Stormfront had surpassed 300,000 reg- Trump’s win, The Daily Stormer had istered users, although only a small frac- become the most popular English- tion of that number was actively posting. language website of the radical right, Black tried hard to maintain a rel- eclipsing the Stormfront site that had atively non-sectarian environment on held that position since the early days of Stormfront, and he brought in his son the Internet. Derek as a contributor and, in 2010, as co- “We won, brothers,” Anglin wrote a host of the racist radio show that eventu- few hours after Hillary Clinton conceded. ally became Stormfront Radio. At around “Our Glorious Leader has ascended to the same time, he began hosting real- God Emperor. Make no mistake about world conferences of leading radicals. it: we did this. If it were not for us, it But clouds were gathering around wouldn’t have been possible.” Stormfront. The very next day, a new banner went In 2008, Black’s wife, thought to be up atop the site: “Andrew Anglin’s The a movement stalwart, told a newspaper, Daily Stormer, ‘America’s #1 Most-Trusted almost certainly disingenuously, that she Republican News Source,’ First in Facts did not agree with her husband’s views. to many of those who had backed him, — First in Integrity!” Bracketing the site’s Five years later, famously some of them with major cash contri- new “Republican” masthead were photos renounced the movement, initially in a let- butions. And, most recently, his health of former President and ter to the Southern Poverty Law Center. increasingly became an important issue. President-elect Donald J. Trump. Don Black also angered many follow- Beginning in 2013 — the same year ers by trying to ban talk of violence and The Daily Stormer began — Stormfront’s In the Beginning the use of racial slurs and Nazi symbol- Alexa ranking began to plummet. From The early days of the radical right on the ogy. He took sides in certain movement a ranking of around the 14,000th most Internet were dominated by Stormfront, squabbles, alienating some of his follow- trafficked site on the Internet, it fell to a huge web forum set up and run by a for- ers. In 2014, the site was further damaged around 40,000th by mid-2015. mer Alabama Klan leader and ex-felon by a Southern Poverty Law Center report Another factor, too, seemed criti- named Don Black. Black had learned his documenting that registered Stormfront cal. Stormfront’s stodgy presentation programming skills while serving time in users had committed nearly 100 murders. and clunky features were increasingly DAILY STORMER prison for an ill-starred effort to invade a At the same time, Black’s endless behind . Meanwhile, The Daily black-run Caribbean island. pitches for money were growing tiresome Stormer was featuring flamboyant and

14 splc intelligence report Celebrating : neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin would allow for technology to develop gives the Nazi as he stands in front of in a direction that was beneficial rather Italian dictator ’s palace. than destructive to the people.” On July 4, 2013, Anglin started what including an examination of both Islam would become his main project, The and . But it seems the real Daily Stormer. The site took its name gateway to Anglin’s future beliefs came from Der Stürmer, an astoundingly when he started looking at materials pro- vile and pornographic Nazi newspaper duced by Texas radio host Alex Jones, a started by and specializ- wild-eyed conspiracy monger who inter- ing in attacking Jews. Streicher was later viewed Trump during his campaign. hanged for war crimes at Nuremberg. “I started out with normal Alex Jones The new site, created from the ashes type conspiracy material, and moved on of Total Fascism, specialized in punchy, to weirder conspiracy material,” Anglin image-heavy stories that often rely heav- wrote in an autobiographical piece. He ily on quoted material. It used hyperbolic said that he “then eventually decided Ted headlines — “All Intelligent People in Kaczynski [the anti-technology terrorist History Disliked the Jews,” for instance, known as the Unabomber] was right with or “SS Auschwitz Guard Dies Days Before regards to a coming apocalypse.” Scheduled by Kikes” — to grab Anglin says he spent time living and readers’ attention, build up participation working in Southeast , a fact that has and shift people’s thinking. led to accusations from his detractors in Anglin relied heavily on the daily the movement of “race mixing.” “To this news, although it was news poisoned by day,” he wrote in words that enraged his particular views, to drive his mes- some white supremacists, “I have very sage home. “You make a very simple little negative to say about Asians, save message, where you hit the same points that I don’t think they should be immi- over and over and over again and you grating into Western countries (in any repeat them,” he explained in a kind of numbers) and I don’t think on his site last year. “That’s been my style. White people should be producing chil- That’s why I do the news. Because it can dren with them.” But he tempered these be new information all the time while statements — tolerant words for a neo- still repeating the same points over and Nazi — with the opinion that “Chinese over again. … It’s about creating a gigan- people have no souls.” tic spectacle — a media spectacle, which Eventually, he came to full-blown desensitizes people to these ideas.” eye-catching — if grotesquely racist and gut- Hitler worship, starting a short-lived One of those who seems to have been tural — headlines that functioned as “click website called Total Fascism, where he “desensitized” to ideas like and bait.” In effect, Stormfront looked like an posted his own long-form essays on fas- race war was Dylann Storm Roof, the young ancient online version of The New York cism, race and the alleged role of Jewish man who murdered nine black churchgo- Times, even as The Daily Stormer increas- people in America. “I had always been ers in in 2015 in a bid to ingly took on the appearance and jazzy lan- into 4chan [an image board website start a race war. Posting under the moniker guage of modern news sites like . inhabited by many racist radicals], as I of AryanBlood1488 (the numbers are refer- am at heart a troll,” or Internet provoca- ences to white supremacist slogans), Roof Gathering Storm teur and harasser, Anglin wrote. “This is wrote about black-on-white crime — a cen- Andrew Anglin grew up in Worthington, about the time /new/ [a particular 4chan tral topic on The Daily Stormer and Roof’s Ohio, in a family that did not share board] was going full Nazi, and so I got self-described motive for mass murder. his later affinity for Nazism. He into Hitler, and realized that through describes his ideological journey as this type of nationalist system, alien- Getting Real beginning with an exploration of “all ation could be replaced by community The Daily Stormer is not merely a propa- that Communist Jewish stuff” and in a real sense, while ganda shop. Increasingly, it has become

spring 2017 15 Stormer makeover: One day after Donald Trump won the presidential election, neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin redesigned his website’s masthead to describe it as “America’s #1 Most Trusted Republican News Source.” a malignant presence in the real world. conspiracist Alex Jones, who was seen as In 2015, Auernheimer bought ad blocks From the beginning, Anglin encour- insufficiently anti-Semitic and who alleg- on Twitter and then used Twitter’s met- aged his readers to engage in trolling edly has a Jewish wife. Another campaign rics report on the success of those ads campaigns against his enemies. An early targeted Julia Ioffe, a Jewish journalist to gauge how best to popularize certain example came in November 2015, when subjected to a barrage of incredibly vicious white supremacist themes. he launched “Operation: Kikebart,” an electronic attacks after Trump criticized “I made a promoted campaign for attack on the right-wing news outlet her for her profile of Melania Trump. the 14 words [a famous white suprema- after it decided to open Such tactics ramped up in March 2016, cist slogan] and also for something about a news bureau in . when neo-Nazi Andrew Auernheimer, a ’ need to defend themselves from Anglin’s “Stormers,” later rechris- sophisticated computer user now work- violence and discrimination,” he said last tened the “Stormer Troll Army,” flooded ing with Anglin, wrote code that caused year. “Then I targeted it against femi- the Breitbart site with vicious comments, thousands of printers around the country, nist women and minorities and watched demanding that it close its Israel bureau most of them at universities, to spontane- them all flip out. I think the biggest con- and accusing it of being part of a Jewish ously begin printing. What emerged, to verter to our cause is shit lib reactions. conspiracy. The aim, Anglin said, was to the shock of recipients, was a pamphlet Triggering [outrage] is the . fill the comment sections with neo-Nazi reading: “White man are you sick and People want to see the blue haired estab- propaganda to the point “where they just tired of the Jews destroying your country lishment break down and cry.” give up on trying to ban people, and then through mass immigration and degen- On Aug. 23, 2016, Anglin formalized we guide their readership toward Jew- eracy? Join us in the struggle for global his attempts to affect the real world, pub- hatred by informing them of the truths at the Daily Stormer.” lishing a call for supporters to “Register we possess.” The stunt generated headlines across Now for the IRL [In Real Life] Troll Army It got so bad that Disqus, a com- the country. AKA The Stormer Book Club.” Anglin ment platform used by both Anglin and Auernheimer, who goes by the described the club as “groups to prepare Breitbart, cut service to The Daily Stormer. Internet handle of “,” has been for the coming race war,” a place to “form Other early examples include increasingly active at The Daily Stormer cells, build bonds, develop brotherhood. DAILY STORMER “Operation: Jew Wife,” in which Stormers as Anglin struggles to meet technical You will become stronger, better men. It’s were directed to flood the website of hurdles posed by the site’s rising profile. a bit like Fight Club.”

16 splc intelligence report Remarkably, the call produced results. feminists and Black Lives activists,” he unfold, I couldn’t believe how successful The Southern Poverty Law Center has wrote in response. “This is not the exact the troll armies were at getting under the confirmed that by late 2016 Anglin had opposite of what’s actually happening, skin of these people.” managed to produce 31 distinct chap- but it is close enough.” Whether or not those “successes” will ters of his Troll Army that were actually Regardless of these internecine continue for The Daily Stormer, which active. A month later, Anglin urged fol- squabbles, the Alt-Right received enor- has certainly benefited from the coun- lowers to “BUY GUNS!” in case Clinton mous publicity last year, especially after try’s political situation, is not clear. One won the presidential contest. “The race an August speech by Clinton that lam- problem for Anglin is that prominence war is coming,” Anglin wrote in that mis- basted Trump for failing to disavow his on the radical right, combined with the sive, “and it is coming quickly.” support in that movement. One result of power of the Internet, has not always Trump’s apparent sympathy for the Alt- worked out well for racist leaders. Stormers and the Alt-Right Right and Anglin’s adoption of the label A little-noticed video mounted on Long before it adopted the motto was that The Daily Stormer got even YouTube by an enemy of Anglin’s is a describing itself as “America’s #1 Most- more mainstream attention. case in point. In it, Anglin is seen talk- Trusted Republican News Source,” The Three days before the election, Anglin ing to his own cell phone camera as Daily Stormer billed itself as “The Most tried to repay the debt. Announcing he walks through a glitzy mall in the Visited Alt-Right Web Site.” That was a “Operation No Survivors,” he implored Philippines. Bouncing along beside him reference to the so-called “alternative readers to vote for Trump. The goal was is a dark-skinned Filipina who appears right,” a sort of kinder, gentler rebrand- for each of his alleged 100,000 readers to be of high school age. She giggles and ing of white supremacy for public rela- from the United States to convince five laughs as the pair walks through the mall, tions purposes that has picked up a great other people to vote for the man Anglin with Anglin occasionally telling her to deal of steam in the last year. calls “Glorious Leader.” The comment “shut up.” The Alt-Right is fundamentally section of Anglin’s Election Day story The girl, Anglin says, is “my jail- about the idea that societies and nations detailing followers’ efforts to get out the bait girlfriend.” should be based on race, an old mainstay vote reached a total of some 3,000 posts, Then he goes on to say that she is of the radical right. But most of its self- thick with racist and anti-Semitic memes. “obviously descended from Africans,” described activists tend to avoid neo- adding that she had straightened her hair Nazi imagery and Klan robes, preferring Whither The Daily Stormer? and gotten a weave — admissions that to paint themselves as real intellectuals On July 18, 2016, The Daily Stormer could easily have the effect of ruining seeking to solve real problems. officially surpassed Stormfront’s traf- Anglin’s movement stature. In the world Not Andrew Anglin. He specializes fic totals, making it the most popular of contemporary neo-Nazis, “race-mix- in a kind of sophomoric and repulsive English-language radical right website ing” is a cardinal sin. Commenters on the humor about topics like . in the world. Andrew Anglin had suc- video lambast Anglin as a “pedo,” a “wig- He styles himself a “general,” ordering his cessfully used computer and communi- ger” (white ) and a “pussybitch.” Stormer Troll Army into dirty campaigns cations savvy, rising right-wing populism, Apparently, Anglin isn’t worried. meant to frighten enemies with threats the Trump phenomenon, and his own “Dear Liberals,” he wrote days after and insults, often accompanied by publi- signature vulgarity and aggressiveness the election. “You have never been hum- cation of their personal information. to displace Don Black, for years argu- ble in your victories over the White Man. But he also sees himself as a guard- ably the radical right’s most longstand- You have gloated. You have insulted us, ian of the Alt-Right name. In March 2016, ing and respected cyber-leader. Few had attacked us, threatened us, condemned Breitbart published “An Establishment seen it coming. us, even while you had the massive Conservative’s Guide to the Alt-Right,” “The Stormer’s impact has been advantage over us. Here’s the thing: We by Breitbart tech editors Allum Bokhari underrated,” Brad Griffin, a key player are not going to be humble either. We and Milo Yiannopoulos. The story white- at the racist Occidental Dissent website, beat you. We beat you badly. And now washed the racism at the core of the which is sometimes syndicated at The that you are on the ground, we are going movement, enraging Anglin. Daily Stormer, wrote recently. “From to keep kicking you in the head. I have “Basically, they claim that every- my perspective, it sure looked like it was heard there are no tears in heaven. So you thing the alt-right says it believes they the aggressive trolling of journalists and should probably just kill yourselves. And don’t actually believe, but simply say conservatives on Twitter that put the you should livestream it.” ▲ they believe as part of a joke to piss off ‘alt-right’ on the map. … As I watched it

spring 2017 17 Attorney for Aryans Radical lawyer Kyle Bristow has started a new foundation that aims to become the legal arm of the racist radical right BY RYAN LENZ ILLUSTRATION BY SUNNY PAULK

18 splc intelligence report t last July’s Alt-Right for the Marketplace of Ideas, started the in Louisville. He advised the National Conference in Detroit, the same month by Bristow. Alliance Reform & Restoration Group, first such gathering to use If it wasn’t obvious that the Alt-Right a radical faction trying through legal the racist right’s new and is pretty much the same thing as the old action to seize control of what remains misleadinglyA bland name for itself, a white supremacist right — even if it does of the once-powerful National Alliance, 30-year-old attorney took to the stage favor and ties over Klan robes or a neo-Nazi group. His foundation prom- with a barrage of extremist propaganda. faux Nazi uniforms — that was cleared up ises to defend racist activists against “We are eager to make a last stand,” just 11 days after Trump’s election, when “ warriors,” depicting itself Kyle Bristow, defiant and snappy in a suit an Alt-Right conference sponsored by the as the legal “muscle behind the Alt- and tie, said amid jibes aimed at Jews and National Policy Institute concluded with Right phenomenon.” black people. “We are not doing this to several audience members sieg-heiling But, if you take Bristow’s word for it, make money or to advance our careers. Spencer during his speech. he is only beginning. We are doing it because we truly believe Now, Bristow’s foundation appears that we are right and that what we are poised to become, in effect, the legal Birth of a Nationalist doing is in the interest of our people.” arm of the Alt-Right. In the past year, its Bristow is not alone in what has material- In fact, the event was more than a “last five attorneys and other associates led by ized in the United States as the Alt-Right stand.” While it might have appeared that Bristow have pushed it into the forefront — in part, a kind of army of racist Internet way at the time, it actually amounted to of the American radical right. trolls who take after their enemies with a coming-out party for the “alternative What led Bristow from a quiet incredibly vitriolic and often frightening right” — a rebranding for public relations Roman Catholic upbringing in Clinton online attacks. Like many others, he has purposes of the extreme racist right, Township, Mich., about 25 miles out- been playing that game for years. albeit one that emphasizes youth, savvy side Detroit, to the lectern that day is, in At State University, Bristow Internet organizing, and the basic idea many ways, the story of the birth of the was quick to make a name for himself as that “our people,” white people, are the Alt-Right. But it is also very much the the campus racist — or, as he puts it, “a shit- ones to whom America belongs. story of how a bookish and shy young lord before there was a word for it.” He was By the following month, the so-called man angry with what he saw as “leftist president of the school’s chapter of Young Alt-Right was on the lips of millions of nonsense” became the kind of leader that Americans for Freedom (MSU-YAF), a Americans, particularly after Hillary wannabe Nazis admire. national campus youth group founded in Clinton pilloried it in an August speech. No doubt, the ascent of the Alt-Right 1960 to advocate for conservative public When Donald Trump won the presiden- and its hero, President-elect Donald policies, and won an uncontested seat on tial election in November, after a campaign Trump, have only served to bolster the student government council. in which he repeatedly avoided condemn- Bristow’s ambition and focus his drive. But the student classmates remem- ing racist activists who supported him, the And Bristow has big plans for the move- ber as a coin-collecting, bookish conser- Alt-Right, at least in the minds of its lead- ment, his organization and even his own vative was already a little more radical ers, had come into its own. career with Trump in the White House. than almost anyone had yet realized. The event at which Bristow spoke was But his rise on the radical right began as “From an early age I was subjected to sponsored by three organizations that are a student with racist stunts like “Catch leftist nonsense to varying degrees, and central to the Alt-Right — the National an Illegal Immigrant Day.” being a shy bookworm throughout mid- Policy Institute, a racist think tank And what a rise it has been. dle school, I found myself holed up in my brought back from obscurity in recent Since earning his law degree from the room reading books that dealt with phi- years by leader Richard Spencer; University of Toledo in 2012, Bristow had losophy, , and history,” Bristow Identity Evropa, a campus- become a go-to attorney for a growing said in a 2011 interview. “I very vocally oriented group formed cast of racists. He represented Matthew participated in political discourse and by Nathan Damigo in Heimbach of the racist Traditionalist advocated positions that are antithetical March 2016; and Worker Party after Heimbach assaulted a to the leftist dogma that permeates col- the Foundation black protester at a Trump rally last year lege campuses today.”

spring 2017 19 Such “political discourse” challenged on two officials of the Southern Poverty “If you are lucky following the most concepts of government decorum, Law Center (SPLC), Heidi Beirich and Trump-Bristow Inquisition, you will only even for a student government. As a stu- Mark Potok. (The assassination of Potok’s end up in a locked room in which you dent, Bristow issued a 13-point program character is depicted in gruesome detail spend your time smearing your feces in to govern student life that called for cap- in the text.) The novel, and a later collec- the shape of on its padded turing undocumented immigrants in the tion of essays called The Conscience of a walls. [Pepe the Frog is a cartoon charac- area, cutting school funding for non-het- Right Winger, received enthusiastic sup- ter that has been hijacked by the radical erosexual student groups, and giving port from many white nationalist lead- right as a racist symbol in the last year or more representation to men and whites ers, including William D. Johnson, head so.] I suspect that Torquemada [an infa- on the student council than others. of the American Freedom Party. mous 15th century leader of the Spanish As chief of MSU-YAF, he also tried to “Kyle Bristow’s analysis is detailed Inquisition] will be considered a light- organize a “Catch an Illegal Immigrant and insightful. He focuses on some of weight compared to me when historians Day,” held a “Koran Desecration” com- the main fallacies in law and society that compare the two of us in the future when petition, joked about giving smallpox- have contributed to the decline and fall of all is said and done.” infected blankets to Native American Western civilization,” Johnson, who once Bristow apparently wasn’t much nicer students, and hosted lectures by well- proposed a constitutional amendment to to his wife. known racist leaders like deport every American citizen with “an In 2015, Ashley Bristow, then in the of American Renaissance and Nick ascertainable trace of blood,” said middle of a contentious legal battle over Griffin of the whites-only British of Bristow’s second volume. custody of the divorced couple’s daugh- . “It is essays like the ones contained in ter, posted an essay on the Internet But it wasn’t long before Bristow’s this compilation that help lead Western describing her life while married to Kyle. classmates had had enough. Man from the darkness that grips him in She said that Bristow posted menacing In a landslide vote, MSU students every country where he resides.” pictures of himself posing with heavy recalled Bristow from office after he weapons, had started stockpiling ammu- refused to resign or recant his 13-point Threats and Insults nition for his AR-15, and openly fanta- agenda. “I have no regrets as to what I Bristow may or may not be “detailed and sized about a coming race war. did, said, or planned to do while serving insightful,” but he certainly has proven to But she stayed with him, she said, as chairman of MSU-YAF,” he boasted in be crude. He responded to a request for until attending a meeting in 2014 of the a self-congratulatory letter of resigna- an interview from the Intelligence Report Charles Martel Society, which publishes tion. “I am very proud of my exploits.” with a threat to sue if he were contacted Occidental Quarterly, a racist, pseudo- After he graduated from MSU with a again, along with a megalomaniacal view intellectual journal. She recounted an degree in international relations, Bristow of what the future held for him under a after-party at the conference where enrolled in law school at the University Trump administration. attendees burst into song. “And by ‘sing,’ of Toledo. There, he found time amid “I cannot imagine any reason — much I mean it was a bone-chilling, guttural his studies to turn his attention to cre- less a good one — for which I would want chant in a foreign language,” she wrote. ative writing. In 2010, he self-published to be subjected to an ‘interview’ by you or “The only words I recognized were ‘Sieg a novel, White Apocalypse, that depicted any other mental-moral defective asso- Heil,’ punctuated with a .” a race war set off by the discovery of the ciated with the vile, degenerate, repug- Her conclusion was stark: “If my “Solutrean Hypothesis.” First proposed nant and leftist Southern Poverty Law precious daughter grows up with Kyle in 1998, that hypothesis claims that peo- Center,” Bristow wrote. “The next time I Bristow, she’ll have plenty of fear, and ple from Europe may have been among hope to hear from you will be when I am plenty of hate.” She left him a short the earliest settlers of the Americas. appointed by President Donald Trump time later. Although most anthropologists reject it, to serve as his czar of the forthcoming Through it all, Bristow was making a it remains a favorite claim of American inquisition so as to make America great career as an attorney in suburban Detroit. white nationalists. again and you contact me to beg for for- But he wasn’t your typical attorney, as the The book also depicted in contemptu- giveness for having undermined Western State Bar of Michigan found out last year ous terms two characters obviously based civilization as an agent of the SPLC. in a bizarre encounter.

20 splc intelligence report If it walks like a duck: Kyle Bristow (near left) and Richard Spencer like to describe them- selves as part of the “alterna- tive right.” The name sounds anodyne, but the Alt-Right’s real nature was revealed at a movement conference in November where audience mem- bers responsed to Spencer’s speech with Nazi .

The bar association had long been bar association reacted in horror and now getting their panties in a bunch over running a biennial short-story contest, embarrassment, saying that a second look a mere fictional story, then I submit that and a Bristow entry won an honorable at Bristow’s story found it “to be embed- it is probably a good idea that they can- mention. Titled “Post-Conviction Relief,” ded with racist cues and symbolism.” One celed the annual contest so that they are Bristow’s story was about a “soft-spo- bar official characterized the story as a not triggered in the future by politically ken and introverted” Michigan criminal “potential ideological manifesto.” incorrect thought-crimes,” he told the defense attorney ­— not unlike Bristow “We cannot apologize enough,” said Lansing State Journal. — whose daughter, Caroline, is mur- Michigan Bar President Thomas C. dered by an 18-year-old “tattoo-cov- Rombach, adding that the contest would Alt-Right Rising ered, drug-abusing gangbanger named be discontinued. “The short story con- As his stature has grown on the radical Tyrone Washington.” After the trial, the test has been popular with many mem- right, Bristow has moved to consolidate lawyer, who is white, goes to the prison bers. … But if this result could occur even his position as a racist leader. Despite its to visit Washington, who is black, under with the high-caliber of the judges who anodyne name, his new think tank, the the guise of being an appeals attorney. He conferred the award, the contest should Foundation for the Marketplace of Ideas, kills Washington with a sharpened pen. be discontinued.” is preparing to go to war. When Bristow’s past was publicized Bristow reacted with unvarnished In its first eight months, the founda-

TWITTER (SPENCER AND BRISTOW); YOUTUBE (BRISTOW SPEAKING); DANIEL LOMBROSO/ (SPENCER SPEAKING) (SPENCER ATLANTIC LOMBROSO/THE SPEAKING); DANIEL (BRISTOW YOUTUBE AND BRISTOW); TWITTER (SPENCER after the winners were announced, the contempt. “If the State Bar officials are tion has offered pro bono legal advice

spring 2017 21 to “Alt-Right guerrilla activists” on col- justice warriors” and their allies have Heimbach, who later boasted pub- lege campuses and defended their right manipulated culture and public opinion licly of his role in the attack, painted a to distribute personal information about to define the “” of civil rights. different picture. The video, he wrote in anti-racists. He has supported students “Positions on certain issues — such as a self-congratulatory post to the TYN bringing racists to college campuses, civil rights — that are accepted as abso- website, “features yours truly helping including Texas A&M, where Preston lute truths today, however, were hotly the crowd drive out one of the women Wiginton, an old-hand white national- contested issues yesteryear,” the foun- who had been pushing, shoving, bark- ist, invited the National Policy Institute’s dation says. ing, and screaming at the attendees for Richard Spencer to speak in December. One such instance, Bristow’s founda- the better part of an hour. It won’t be He has counseled neo-Nazis and white tion asserts, is the 1967 Supreme Court me next time, but nationalists in various legal matters. ruling in Loving v. Virginia, which struck are getting fed up and they’re learning The foundation is growing quickly. down laws prohibiting interracial mar- that they must either push back or be Joining Bristow on the foundation’s riage. In discussing the case, Bristow pushed down.” board of directors in recent months have cited with approval an amicus brief filed Heimbach was criminally charged been notable racist leaders and pundits, by then-North Carolina Attorney General with harassment with physical contact. including Mike , who publishes T.W. Burton supporting such laws. In addition, Nwanguma filed a lawsuit the Alt-Right blog and “There is no equalitarianism in the alleging that Heimbach and another man claims to have coined the term “cuck- field of biology, anthropology and geneti- shoved and struck her after Trump urged servative.” (The term is a portmanteau cism,” Burton wrote then. “If a state feels the crowd to “get ’em out of here.” joining the words “cuckold” and “con- like the life of its people is better pro- Bristow has taken cases other than servative.” Often shortened to “cuck,” it tected by a policy of racial integrity as to those of racist activists, notably sev- is a pejorative that suggests that main- both races, or for any other race for that eral representing women victimized by stream conservatives have sold their matter, then it has the right to legislate “revenge porn” — naked photos of them race out.) in such field.” posted on the Internet by former lovers. Others on the foundation’s board of But that theoretical work seems like But despite these efforts to actually help directors include the American Freedom a mere backdrop to the foundation’s real real victims, what truly defines Bristow Party’s William Johnson; the California purpose — to serve and protect white is his furious and unapologetic racism. Young Americans for Freedom’s Ryan nationalists and their ilk as they try to It’s unclear where Bristow, now in Sorba, an anti-LGBT activist who wrote penetrate the political mainstream. command of a legal foundation that The Born Gay Hoax and secretly recorded One example of that came last year, he uses as a political weapon, will go hours of video in gay bars to prove that after Matthew Heimbach, head of the next. Like other Alt-Righters, he seems homosexuality is the product of a trau- Traditionalist Youth Network that seeks focused on helping to grow the next gen- matic childhood; and attorney Jason to recruit racist college students, was eration of activists. He obviously intends Robb, the son of Thom Robb, the long- caught on video shoving a young black to use the Trump presidential victory to time leader of the Knights of the Ku Klux woman protesting a Trump rally in try to spread his ideas as widely as pos- Klan in . Louisville, Ky. Wearing a “Make America sible. He has recruited some key racist The foundation’s mission statement Great Again” baseball cap, Heimbach ideologues and may well bring in oth- says it works to educate “the public about shouted racist slurs and “leftist scum” as ers, too. the freedoms guaranteed by the United he and others manhandled the woman. While it seems unlikely that Bristow States Constitution and people and orga- The woman, a student named Shiya will ever be taken seriously in the nizations which strive to usurp said free- Nwanguma, later posted a cell phone American political mainstream, it is doms.” In recent months, it has begun video saying she was called a “nig- possible, especially with the election of researching U.S. Supreme Court cases ger” and a “cunt” as the hostile crowd Donald Trump, that he will make inroads. in the hope of explaining how “social swarmed around her. And that should worry every one of us. ▲

22 splc intelligence report ONE MORE ENEMY ‘PATRIOT’ GROUPS HAVE LONG SEEN THE GOVERNMENT AS THEIR PRIMARY ENEMY.

BUT NOW, THE MOVEMENT IS ADOPTING ANTI-MUSLIM HATE BY STEPHEN PIGGOTT

As Election Day approached last fall, attended secret planning meetings. The conspiracy against American liberties — three members of an antigovernment three men were charged with conspir- has increasingly adopted the hatred of “Patriot” group called the Kansas ing to use a weapon of mass destruction. Muslims as a core ideological belief. Security Force were arrested as they “The only good Muslim is a dead The , also often allegedly finalized plans to blow up an Muslim,” Stein allegedly told his com- called the militia movement, has always apartment complex housing more than rades. “If you’re a Muslim, I’m going to had strains of white supremacy and anti- 100 mostly Somali-born Muslim immi- enjoy shooting you in the head. When we Semitism. But they were not its domi- grants and a small mosque. Had they go on operations there’s no leaving any- nant features. Now, fueled by a rapidly succeeded, the mass murder might have one behind, even if it’s a 1-year-old. … I expanding world of anti-Muslim propa- rivaled Timothy McVeigh’s 1995 slaugh- guarantee if I go on a mission those little gandists and the very real psychologi- ter of 168 people in Oklahoma City, the fuckers are going bye-bye.” cal impact of terrorism and the “War on deadliest act of domestic terrorism in The case was a harrowing reminder Terror,” violent animus toward Muslims American history. of the dramatic uptick of anti-Muslim is becoming a key part of Patriot thought. The three Kansans— alleged ring- hatred in the United States in the last The story of the Crusaders is a case leader Patrick Stein, 47, of Dodge City, few years, including a Klan-linked plot in point. and Curtis Allen and Gavin Wright, both to mass murder Muslims with an X-ray According to government documents, 49-year-olds from Liberal — had formed weapon. But it also highlighted how the three Crusaders conducted several a subgroup called the Crusaders, which the so-called Patriot movement — com- surveillance operations to identify and the FBI infiltrated with a confidential posed of people who believe that the fed- select potential targets — among them, source who taped conversations and eral government is involved in a massive a shopping mall frequented by Somali immigrants, vehicles belonging to peo- Gavin Wright (from left), Patrick Stein and Curtis Allen were members of an antigovernment ple of Somali descent or other Muslims, “Patriot” group. They were also alleged would-be mass murderers of Somali-born Muslims. certain local officials, landlords who

spring 2017 23 rented to Muslims, and local churches Percent Security Force, that have supported Muslim refugees. also written as the III% They marked potential targets on Google Security Force. The Maps using pins that were labeled leader of that coali- “cockroaches.” tion is Chris Hill, a for- Ultimately, the apartment complex mer Marine who lives in in Garden City, Kan., was chosen as the Georgia. (Hill claimed to target because it contains an apartment the Intelligence Report used as a mosque and houses nearly 120 that there are several people, most of them Somali immigrants. groups called the Kansas The area immediately surrounding the Security Force, and that residential complex is home to another the one he is associated 300 to 500 Somali-born people. with did not include the According to the FBI’s criminal com- alleged plotters.) plaint, “[t]he group brainstormed various Hill is another exam- methods of attack, including murder, kid- ple of the injection of napping, rape, and .” Stein spoke of anti-Muslim hatred into using a silenced .22-caliber weapon to the Patriot movement, execute residents one by one. Using the of which the “Three wireless communications app Zello, he Percent” movement is a proposed using a bow and arrow to kill, part. (That phrase refers David Wright (with gun), who heads a Muslim- instructing his followers that the arrows to the claim, which most historians of the hating group called the Bureau of American be dipped in pig’s blood first. And he period dispute, that only 3% of American Islamic Affairs, protests a mosque in Richardson, discussed the Oklahoma City bombing, gun owners, the real patriots, actually Texas, as others counter-protest his action. saying he had at his farm supplies of the fought British colonial troops.) ammonium nitrate and fuel oil compo- Last year, Hill led the Georgia chapter For author Matthew Bracken, Muslim nents that McVeigh used. Officials said of his coalition in an armed demonstra- refugees in Europe represent a sec- they seized an array of weapons, ammu- tion against the construction of a mosque ond Tet offensive, a reference to the nition and also components. near , with one protester wearing 1968 infiltration of South Vietnam by The men had decided to pack four a T-shirt marked with “Islam is of the Vietcong guerrilla fighters who then vehicles with explosives, park them at Devil.” In September, he said of the pro- launched a surprise offensive. In his the four corners of the West Mary Street posed mosque, “Right over there this is essay, Bracken blames “Eurocrat elites” complex, and detonate them remotely going to be a future ISIS training group. for open borders, saying using cell phones, officials said. And This is where you’re going to see ter- they purposely have created “a wide path this was allegedly only the beginning, rorism taking hold in Newton County.” for the onrushing Muslim hijra immigra- with the men reportedly hoping to County commissioners cancelled a meet- tion invasion.” “wake up” other radicals and start a war ing on the mosque the same month, after Bracken, an antigovernment novelist against Muslims. viewing “uncivil threats” on a video and former Navy SEAL, also describes “The only fucking way this coun- made by Hill. Islam as a “ringworm infection [that] try’s ever going to get turned around is it The Three Percent movement has is dead and barren within the ring, but will be a bloodbath and it will be a nasty, been cited before as a prime exam- flares up when it parasitically feeds messy motherfucker,” Stein said. “Unless ple of the now seen in off the healthy, non-Islamic societies a lot more people in this country wake up Patriot groups. But another important around it.” and smell the fucking coffee and decide case is that of the much more organized The essay also alleges that native they want this country back … we might , another antigovernment Europeans are being thrown out of their be too late, if they do wake up … I think Patriot group that claims to have some homes to provide shelter for Muslim ref- we can get it done. But it isn’t going to be 30,000 members, mostly former and ugees — a complete falsehood. nothing nice about it.” present members of law enforcement, “These men are going to enter local the military or first responder organiza- houses, demanding to be taken in as The Virus Spreads tions. The group and its leader, Stewart boarders — or else,” Bracken claims. LM OTERO/ AP IMAGES The Kansas Security Force to which the Rhodes, have endorsed a 22-page essay “Where it is useful, small migrant chil- three accused plotters belonged shares called “Tet, Take Two,” that says Islam dren will be held up in front as human part of its name with a much larger anti- and international have teamed shields for their emotional blackmail government coalition called the Three up against Western nationalism. value, elsewise they will be discarded.

24 splc intelligence report One way or another, Muslim migrants that authorities “patrol and secure” groups has been visible in Montana as will be attempting to move inside of Muslim neighborhoods. “We monitor well. In one March 2016 nativist rally German homes and apartments seeking them and their activity, we show up in in Missoula, Gina Satterfield of the heat and food, and the young Muslim their neighborhoods armed and let them American Security Rally of Montana — men will be seeking undefended know they’re being watched and if they another Patriot-like group — said that or women to slake their lust (which fuck up my guys will take em [sic] out. she was there to “protect our consti- is their right, under Islamic law).” That’s exactly what needs to happen.” tutional republic that is under attack Rhodes, who has publicly claimed to In the , a local chap- by our government siding with the be no conspiracy theorist, thinks Bracken ter of ACT for America — a hardline U.N. and the OIC, the Organization of is exactly right, as he told Texas radio anti-Muslim group led by a propagan- Islamic Cooperation, to infiltrate the host Alex Jones, arguably the most pro- dist named Brigitte Gabriel — organized U.S. with refugees.” lific and unhinged conspiracy theorist a late 2015 rally against refugees (that is, operating in America today. Muslim refugees) at the Capitol build- A Deadly Stew “We understand they’re [the govern- ing in Olympia, Wash. The Liberty for All The date the Crusaders from Kansas ment] doing a full spectrum, fourth gen- III% militia out of Yakima, Wash., came allegedly chose for their proposed mas- eration warfare, assault on this country, in to provide security. Videos of the event sacre was Nov. 9, one day after Election just as they’re doing on Europe,” Rhodes show the patrolling the Day. That fact seemed to underline the said. “It’s an assault on Western civiliza- area with guns. role that the election — featuring vitu- tion. The wide open borders in Europe, Also in Washington, State Rep. Matt perative attacks on Muslims by Cruz and the obvious ‘Tet Two,’ as Matt Bracken Shea — a right-wing politician and anti- Donald Trump, among others — played in calls it, I think he’s right. They’re inten- government champion who formed a feeding Islamophobia. tionally leaving the borders open in local chapter of ACT in Spokane in June The Southern Poverty Law Center Europe, bringing in mass refugees, 2016 — honored Anthony Bosworth, the has seen repeatedly over the years how among them are going to be jihadists, leader of the Liberty for All III% militia, rhetoric from figures like presidential who are setting up a future Tet offensive, with his “Patriot of the Year” award. It candidates and others in the public eye Tet style offensive, in Europe and the was just one more example of the over- can fuel that kind of hatred and violence. same thing is being done in this country.” lap and crossover of antigovernment rad- Several years ago, the Institute for Social As far out as these ideas are, they icals and anti-Muslim activists. Bosworth Policy and Understanding came up with dovetail in substantial ways with the is known for having been involved in the similar findings in a study. It found that conspiracist orientation of the larger January 2016 standoff in Burns, Ore. spikes in anti-Muslim sentiment typi- Patriot movement. After all, the Patriot In nearby Idaho, the state’s Three cally occur during election cycles — not movement has swelled dramatically Percenter chapter held two anti-refu- so much in the aftermath of Islamist ter- since the 2008 election of , gee rallies in late 2015. “Now, refugees ror attacks, as many had assumed. who is seen as ignoring, enabling or coming from Islamic hotbeds of terror- There’s little doubt that certain even actively aiding a hostile Muslim ism, don’t you think that poses a threat politicians and activists like Brigitte invasion. The federal government, like to Idaho communities?” shouted III% of Gabriel are feeding the fires of hatred European officials, is seen as an enemy Idaho spokesman Chris McIntire into a and . And President- of the people. bullhorn at one of the rallies. elect Trump’s appointments of anti- In the same state, the arrest last sum- Muslim ideologues suggest that that ‘Patriots’ vs. Muslims mer of several juveniles for the alleged will continue. These cases are just the tip of the iceberg. sexual assault of a 5-year-old girl set But the convergence of the Patriot In Texas, for instance, Three Percenter off an anti-Muslim firestorm that was movement, which has been marked by David Wright, who leads a Muslim- exploited ruthlessly by the right-wing political violence since first emerging in bashing group called the Bureau of media, the local ACT for America chap- the 1990s, and the anti-Muslim movement American Islamic Relations (BAIR), orga- ter, and Liberty Defense Team, another that has surged more recently, is creating nized an armed protest outside an Islamic Three Percenter group. When ACT leader serious dangers of its own. While Patriots worship center near Dallas in February Brigitte Gabriel came to Twin Falls to may see a White House ally in Trump — 2016. He called his rally “Veterans Before speak in August 2016, the III% of Idaho and therefore lose some of their animus Refugees,” but his real purpose was to sav- group provided security for her at a num- toward the federal government — they are age Islam — a fact that becomes obvious ber of different events. The fact that the finding new enemies in Islam. from a glance at Wright’s Facebook page. details of the assault had been grossly And that, as the case of the Crusaders “That’s what my group does,” he wrote exaggerated seemed to have no impact. and their alleged bomb plot reflects, last year, after then-presidential candi- The same kind of convergence of shows just how deadly the consequences date Sen. (R-Texas) proposed anti-Muslim and antigovernment for American Muslims could be. ▲

spring 2017 25

In 2009, a former lesbian in a custody battle fled with her 7-year-old girl. The case still haunts the anti-LGBT movement today

BY RYAN LENZ

spring 2016 27 In late September 2009, Philip Zodhiates, a Virginia businessman who runs a Christian direct-mail com- pany near his home in Waynesboro, didn’t show up at his office. He told his secretary he would be out for a few days, unable to accept calls and tending to business associated with , a Florida-based anti- LGBT group. Zodhiates and Liberty Counsel already had been working together for years to raise money and build out- rage around an increasingly conten- tious custody battle over a girl who was then 7, after her same-sex parents, Lisa Miller and Janet Jenkins, dissolved their civil union. Miller had later “renounced homosexuality,” joined her cause to that of Liberty Counsel, and fought bitterly for sole custody. Liberty’s interest was no surprise. Its co-founder and chairman, Mat Staver, is one of the country’s lead- ing anti-LGBT crusaders. In his 2004 book Same-Sex Marriage: Putting Every Household At Risk, Staver had described homosexuality as a “destruc- tive lifestyle” that put children at risk. Elsewhere, Staver called the newly gay- a few minutes only. He hummed around Kidnapper in the name of : Philip friendly Boy Scouts a “playground for like he was searching for words to say,” Zodhiates, a Christian direct-mail entrepreneur, was convicted of international kidnapping for pedophiles,” described “the homosex- she wrote. helping spirit a 7-year-old girl out of the country ual agenda” as “a direct assault on our Baugher responded right away: because her mother did not want to share cus- religious freedom,” worked to criminal- “Maybe something about Lisa Miller?” tody with a lesbian former partner. ize gay sex, and defended Alabama Chief That email exchange was part of Justice after Moore unsuc- the evidence presented last September cessfully defied a federal court order at a federal trial in Buffalo, N.Y., where soon lose primary custody of her daugh- legalizing same-sex marriage. Zodhiates was convicted on two fel- ter in court — and the girl, Isabella On that September day, Bea Connor, ony counts of international kidnapping. Miller-Jenkins, to Buffalo. Before he an assistant at Zodhiates’ company, (He was scheduled to be sentenced in left, he made sure the pair, garbed in Response Unlimited, wrote an email to January 2017.) It suggested to prose- the long dresses and scarves of Amish CAROLYN THOMPSON/AP IMAGES fellow staffer Joel Baugher after hear- cutors and others that Liberty Counsel women, were safely in a taxi, crossing ing from Zodhiates. “Philip called and might have been involved in the little the Rainbow Bridge into Canada. As he said he is working on Liberty Counsel girl’s abduction. drove back to Virginia from Buffalo, a call from home and that he might be taking After calling his office, Zodhiates was made from his cell phone to another a trip — not sure — may be in office for drove Lisa Miller — who expected to cell phone registered to Liberty Counsel.

28 splc intelligence report Janet Jenkins (far left) has not seen her daughter since 2009, when former partner Lisa Miller fled to Nicaragua to avoid shar- ing custody of the girl.

Meanwhile, in Toronto, Lisa Miller Creating a Cause renounced her sexual orientation, hired and Isabella boarded a flight for Mexico, Lisa Miller and Janet Jenkins joined in a and fired a few divorce attorneys, and flying on to El Salvador and then to civil union in December 2000. In 2001, finally ended up with Liberty Counsel. Nicaragua, where — after staying for a they decided to become parents and It is unclear if Miller sought out time in Zodhiates’ beach house, accord- Miller conceived via artificial insemina- Liberty Counsel or vice versa. But ing to an FBI court affidavit — they disap- tion. Isabella Miller-Jenkins was born Miller initially met with Linda Wall, a peared into an underground international in 2002, and the couple moved to Fair Virginia anti-gay fundamentalist leader network of warriors and Haven, Vt., four months later. Eager to who once published an essay detailing Amish-Mennonite missionaries. build a family, Miller had fertility treat- her fight with “GLBT demons” in the Neither Miller nor Isabella, now 14, ments and tried to get pregnant again. form of a snake she encountered in the has been seen since. She did, but the pregnancy ended in a cobwebbed basement of her employ- But that wasn’t the end of the case. miscarriage. Jenkins told the Intelligence er’s home. Published at Barbwire.com, There is still an active arrest warrant Report that problems in the marriage a website run by anti-LGBT activist out for Miller. And a civil rights case intensified after the couple lost their sec- Peter LaBarbera, her article elicited a filed by Janet Jenkins in 2012 — which ond baby. She said that Miller had tremen- wide array of responses from readers. alleges that co-conspirators includ- dous difficulty with the emotional fallout. “Unfortunately, the snakes have slith- ing Zodhiates’ Response Unlimited, In November 2003, Miller filed to dis- ered out of the old, dirty basements and his daughter Victoria Hyden and her solve the civil union. The separation was are now infesting our streets,” was one of employers at School amicable, with an informal verbal agree- them. “A much more radical fumigation of Law, and Liberty Counsel played a ment that Jenkins would have regular is thus in order.” role in the kidnapping — could move visits with Isabella and pay child sup- Wall, who in 2014 would found the closer to trial because the criminal trial port. Miller then left Vermont for a new Virginia chapter of MassResistance, of Zodhiates is over. (Liberty Counsel’s home in Virginia, eventually settling in another hardline anti-LGBT group that Staver was dean at the Liberty Law Lynchburg, where she became a fervent has claimed gays are dangerous to kids, School until resigning just two weeks Baptist and joined the Thomas Road saw sincerity in Miller’s departure from after Zodhiates’ 2014 indictment.) Baptist Church, founded by arch-con- the “homosexual lifestyle” and said so to Liberty Counsel has consistently servative Jerry Falwell. Liberty Counsel. As a result, the organi- , VYTO STARINSKAS/AP IMAGES (JENKINS); LISA BILLINGS/AP IMAGES (MILLER) IMAGES BILLINGS/AP LISA (JENKINS); IMAGES STARINSKAS/AP , VYTO denied any involvement in the kidnapping Miller found a welcoming commu- zation took on Miller’s case. of Isabella. But it is clear that Lisa Miller nity, eager to help a young, troubled From the start, Liberty Counsel

RUTLAND HERALD did get help from Zodhiates and others. mother escape her “sinful” ways. Miller raised money on the case. In one of

spring 2017 29 ”Is there no legal recourse now for Lisa Miller? If not, I’d like to suggest to her some personal options, which [Liberty Counsel] probably should not or would not want to know about.”

their fundraising appeals — sent to a ‘spouse’ to another woman in a same-sex expected to be litigated in the coming mailing list rented out by none other ‘civil union.’” civil trial: Did anyone at Liberty Counsel than Zodhiates’ Response Unlimited Philip Zodhiates was among those know about Zodhiates’ plans? Were they — the group and Miller adopted a tone watching the case unfold. On Jan. 21, helping in any way? of impending calamity. “This is truly a 2009, seven months before the kidnap- Sarah Star, Jenkins’ attorney, says David and Goliath showdown that will ping, he emailed Bill Sidebottom, then that evidence at Zodhiates’ trial shows a decide whether we as a nation will con- director of communications for Liberty flurry of communications that she argues tinue to follow our traditional values … Counsel. The subject of the email was implicates Zodhiates’ daughter, Victoria or bend the knee to the corrupt, unnat- “LISA MILLER,” and attached was the Hyden, who is an employee of Liberty ural, sinful homosexual agenda,” Miller WND article. School of Law, where Liberty Counsel’s wrote in the appeal. “Is there no legal recourse now for Mat Staver worked as dean for years; Over the following years, Miller and Lisa Miller?” Zodhiates asked. “If not, Miller’s Liberty Counsel attorney, Rena Jenkins — who were both legally parents I’d like to suggest to her some personal Lindevaldsen, who took over as Liberty of Isabella — fought an increasingly bitter options, which LC [Liberty Counsel] School of Law’s dean when Staver left in battle as Miller became more and more probably should not or would not want October 2014; and even Liberty Counsel unwilling to share custody. Visits were to know about. In other words, if there as an organization. missed, and Miller repeatedly denied is nothing else LC can do for her, I’d like On Oct. 23, 2009, a month after Jenkins a chance to see her daughter. her contact information.” Isabella’s disappearance, Zodhiates sent Miller also made a variety of spurious an email to his daughter with instructions claims, as the courts ultimately found, Links and Ties on how to continue paying for Miller’s including a false allegation of child abuse. Nearly three months after Zodhiates lease, which was set to expire, and a list of The case eventually reached the drove Miller and Isabella to upstate New items to “rescue” from her home. “There Vermont Supreme Court, which ruled York, a hearing was held to address a is someone that can deliver all or some of that Jenkins was, in fact, Isabella’s legal motion filed by Miller’s attorney, Liberty these items in the next couple of weeks,” parent, no different than any other mar- Counsel official Rena Lindevaldsen, ask- he wrote Hyden. “If it was already packed riage. (The case was also fought in courts ing the court to stay a ruling granting pri- in suitcases that’d make it much easier for in Virginia, which at the time did not mary custody to Jenkins. Miller had not them to transport.” He ended the email, allow same-sex civil unions. But Virginia responded to the court ruling, and her “Sister Sarah is doing well.” eventually agreed that Vermont had pri- whereabouts were unknown except to a Prosecutors believe Lisa Miller took mary jurisdiction.) The U.S. Supreme few, including Zodhiates. the name “Sarah” after her disappearance, Court declined to hear Miller’s appeal. Jenkins and others had asked police while Isabella adopted the name “Lydia.” Through it all, there was a constant to check Miller’s apartment, but they That list, and others sent later, was drumbeat of anti-LGBT propaganda. found no one coming and going. The specific, with directions on what to An article in WorldNetDaily (WND), lights were out, the curtains drawn. As pack from Miller’s apartment and what an extremist online “news” source that the hearing began, Rutland, Vt., Family to send to storage. There were requests has championed the “birther” myth Court Judge William Cohen asked for clothing and body wash, bobby pins about Barack Obama, was typical. The Lindevaldsen, “Do you know where and DVDs. The handwritten note story, by WND Managing Editor David she is?” also asked for bathroom rugs and hand- Kupelian, began like this: “After child- “I do not, your honor,” Lindevaldsen made dolls, items with emotional or per- hood abuse led Lisa Miller into a dys- responded. “You know, Lisa, in the past, sonal significance to “Sarah” and “Lydia.” functional life of multiple addictions has, you know, depending on what’s One item, Isabella’s pet hamster, was and homosexuality, at long last, by the going on in the case, sometimes, you marked with two stars. Miller’s landlord of God, she found the Christian know, has been a little more secluded would later testify he had found the ham- faith, freedom from her former bondage with things and dealing with it.” ster when he came to clean out the apart- and real hope. She left behind the les- The exchange highlighted a central ment. It had died from neglect in its cage bian lifestyle in which she had lived as continuing issue in the case, one that is in Isabella’s room.

30 splc intelligence report On Nov. 11, 2009 — two months after the international kidnapping. He had not the Southern Poverty Law Center, which Miller and Isabella fled — Zodhiates been sentenced at press time. publishes the Intelligence Report, joined emailed his daughter a second list. But Liberty Counsel’s Staver insists he the civil case as co-counsel to Sarah Star There was no subject and it read sim- had no involvement. and Langrock Sperry & Wool, LLP. ply, “Something else to print and give “I have never counseled Lisa Miller to In the meantime, the National Center to Rena [Lindevaldsen]. I need a status disobey court orders,” he said in a sworn for Missing and Exploited Children con- report, as well.” 2012 affidavit. “I have never counseled tinues to carry a poster showing Isabella The bags ultimately made their way or encouraged Lisa Miller to flee from around the time of her disappearance — a to Nicaragua, compliments of John the state, the country or the reach of any photo of a smiling face, with wispy bangs Collmus, a friend of Zodhiates who was court or law enforcement, nor have I crossing her forehead and a braided pony headed there on an unrelated missionary counseled or encouraged anyone to assist tail hanging over her shoulder, next to an trip. Emails admitted during Zodhiates’ her in doing so. I have always maintained “age-progressed” version of her showing trial show that he had arranged for and continue to maintain that I had no what is thought to be her appearance at Timothy David Miller — a pastor of an knowledge that Lisa Miller would flee around age 13. Amish-Mennonite church in Managua, and continue to have no knowledge of The case remains a central battle- Nicaragua, and an associate of Christian her whereabouts.” ground in the American culture wars, Aid Ministries of , Ohio — to meet Nevertheless, Staver has been ener- still used by the religious right to plug Collmus at the airport. getic in using the case to advance his own its cause. But if you ask Janet Jenkins, it “The suitcases are for a lady that views, sometimes using highly question- is not about the viability of same-sex par- works with them there in Managua able assertions. enting, or some biblical conception of sin. named Sarah. … Thank you for taking “I can’t recall a more emotionally More than anything, she says, it is about these. Sarah will greatly appreciate it, charged legal case than the one involv- love between a parent and her daughter. I am sure. I trust you’ll have a wonder- ing Lisa Miller and her precious daughter “I’m still going to do everything ful time and accomplish your purpose,” Isabella,” Staver wrote in one fundraising within my power, within the law, to stand Zodhiates wrote on Nov. 13, 2009. letter. “What makes it even more intense up for my daughter, to do everything I Collmus later testified that a group of is the fact that every American family has can to give her ,” Jenkins women in Mennonite attire, not includ- a huge stake in its outcome. After read- told the Intelligence Report. “She didn’t ing Miller or Isabella, met him and his ing this letter, you will see ‘homosex- choose this.” ▲ wife at the airport in Managua. It was the ual activism’ in a whole new light.” The last known time that anyone associated pitch letter went on to accuse Jenkins of with the pair would be seen. having “force[d]” Isabella to take baths with her. Another Look Pressed to back up such allegations While more may come to light about during custody hearings in Vermont, Isabella’s kidnapping, and more people Miller’s attorneys failed to provide any could be implicated in the coming civil evidence to support them. Sarah Star, case, others in addition to Zodhiates have Jenkins’ attorney, said the bath allegation already been found criminally guilty. was false and falls into a long pattern of Timothy David Miller, the man who Staver and Liberty Counsel’s vilification delivered items for “Sarah” in Managua, of the LGBT community. was arrested in 2011 by federal authori- It’s not clear when the civil case ties, accused of arranging for Miller and against Zodhiates’ Response Unlimited Isabella’s 2009 flights from Canada to and Victoria Hyden will go to trial. Nicaragua. Just last November, Miller, Lawyers are still filing documents and who goes by “Timo” and is no relation various claims, and Star thinks it may to Lisa Miller, pleaded guilty to aiding not begin until next year. Last December,

spring 2017 31 THE TRUMP EFFECT The campaign language of the man who would become president sparks hate violence, , before and after the election

BY MARK POTOK ILLUSTRATION BY SEAN MCCABE

The first warning signs came early. Rodriguez with broken ribs and fingers To these men, Donald Trump was a In August 2015, two Boston men and other injuries. hero — and an inspiration. returning home late after a Sox game When they were arrested a short After all, Trump had kicked off his happened upon a homeless Mexican time later, one of them, 38-year-old Scott presidential bid two months earlier immigrant sleeping outside a com- Leader, told arresting officers, “Donald with a speech describing Mexican immi- muter rail station. They beat him with Trump was right. All these illegals need to grants as rapists and drug smugglers. He a metal pipe, punched him repeatedly, be deported.” Later, but long before they later called the Mexican government urinated on him and called him a “wet- were sentenced to terms of two and three “totally corrupt.” He promised to build back.” Then they high-fived each other years, they whined that authorities only a wall along the 2,000-mile Mexico- as they walked away, leaving Guillermo arrested whites, “never the minorities.” U.S. border. He told an audience in New

32 splc intelligence report spring 2017 33 Hampshire that a plane overhead “could two national news outlets that he was These trends only worsened after be a Mexican plane up there, they’re get- looking into paying the man’s legal fees. the election. ting ready to attack.” And he insisted that Through it all, Trump was heedless, In its post-election first study, look- an Indiana-born federal judge could not rejecting calls from left and right to tamp ing at harassment and intimidation in preside fairly over a civil racketeer- down the insults and the violence they the first 10 days after Trump’s election, ing case against his Trump University were spawning. His reaction to the beat- the SPLC counted 867 hate incidents, because “he’s a Mexican.” ing of Guillermo Rodriguez was typical. some of them amounting to hate crimes, And that was just Trump’s talk about While the attack was “a shame,” Trump’s around the country. It collected informa- “Mexicans.” main conclusion was that “people who tion from media reports, social media, By the time he won the election, Trump are following me are very passionate.” and through a #ReportHate page set up had called for a “total and complete shut- on the SPLC website, excluding incidents down” of Muslims entering the country. Taking Stock found to be hoaxes. He had lied about personally witnessing In the immediate aftermath of the elec- The results were disheartening. “thousands” of Muslims in tion, the Southern Poverty Law Center “I have experienced discrimination in cheering as the World Trade Center col- (SPLC) noticed a dramatic jump in hate my life, but never in such a public and lapsed on 9/11. He had attacked a Muslim violence and incidents of harassment and unashamed manner,” an Asian-American Gold Star family, insinuating that Khizr intimidation around the country. At the woman reported after a man told her to Khan, whose son died in Iraq, was a ter- same time, a wave of incidents of bullying “go home” as she left a train station in rorist sympathizer. He had retweeted and other kinds of harassment washed Oakland, Calif. A black man whose apart- utterly bogus claims that black people over the nation’s K-12 schools. The SPLC ment was vandalized with the phrase were responsible for 80% of the murders decided to make an effort to document all “911 nigger” said that he had “never wit- of whites. He had cozied up to some of of this in real time. nessed anything like this.” A the country’s hardest line gay-bashers. The ugly evidence of hatred unleashed woman, who encountered a man who He had retweeted anti-Semitic memes had already become apparent before told her he was “[g]onna beat [her] and called many immigrants “not well.” Election Day. An earlier SPLC study of pussy,” said she had been in the neigh- He had attacked a debate moderator by the impact in K-12 schools of Trump’s borhood “all the time and never experi- insinuating that her tough questions were bigoted rhetoric and encouragement of enced this type of language before.” Not the result of her menstrual cycle. And his violence during his campaign had found far away, in Sunnyvale, Calif., a transgen- earlier boasts about grabbing women by massive anecdotal evidence of a rise in der person reported being targeted with the genitals had been revealed. bullying and anxiety in classrooms. slurs at a bar where “I’ve been a regu- Trump also had repeatedly encour- There was even evidence that Trump’s lar customer for three years — never had aged violence. attacks on Muslims during 2015 — when any issues.” After a Black Lives Matter activist was he called for a ban on Muslims entering Incidents were reported in nearly beaten at a Trump rally in Birmingham, the U.S., suggested a registry for Muslims every state. The largest portion (323 inci- Ala., he told that “maybe he already here, and proposed to surveil dents) occurred on university campuses should have been roughed up.” In Cedar mosques — had had an effect that early. or in K-12 schools. The incidents were Rapids, Iowa, he urged supporters to The FBI reported that anti-Muslim hate dominated by anti-immigrant and anti- “knock the crap” out of protesters, add- crimes went up by 67% in 2015, while other Muslim incidents (together, 329), but ing, “I promise you, I will pay your legal categories rose only slightly. It seemed included ones that were anti-black (187), fees.” When a backer at a Fayetteville, obvious that Trump’s rhetoric, along with anti-Semitic (100), anti-LGBT (95), anti- N.C., rally sucker-punched a black pro- Islamic State atrocities, had driven anti- woman (40) and white nationalist (32). tester being led away by police — an act Muslim hatred to new highs, with the 2015 A small sliver of them (23) were anti- described by the local sheriff as “a cow- anti-Muslim hate crime count registering Trump, but the vast majority appeared ardly, unprovoked attack” — Trump told the highest number since 2001. to be celebrating his election victory.

34 splc intelligence report “This is the first time I’ve had a student call another student the ‘n’ word. This incident occurred the day after a conference with the offender’s mother. During the conference, the mother made her support of Trump known and expressed her hope that ‘the blacks’ would soon know their place again.”

When the SPLC first released these Ninety percent of the respondents said made her support of Trump known and findings, right-wing media outlets that the climate of their schools had been expressed her hope that ‘the blacks’ claimed that there was no evidence that affected negatively by the election. A full would soon know their place again.” they were related to Trump or the elec- 80% described heightened anxiety on the tion. But that is false. For one thing, the part of students worried about the impact Words Have Consequences largest number of incidents occurred on them and their families. There were Four days after the election, Donald on the day after the election, and they reports of slurs, derogatory language, and Trump was interviewed on “60 Minutes,” declined fairly steadily for the nine days incidents involving extremist symbols. where he was asked about the hate. He after that. Eight in 10 educators reported fears said he was “surprised to hear” about it, Later, when the SPLC updated on the part of marginalized students and, looking into the camera, told the its findings to cover the first 34 days including immigrants, Muslims, African perpetrators to “stop it.” In another inter- after the election, it counted a total of Americans and LGBT people. Four in view, he promised to “bind the wounds of 1,094 bias incidents around the nation. 10 heard derogatory language directed division” that were afflicting our country. Importantly, it also calculated that at minority students. More than 2,500 His comments were a day late and a 37% of them directly referenced either described instances of bigotry and dollar short. The hatred, and the new President-elect Trump, his campaign harassment directly related to election energy of the white nationalist movement, slogans, or his infamous remarks about rhetoric. Two out of 10 had heard derog- were predictable results of the campaign sexual assault. Just 26 were anti-Trump, atory comments about white students, Trump waged — a campaign marked by with six of those explicitly anti-white. although few of them were made directly incendiary racial statements, the stoking Particularly noteworthy in this lon- to those students. Most were remarks of white racial resentment, and attacks on ger period was a string of letters, describ- about whites voting for Trump. so-called “political correctness.” ing Muslims as “Children of ” and An Arizona high school counselor A few weeks later, Trump acknowl- a “vile and filthy people,” sent to 15 reported white students holding up a edged what he had not earlier. In a post- mosques and Islamic centers around Confederate flag in a school assembly. election speech in Orlando, Fla., part of the country between Nov. 23 and Dec. A middle school teacher in Washington his “thank you” tour, he responded to 2. Also during that period, there were 57 told of a student blurting out in class, “I the crowd chanting “Lock her up” with incidents of extremist posters and fliers hate Muslims.” A Georgia high school this: “Four weeks ago, you people were appearing, about three-quarters of them teacher said many students were mak- vicious, violent, screaming, ‘Where’s at university campuses, where embold- ing jokes “about Hispanic students ‘going the wall? We want the wall! … ‘Prison! ened white nationalists have been hard at back to Mexico.’” Another teacher in Prison! Lock her up!’ I mean, you were work since the election. Thirty-four cam- Oregon described a black girl running out going crazy. I mean, you were nasty and puses were hit. of a classroom in tears after being racially mean and vicious and you wanted to harassed in two classes. A Massachusetts win, right? Now, same crowds … but it’s Hate Goes to School middle school teacher described how a much different. You’re laid back, you’re The SPLC’s first, pre-election look at bias white student, on the day after the elec- cool, you’re mellow. You’re basking in the incidents in K-12 schools was based on tion, went around asking each non-white glory of victory.” responses from about 2,000 educators. student he passed, “Are you legal?” Donald Trump is not legally responsible In its post-election survey, however, the “This is my 21st year of teaching,” for any of this, of course. The people who SPLC got responses to its online survey a Georgia elementary school teacher engaged in legally punishable hate vio- from more than 10,000 teachers, counsel- reported. “This is the first time I’ve had a lence, if they are caught, are the ones who ors, administrators and others who work student call another student the ‘n’ word. will have to actually pay for their crimes. in schools. Although the survey was not This incident occurred the day after a But it seems undeniable that Trump’s reck- scientific, with such a large response it conference with the offender’s mother. less, populist campaign has left a legacy of was hard to dismiss the findings. During the conference, the mother hatred, violence and division. ▲

spring 2017 35 THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM THETHE YEARYEAR ININ HATEHATE ANDAND EXTREMISMEXTREMISM The radical right was more successful in entering the political mainstream last year than in half a century. How did it happen? BY MARK POTOK

Cheerleaders from the fringe: Alex Jones (from left), Andrew Anglin and Richard Spencer are among those on the radical right thrilled by the ascent of Donald Trump to the presidency. After half a century of being increasingly who edits a racist journal, said that relegated to the margins of society, the “overwhelmingly white Americans” had radical right entered the political main- shown they were not “obedient zom- stream last year in a way that had seemed bies” by choosing to vote “for America virtually unimaginable since George as a distinct nation with a distinct peo- Wallace ran for president in 1968. ple who deserve a government devoted A surge in right-wing populism, stem- to that people.” ming from the long-unfolding effects of one that falsely claimed that black people Richard Spencer, who leads a rac- globalization and the movements of cap- were responsible for 80% of the murders ist “think tank” called the National Policy ital and labor that it spawned, brought of whites. He credentialed racist media Institute, exulted that “Trump’s victory a man many considered to be a racist, personalities even while barring a serious was, at its root, a victory of .” misogynist and xenophobe into the most outlet like The Washington Post, went on Trump’s election, as startling to powerful political office in the world. a radio show hosted by a rabid conspiracy extremists as it was to the political estab- Donald Trump’s election as president theorist named Alex Jones, and said that lishment, was followed by his selection mirrored similar currents in Europe, Muslims should be banned from enter- of appointees with anti-Muslim, anti- where globalization energized an array ing the country. He seemed to encourage LGBT and white nationalist sympathies. of extreme-right political movements violence against black protesters at his To lead his domestic transition team, he and the ’s decision to rallies, suggesting that he would pay the chose Kenneth Blackwell, an official of quit the European Union. legal fees of anyone charged as a result. the virulently anti-LGBT Family Research Trump’s run for office electrified the The reaction to Trump’s victory by the Council. As national security adviser, he radical right, which saw in him a cham- radical right was ecstatic. “Our Glorious selected retired Gen. Mike Flynn, who pion of the idea that America is funda- Leader has ascended to God Emperor,” has described Islam as a “malignant can- mentally a white man’s country. wrote Andrew Anglin, who runs the neo- cer” and tweeted that “[f ]ear of Muslims He kicked off the campaign with a Nazi Daily Stormer website. “Make no is RATIONAL.” His designated CIA direc- speech vilifying Mexican immigrants as mistake about it: we did this. If it were tor was U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), rapists and drug dealers. He retweeted not for us, it wouldn’t have been possi- who is close to some of the country’s most

CHRISTOPHER GREGORY/GETTY IMAGES (TRUMP); BROOKS KRAFT/ GETTY IMAGES (JONES); DAILY STORMER (ANGLIN); DAVID J. PHILLIP/AP IMAGES (SPENCER) IMAGES PHILLIP/AP J. DAVID (ANGLIN); STORMER DAILY (JONES); GETTY IMAGES KRAFT/ BROOKS (TRUMP); IMAGES GREGORY/GETTY CHRISTOPHER white supremacist messages, including ble.” Jared Taylor, a white nationalist rabid anti-Muslim extremists.

spring 2017 37 THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

Most remarkable of all was his choice ideologues, and the incendiary rhetoric as chief strategic adviser of Stephen of Trump — his threats to ban Muslim Bannon, the former head of Breitbart immigration, mandate a registry of News, a far-right media outlet known Muslims in America, and more. for promoting the so-called “alterna- The Muslim-bashing had conse- tive right” — fundamentally, a recent quences. Last October, three members of rebranding of white supremacy for pub- a militia-like group called the Crusaders lic relations purposes, albeit one that were arrested and charged with plotting de-emphasizes Klan robes and Nazi to blow up an apartment complex in symbols in favor of a more “intellectual” Kansas where 120 Somali Muslim immi- approach. With Bannon’s appointment, grants live. The attack was reportedly set white nationalists felt they had a man for Nov. 9, the day after Election Day. inside the White House. The number of neo-Confederate That wasn’t all. In the immediate groups — organizations like the League aftermath of Election Day, a wave of hate of the South, which seeks a second crimes and lesser hate incidents swept Southern — rose by 23%, from the country — 1,094 bias incidents in the 35 to 43 groups. But the number of Klan first 34 days, according to a count by the Donald Trump’s selection of Stephen Bannon as chapters fell 32%, from 190 groups in Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). a key adviser made many on the extreme right 2015 to 130 in 2016. Because the Klan feel that they had a foot in the White House. The hate was clearly tied directly to groups’ numbers had expanded rapidly Trump’s victory. The highest count came earlier, from 72 in 2014 to 190 in 2015, on the first day after the election, with last year, according to the latest count by some constriction had been expected. the numbers diminishing steadily after the SPLC. That’s only about 100 fewer In addition, much of that decrease was that. And more than a third of the inci- organizations than the 1,018 tallied in accounted for by the disappearance of dents directly referenced either Trump, 2011, which was the all-time high in some the Militant Knights of the , his “Make America Great Again” slogan, 30 years of SPLC counts. once the fourth largest Klan group in or his infamous remarks about grabbing And the numbers undoubtedly under- America, and the sharp reduction in the women by the genitals. state the real level of organized hatred in number of chapters in the United White Several new and energetic groups America. In recent years, growing num- Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, which was appeared last year that were almost bers of right-wing extremists operate the largest Klan group in 2015, and in the entirely focused on Trump and seemed mainly in cyberspace until, in some cases, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. to live off his candidacy. They included they take action in the real world. Dylann While the overall level of hate groups Identity Evropa, a campus-oriented Roof, who was convicted late last year of remained fairly steady, the period saw a group based in California; The Right the racist murder of nine black church- noticeable drop in real-world extrem- Stuff, based in New York; and American goers, is an example of that — he had ist activities like rallies and violence — Vanguard, a group with 12 chapters. no real-world contact with hate groups outside of the wave of celebratory hate And The Daily Stormer, the website before deciding, based on propaganda he incidents that came mainly from Trump whose chief came up with the term “Our read on the Internet, that it was time to supporters in the election’s immedi- Glorious Leader” for Trump, expanded start a race war. ate aftermath — even as online activity into real-world activism by starting 31 By far the most dramatic change was increased. There hardly seemed a rea- “clubs.” In July, it became the most vis- the enormous leap in anti-Muslim hate son to organize their own rallies when JABIN BOTSFORD/ THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES ited hate site on the Internet, surpassing groups, from 34 in 2015 to 101 last year extremists could attend a Trump event longtime hate leader Stormfront. — a 197% increase. But that explosion filled with just as much anti-establish- It was, by any accounting, a banner was not unexpected. Anti-Muslim hate ment vitriol as any extremist rally. year for hate. has been expanding rapidly for more than two years now, driven by radical ‘Patriots’ at the Precipice Quantifying Hate Islamist attacks including the June mass The antigovernment “Patriot” groups The number of hate groups operating in murder of 49 people at an Orlando, Fla., were another story. the country in 2016 remained at near-his- gay nightclub, the unrelenting propa- Composed of people who believe the toric highs, rising from 892 in 2015 to 917 ganda of a growing circle of well-paid federal government is plotting to deprive

38 splc intelligence report THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

Americans of their liberties, the Patriot after Election Day, adding that interest in armed wing of the Patriot movement, fell movement has in the past swollen when the “prepping” movement, which overlaps 40%, from 276 to 165 groups. Democratic administrations, which they heavily with the Patriots, had “hit a multi- Another key factor in the decline of the despise, are in power. When the Republican year low.” “It is almost as if the apocalypse Patriot groups was the standoff that began administration of George W. Bush was in has been cancelled and the future history on Jan. 2, 2016, when an armed mob led charge, they fell off. Even before Trump of the U.S. has been rewritten with a much by Ammon and Ryan Bundy seized control actually won, energy was draining away happier ending,” he said. of Oregon’s Malheur National Wildlife from the antigovernment groups. Stewart Rhodes, founder of a leading Refuge. Though the Bundys and their Trump’s co-optation of some of Patriot group called the Oath Keepers, father, Cliven, had engaged in a similar the Patriot movement’s key issues agreed, telling Mother Jones magazine armed standoff in 2014 at their Nevada — resistance against any kind of gun that he worried that the far right would ranch without being arrested for more control, as evidenced by Trump’s enthu- become complacent under Trump and than a year, the Malheur confrontation siastic endorsement by the National Rifle that its activities would peter out. went differently. Most locals quickly lost Association, and his clear sympathy for Earlier, the groups had skyrocketed sympathy for the Bundy gang, and most the movement’s interest in transferring from a low of 149 in 2008 to a high of of its members were arrested and charged with serious crimes after 41 days. One of their number was shot dead at a roadblock when he tried to pull a gun on officers. Even though the principals of the Oregon standoff were acquitted last October in a shocking jury verdict, many in the movement saw the confrontation as signaling the government’s determination to crack down. And the Bundys all face another trial in February on charges related to the 2014 Nevada confrontation. Finally, several major Patriot groups either collapsed or shrank. One of them, Get Out of Our House, disappeared with all 37 of its chapters. We the People, the country’s leading radical tax protest group, dropped from 91 chapters to one. And the Oath Keepers lost 71 chapters, going from 181 in 2015 to 110 last year. That didn’t mean Oath Keepers weren’t A wave of anti-minority hate crimes and inci- active. Like hate groups, the Patriot move- dents washed over the country in the immediate 1,360 in 2012, in large part as a reaction ment saw a continuing move into cyber- aftermath of Donald Trump’s victory. to the November 2008 election of Barack activism last year. On Facebook alone, Obama. Intensely focused on the federal Oath Keepers were maintaining at least government as its chief enemy, the Patriot 323 pages associated with the group. control of federal lands to the states — was movement swelled when the nation was part of the reason for the Patriot falloff. led by a black man suspected of being a Behind the Election The fact that such a prominent candidate foreign-born Muslim and worse. But as The election of Donald Trump — and was leading the charge on their concerns 2016 progressed, Patriots increasingly related developments in Europe — is the resulted in many abandoning activism. grew hopeful that Trump would become culmination of a series of long-develop- “At this point there is an overwhelming the new face of the federal government. ing trends. As the world has become more belief among those on the right that Donald In the end, the number of Patriot interconnected, our increasingly global- Trump is going to be able to do what he groups fell by 375, or 38%, plummeting ized economy has fomented huge migrant promised to do,” the publisher of The from 998 groups in 2015 to 623 last year. flows and severe shocks to the industrial

FACEBOOK Economic Collapse Blog wrote a month Within that, militias, which form the sectors of most developed countries. (War

spring 2017 39 THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

in the Middle East also produced enor- mous Syrian refugee flows last year.) In the United States, that has meant that the proportion of foreign-born res- idents has grown from 4.7% in 1970 to 13.7% in 2015. The latter percentage is comparable to the very high levels of the foreign-born seen in the early 20th cen- The vote by the United Kingdom to “leave” the tury (14.7% in 1910 and 13.2% in 1920), European Union was largely animated by oppo- when white reached a peak that sition to Syrian and other refugees entering the country. In the U.S., the election of Donald led to history’s largest Klan membership Trump was driven by some of the same forces. and the racist Immigration Act of 1924. As part of the same trend, the propor- tion of non-Hispanic white people in the a set of elites and dangerous ‘others’ who U.S. has declined rapidly, creating a crisis are depicted as depriving the sovereign of . While America was about people” of their prosperity and rights. 90% white from the colonial era right up Translated for today’s situation, the through the early 1960s, it was 62% white group, but who still were antagonistic elites are seen as a global of self- by 2015 and predicted by the Census toward multiculturalism. And the num- interested politicians, media leaders and Bureau to fall to under 50% by 2043. bers of those people have been rising, with capitalists — or, in the case of Europe, as the At the same time, economic sectors studies showing anti-black racism among well-paid leaders of the European Union. like basic steel and auto production have whites increasing during the Obama The “dangerous others,” meanwhile, are increasingly moved overseas, chasing years. But bigotry was certainly not the immigrants, Muslims, black people, Jews lower wages in a world economy. This only factor motivating Trump supporters; and virtually every other minority. has disproportionately affected working- the Times post-mortem found that many The June vote by 52% of the British and middle-class whites in the Rust Belt saw in their candidate “their best chance electorate to quit the European Union and similar areas, with white suicides and to dampen the most painful blows of glo- (EU) is in very many ways a close analog drug overdose deaths hitting new highs. balization and trade, to fight special inter- to the Trump vote in the United States. As manufacturing wages have fallen and ests, and to be heard and protected.” Those who voted to leave the EU, which higher education has become essential to None of this is to say that whites have requires open borders and migration make a living wage, income inequality has it worse than most minority groups, par- within Europe and has welcomed millions risen dramatically since the 1970s. ticularly and Latinos. of refugees from the Middle East, were

How did this all play out in last But as numerous sociological studies have mostly older middle- and working-class CHRISTOPHER FURLONG/GETTY IMAGES (JOHNSON); ROBER ATANASOVISKI/GETTY IMAGES (SYRIAN REFUGEE) November’s election? shown, a person’s objective economic con- whites from troubled industrial areas. In its post-election analysis, The dition is less important in fostering anger Also, as in the U.S. after Trump’s victory, New York Times found that Trump’s than how that person is faring compared the United Kingdom saw a wave of cel- victorious election coalition, in addi- to expectations. Whites have long had it ebratory hate violence — up 47% over a tion to conservative Republicans of the better than other groups, but that advan- year before — wash over the island nation. South and West, was composed of “mil- tage is slowly being whittled away. It’s hard to predict where all of this lions of voters in the onetime heart- will lead. lands of 20th-century liberal populism Where Do We Go From Here? On one hand, it does seem likely that — the Upper and Lower Midwest — Right-wing populism, driven in part by Trump’s ostentatiously right-wing politics where white Americans without a col- the kind of conspiracy theories and big- will continue to dampen the Patriot move- lege degree voted decisively to reject the oted thinking that was espoused by ment, as happened under the last conser- more diverse, educated and cosmopoli- Trump during his campaign, has become vative Republican administration. It is also tan Democratic Party of the 21st century.” the answer for many Americans and mil- possible that, like the Patriot groups, the Without a doubt, Trump appealed to lions of Europeans as well. Populism is the number of hate groups will fall as mem- garden-variety racists, xenophobes, reli- idea, as scholars Daniele Albertazzi and bers look to Trump to pursue their pro- gious bigots and misogynists — people not Duncan McDonnell phrased it, that “pits a gram. On the other hand, it seems certain necessarily in any hate or related kind of virtuous and homogenous people against that Trump will be unable to fulfill many

40 splc intelligence report THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

of his harder-line campaign vows — to ban Trump had written in a 2000 New York organizations but generally avoid robes Muslims, build a 2,000-mile border wall, Times op-ed that he abandoned his explo- and neo-Nazi symbols in favor of a suit- or deport up to 12 million people — and ration of a presidential bid with the Reform and-tie approach — was the sector of the this could easily result in an explosion of Party that year because of Duke and two radical right that identified most closely anger from extremists who feel betrayed. fellow extremists who were involved with with the Trump campaign. In fact, the Historically, it is in just such situations the party.) But in the end, pressed by the Alt-Right was essentially a rebrand- that disappointed extremists may resort to media, he weakly disavowed Duke. ing of white nationalism meant to make domestic terrorism. Nevertheless, Duke took advantage of it seem more acceptable in the politi- One thing seems certain. The radi- the media attention he received to launch cal mainstream. cal right is feeling its oats today in a way his latest bid for political office. Last July, William Daniel Johnson, the head of that few Americans can remember. There he announced his run for the U.S. Senate the American Freedom Party, got a great are very large numbers of Americans who seat being vacated by Sen. David Vitter deal of press attention last year, due to his agree with its views, as sanitized under the (R-La.). But he lost badly in the open formation of the American National Super deceptive Alt-Right label, although many November primary, coming in seventh PAC to fund robocalls in support of Trump of them may be less visible than before with 3% of the vote, or 58,581 votes. during the primaries. The calls, in states because they are not affiliated with actual Aside from those developments, the including Minnesota, Utah and Vermont, groups. Whether or not the movement activities of Klan groups were largely lim- dwelled on familiar racist themes like the grows in coming years, it seems indisput- ited to anonymous leafleting — an easy dangers of non-white immigration and the able that its views have a better chance to task, typically requiring only one person, alleged perils facing the white race. actually affect policy now than in decades. that virtually guarantees media attention. The white nationalist scene was also What follows are more detailed looks The SPLC found that various Klan groups marked by the emergence in the public at sectors of the radical right. had distributed white supremacist fliers arena of Richard Spencer, who claims 117 times in 26 states last year. to be a serious intellectual concerned KU KLUX KLAN GROUPS One of the groups most involved in leaf- with serious problems, and has a think Klan groups last year received a great leting, the Loyal White Knights of the Ku tank to prove it. Spencer received an deal of media attention, due largely to Klux Klan, was embarrassed last December enormous amount of press as a spokes- the fact that many of their leaders backed when its imperial wizard, Chris Barker of man for the Alt-Right, but his raw rac- Donald Trump’s candidacy. David Duke, East Yanceyville, N.C., and a California ism was exposed at a speech he gave in easily America’s best known (former) leader, William Hagen (aka William late November. He ended the talk to a Klan leader, spoke repeatedly of his sup- Quigg), were arrested for stabbing another Washington, D.C., Alt-Right conference port for Trump, saying at one point, “I’m member. As a result, Barker was absent with the cry, “Hail Trump, hail our peo- overjoyed to see Donald Trump and most from the parade celebrating Trump’s vic- ple, hail victory!” Americans embrace most of the issues tory he’d planned for December. Not only did those words evoke that I’ve championed for years.” German Nazism (“hail victory” translates Trump at first declined to denounce or WHITE NATIONALIST GROUPS in German as “sieg heil”), but the Nazi disavow Duke, saying, falsely, that he did White nationalism — groups that share salutes then thrown by several mem- not know anything about him. (In fact, most of the ideals of Klan and similar bers of his audience seared the extreme

1002 1018 1007 HATE GROUPS 1999–2016 926 932 939 917 888 892 844 803 784 751 762 708 676 602

457

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

spring 2017 41 THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

nature of Spencer’s movement into the ANTI-LGBT GROUPS had “liked” the Facebook pages belong- public mind. After years of defeats on issues like same- ing to the , the sex marriage and gays in the military, anti- Black Riders Liberation Party and the NEO-NAZI GROUPS LGBT groups last year were thrilled by the late founder of the , Elijah Aside from the rise of Andrew Anglin’s election of Trump, who lost little time in Muhammad, prior to his killing spree. Daily Stormer site and its real-world naming advisers and others with virulently Although those organizations are hate “clubs” — new chapters that profited homophobic views. Trump’s selection as his groups that explicitly denounce white directly from the Trump phenomenon — vice president of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, people, Jews and LGBT people, many the year on the neo-Nazi scene was marked a longtime opponent of LGBT rights, was a on the right used the Dallas killings to by a number of attempts to build new coali- real victory for the anti-LGBT movement. unjustly accuse groups like Black Lives tions among groups. Several of them, like And the idea that Trump will select one or Matter (BLM) of fostering violence it the Coalition of Organizations and more Supreme Court justices who might had nothing to do with. Although BLM the United Aryan Front, collapsed almost roll back recent LGBT gains also gave these has raised issues of police brutality, it has as quickly as they appeared. organizations new optimism. At the same never endorsed anti-white or anti-police That left what was first called the time, the anti-LGBT right ramped up sev- violence, and it is not a hate group. Aryan and then was eral different legal strategies.Pursuing a rebranded as simply the Nationalist Front. course begun years before, activists worked ANTIGOVERNMENT GROUPS The unity effort was spearheaded by Jeff to install more so-called “religious freedom At the roadblock that was the beginning Schoep, leader of the National Socialist restoration acts” (RFRAs) in states and cit- of the end of the January 2016 occupa- Movement, Josh Steever of the Aryan ies that would ensure goods and services tion of the Malheur National Wildlife Strikeforce, and Matthew Heimbach of could be denied to LGBT people on a reli- Refuge, Robert “Lavoy” Finicum, a the Traditionalist Worker Party. gious basis. The most draconian was passed spokesman for the occupiers, was killed The coalition peaked at 26 mostly tiny in in April, allowing businesses by law enforcement officers as he refused groups, but that had fallen by year’s end and state employees and healthcare person- to surrender. Prosecutors described the to 16, reflecting the perennial infighting nel to deny some services to LGBT people. shooting as justified, and that seemed that characterizes the neo-Nazi scene. But a federal judge enjoined it in June, say- clearly backed up by video showing him The “Unity Statement” of the Nationalist ing it favored some religions over others. reaching for what turned out to be a gun. Front, which describes Schoep and Anti-LGBT activists also pursued That didn’t stop the Patriot movement Heimbach as its leaders, is a fairly typi- ongoing efforts to deny transgender peo- from furiously describing Finicum as a mar- cal neo-Nazi screed emphasizing hatred ple access to public bathrooms and other tyr, and suggesting that the government of “the globalists and the Jewish banking facilities that correspond with their gen- had deliberately murdered him. After his elites” and calling for the creation of an all- der identity. The harshest of these was death, the SPLC counted 82 events around white within the current United North Carolina’s H.B.2, which passed in the country that pushed that narrative and States. What is most interesting about it March. The law reversed anti-discrimina- called for action against the government. is that it essentially adopts the so-called tion provisions protecting LGBT people But the Patriots’ canonization of Finicum “,” meaning that it opposes and made it illegal for trans people to use did little to invigorate the movement, as the both communism and . Using facilities corresponding to their identity. declining group numbers show. anti-imperialist and pro-worker language Violence against trans people also There was one very significant devel- that sounds almost as if it came from the hit a new high last year, with at least 26 opment in the Patriot world — , it describes its goal as an ethno-state apparent murder victims, surpassing the adoption by leading groups of hardline based on “economic Social Nationalism” 23 killed in 2015. The SPLC has found anti-Muslim . Although evidence (national socialism, or Nazism, in reverse). trans women of color are the minority of that was widespread, the best example The document is reminiscent of the most victimized by violent hate crime. came in November, when three members early days of the German Nazis, when of a Kansas Patriot group were charged the so-called Strasserites emphasized the BLACK SEPARATIST GROUPS with plotting to mass murder Muslims. ▲ “socialism” in national socialism. Later, the The sniper murder of five Dallas police German completely changed officers in July brought new attention to course, allying with major capitalists. One racist black separatist groups, which grew Heidi Beirich, Keegan Hankes, Stephen Strasser brother was murdered, another from 180 in 2015 to 193 last year. That is Piggott, Evelyn Schlatter and Sarah Viets fled, and the Strasserites were purged. because the shooter, Micah Johnson, contributed to this report.

42 splc intelligence report ACTIVE HATE GROUPS

in the United States in 2016

WASHINGTON NORTH DAKOTA MONTANA

MINNESOTA

MAINE

WISCONSIN SOUTH DAKOTA

OREGON IDAHO MICHIGAN NEW YORK VERMONT

NEW HAMPSHIRE IOWA MASSACHUSETTS

PENNSYLVANIA RHODE ISLAND

CONNECTICUT ILLINOIS INDIANA OHIO

NEVADA UTAH NEW JERSEY COLORADO

KANSAS MISSOURI WEST DELAWARE VIRGINIA MARYLAND KENTUCKY VIRGINIA WASHINGTON, D.C. CALIFORNIA

TENNESSEE NORTH CAROLINA OKLAHOMA

ARKANSAS ARIZONA SOUTH CAROLINA

MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA GEORGIA 917ACTIVE HATE GROUPS

TEXAS

ALASKA KU KLUX KLAN 130 NEO-NAZI 99 HAWAII WHITE NATIONALIST 100

FLORIDA RACIST 78 CHRISTIAN IDENTITY 21 NEO-CONFEDERATE 43 BLACK SEPARATIST 193 ANTI-LGBT 52 ANTI-MUSLIM 101 FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT HATE GROUPS IN YOUR STATE, GO TO SPLCENTER.ORG/HATEMAP GENERAL HATE 100 THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

130 KU KLUX KLAN With its long history of violence, the Klan is the most infamous — and oldest — of Birmingham, AL American hate groups. When the Klan was formed in 1865, it was a single, unitary Cullman, AL organization. Today, there are dozens of competing Klan groups. Although black Huntsville, AL Americans have typically been the Klan’s primary target, it has also attacked Jews, Mobile, AL immigrants, homosexuals, and Catholics. Montgomery, AL Anaheim, CA Christian American Annapolis, MD Gurnee, IL , CA Knights of the Ku Klux Klan North Carolina Illinois Jacksonville, FL Cocoa, FL* Girardville, PA Indianapolis, IN Canton, GA Hoxie, AR Georgia Knight Riders Kokomo, IN Covington, GA Bushnell, FL of the Ku Klux Klan Muncie, IN Dallas, GA Church of the National Live Oak, FL Indiana Valdosta, GA Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Great Lakes Knights Harrodsburg, KY Clay City, IL Panama, NY* of the Ku Klux Klan Battle Creek, MI Baton Rouge, LA Kentucky Alpena, MI Springfield, MO Trenton, MI Horn Lake, MS International Keystone Leakesville, MS Jackson, MS North Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Chapel Hill, NC Hampton Bays, NY Confederate White Knights Vanndale, AR* Sanford, NC Columbus, OH of the Ku Klux Klan Cedartown, GA Hempstead, NY South Carolina Rosedale, MD* Mississippi Bally, PA Fort Worth, TX Greenwood, AR Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Butler, TN Danville, VA Auburn, IN Harrison, AR Erwin, TN Richmond, VA Madison, IN Knights of the Hendersonville, TN Militant Knights Morehead, KY White Disciples Hixson, TN Ku Klux Klan Dixonville, PA* Alabama 2 0 0 Maine 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 6 0 0 4 7 0 0 2 0 4 1 1 4 6 2 4 0 0 11 8 0 4 0 2 8 11 6 Alpena, MI 9 2 Minneapolis, MN Mississippi Missouri 0 8 New Jersey 0 Knoxville, TN New York Lexington, TN Ohio Memphis, TN Gladeville, TN Saint Martinville, LA Hudson, FL* Murfreesboro, TN Flint, TX Sikeston, MO North Carolina Ohio Nordic Order Knights Vale, NC Ku Klos Knights Meadville, PA of the Ku Klux Klan Toms River, NJ of the Ku Klux Klan Oil City, PA Dawson Springs, KY* Walterboro, SC Church Hill, TN* Gatesville, TX Alabama Richmond, VA Hazel Green, AL Texas North Mississippi White East Coast Knights Of The Vance, AL Virginia Knights Of The Ku Klux Klan True Invisible Empire Cape Coral, FL Loyal White Knights Tupelo, MS Venus, TX* Hudson, FL of the Ku Klux Klan Old Dominion Knights Nassau, DE Wauchula, FL Pelham, NC* of the Ku Klux Klan

44 splc intelligence report If the group has a known headquarters, it appears first in the listing of the group’s chapters and is marked with an asterisk (*). THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

99 NEO-NAZI Virginia These groups share a hatred for Jews and an admiration for and Nazi Old Glory Knights . While they also hate other minorities, homosexuals, and even sometimes of the Ku Klux Klan , they perceive “the Jew” as their cardinal enemy and trace social Vincent, OH problems to a Jewish conspiracy that supposedly controls governments, financial Original Knight Riders institutions, and the media. Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Beckley, WV Committee Bloomington, IL Dallas, TX Outlaw Knights Lyons, IL Daily Stormer, The Wichita Falls, TX of the Ku Klux Klan Worthington, OH* Burlington, VT Ohio Westland, MI* Cullman, AL , WA Pacific Coast Knights California Phoenix, AZ Spokane, WA of the Ku Klux Klan West Virginia Los Angeles, CA Einherjar’s Honor California* (Louisiana) Mountain View, CA Spokane, WA Converse, LA Santa Cruz, CA Virginia Patriotic Brigade Knights Aryan Nations Sadistic Santa Monica, CA Endangered Souls RC/ of the Ku Klux Klan Souls MC Denver, CO Crew 519 Gladewater, TX Wood River, IL* Brandon, FL Florida Rebel Brigade Knights Alabama Orlando, FL Idaho True Invisible Empire Canton, IL Amana, IA Gallows Tree Martinsville, VA Taylorville, IL Indianapolis, IN Wotansvolk Alliance Southern Ohio Knights Grovespring, MO Louisville, KY Grand Rapids, MI* of the Ku Klux Klan Ohio Cambridge, MA California Ohio Oklahoma Lowell, MA Florida Texas Rebel Knights Tennessee Baltimore, MD Indiana of the Ku Klux Klan Wisconsin St. Louis, MO Iowa Quinlan, TX Aryan Nations Worldwide Asheville, NC Massachusetts Traditionalist American Villa Rica, GA Charlotte, NC Minnesota Knights of the Ku Klux Klan Aryan Renaissance Society Raleigh, NC Rhode Island Park Hills, MO* New York, NY New York Texas Hayden, ID Tennessee , NV Texas Columbus, OH Astoria, NY United Dixie White , PA National Alliance Knights Ku Klux Klan , TX Nashville, TN Laurel Bloomery, TN* Leakesville, MS* Movement, The Austin, TX continued » Alabama Illinois Indiana 2 0 0 Plantersville, MS 1 North Carolina 0 1 3 1 1 Ashland, AL* 1 4 4 1 3 0 Pennsylvania 2 3 4 1 McMinnville, TN 4 1 2 5 3 Texas 1 2 1 0 2 2 1 United Northern and 2 1 2 Southern Knights 7 0 of the Ku Klux Klan 1 5 3 0 0 East Ellijay, GA* 2 0 California 1 3 2 United White Knights 7 2 of the Ku Klux Klan New Boston, TX 0 White Knights of the 5 Ku Klux Klan of America 0 Vancouver, WA

spring 2017 45 THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

100 WHITE NATIONALIST NEO-NAZI CONT’D White nationalist groups espouse white supremacist or white separatist , Hillsboro, WV often focusing on the alleged inferiority of non-whites. Groups listed in several National Alliance Reform other categories — Ku Klux Klan, neo-Confederate, neo-Nazi, racist Skinhead, and and Restoration Group Christian Identity — could also be described as white nationalist. Carson City, NV National Socialist Right New York, NY Northern California Workers Party Atlanta, GA Granbury, TX Orlando, FL Lincoln, NE American Eagle Party American Freedom Union Missouri National Socialist Movement Gatlinburg, TN Hampton Township, PA Nebraska Detroit, MI* American Freedom Party American Renaissance/ Ohio Alabama Los Angeles, CA* Pennsylvania Tucson, AZ Lakewood Ranch, FL Oakton, VA Texas Colorado Indiana County, IN American Vanguard Utah Montana Huntington Beach, CA* Virginia Delaware Grand Forks, ND Arizona Bremerton, WA Florida Bob’s Underground Georgia Graduate Seminar/ Iowa 4 5 1 BUGS Kentucky 0 0 0 2 Louisiana 1 0 4 0 Maryland 1 6 0 0 1 0 Mississippi 6 0 3 1 0 2 7 New Jersey 1 1 1 2 4 0 0 New York 3 8 2 Ohio 7 2 0 4 1 Oregon 0 0 3 2 Pennsylvania 1 2 2 Tennessee 5 1 Texas Utah 0 Wyoming 4 0 Milwaukee, WI Noble Breed Kindred California NS Publications Wyandotte, MI PzG Inc. 78 RACIST SKINHEAD Rapid City, SD Third Books Racist form a particularly violent element of the white supremacist Fairbury, NE movement and have often been referred to as the “shock troops” of the hoped-for Werewolf 88 revolution. The archetypal skinhead look is a shaved head, black with red Pennsylvania laces, jeans with suspenders, and an array of typically racist tattoos. Skinheads are migratory and often not affiliated with groups. Warsaw, IN White Devil Social Club AC Skins Kentucky Pennsylvania Wisconsin Atlantic City, NJ Massachusetts Blood and Honour Wolfhook Life Clothing Missouri America Division Northern Indiana Oregon New York Washington Washington Ohio Blood and Honour American Vikings Pennsylvania Social Club Indianapolis, IN Tennessee Greensboro, NC* Aryan Strikeforce, Virginia Georgia Phillipsburg, NJ* West Virginia Indiana Arkansas Be Active Front USA New York Colorado Maryland Ohio

46 splc intelligence report THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

Columbia, SC Marketplace of Ideas of America Traditionalist Youth Network Center for Perpetual Clinton Township, MI Lockport, NY Paoli, IN* Diversity Free American Radix Journal Bloomington, IN Arlington, VA Tucson, AZ Whitefish, MT Benson, NC Conservative Citizens Heritage and Right Stuff, The Wisconsin Foundation, Inc. Silver Spring, MD New York, NY* VDARE Foundation Bridgeton, MO H.L. Mencken Club Cincinnati, OH Warrenton, VA Council of Conservative Elizabethtown, PA Columbus, OH Washington Summit Citizens Identity Evropa Lehigh County, PA Publishers St. Louis, MO* Oakdale, CA Scott-Townsend Publishers Whitefish, MT Eufaula, AL National Policy Institute Washington, DC White Boy Society Silver Spring, MD Whitefish, MT* Illinois* New York, NY Arlington, VA Petoskey, MI Kansas Franklin, TN Northwest Front Sons & Daughters of Liberty Michigan Counter-Currents Publishing Bremerton, WA Florida* Missouri San Francisco, CA* Occidental Dissent Illinois Wisconsin New York, NY Eufaula, AL Indiana White Lives Matter Seattle, WA Project Texas* European American Laguna Beach, CA Converse, LA Connecticut Action Coalition Occidental Quarterly/ Stormfront Tennessee Pittston, PA Charles Martel Society West Palm Beach, FL White New York European American Front Atlanta, GA Traditionalist Worker Party Rochester, NY Baldwyn, MS Patriotic Flags Paoli, IN* White Rabbit Radio Faith and Heritage Charleston, SC Sacramento, CA Dearborn Heights, MI Killeen, TX Phalanx Columbus, IN Wolves of Vinland Fitzgerald Griffin Washington, DC Kansas Lynchburg, VA* Foundation, The Pioneer Little Europe Louisville, KY Colorado , VA Kalispell Montana Madisonville, KY Oregon Forza Nuova—USA Kalispell, MT Murray, KY Washington New Jersey* Political Cesspool, The Philadelphia, PA Wyoming Phoenix, AZ Bartlett, TN Dallas, TX WTM Enterprises Foundation for the Racial Nationalist Party Virginia Roanoke, IN

5 0 0 1 1 1 0 2 2 0 1 3 0 0 2 0 1 6 0 3 0 0 2 4 Pennsylvania 0 1 2 2 2 1 0 California Skinheads 3 4 3 California 8 0 0 3 4 Confederate 1 1 0 Florida 0 Georgia 0 0 3 North Carolina 1 0 Nashville, TN Virginia 0 Crew 38 5 California 0 Florida Georgia Idaho Maine Tennessee New Hampshire Chicago, IL Maryland Virginia Firm 22 Kentucky New Hampshire Washington Florida Wichita, KS North Carolina Eastern Hammerskins continued »

spring 2017 47 THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

21 CHRISTIAN IDENTITY RACIST SKINHEAD CONT’D Christian Identity describes a religion that is fundamentally racist and anti-Semitic. Indiana It asserts that whites, not Jews, are the true favored by God in the Bible. New York In most of its forms, Identity theology depicts Jews as biologically descended from Washington Satan, while non-whites are seen as soulless “mud people” created with the other Golden State Skinheads Biblical “beasts of the field.” Some groups listed in other categories, such as the neo- Northern California Nazi Aryan Nations and several Klan groups, also hold Christian Identity beliefs. Southern California Keystone State Skinheads Harrisburg, PA* America’s Promise Chicago, IL Mountain City, TN Philadelphia, PA Ministries Fellowship of God’s Scriptures for Maryland State Skinheads Sandpoint, ID Covenant People America Ministries Baltimore, MD Christian American Union, KY Laporte, CO Midland Hammerskins Ministries Kingdom Identity Virginia Publishing Wichita, KS Greensburg, LA Ministries Company South Dakota Christian Revival Center Harrison, AR Lynchburg, VA Northern Hammerskins Harrison, AR Kinsman Redeemer Weisman Publications Chicago, IL Ministries Apple Valley, MN Detroit, MI Schell City, MO Alexandria, KY Yahushua Dual Seed Northwestern Hammerskins Covenant People’s Ministry Mission to Israel Christian Identity Ministry Idaho Brooks, GA Scottsbluff, NE Livingston, TX Oregon Diving International Non-Universal ’s Truth Washington Church of the Web Teaching Ministries Linwood, MI Sacto Skins Morton, IL Fostoria, OH Sacramento, CA Divine Truth Minstries Our Place Fellowship Supreme White Alliance Bainbridge, OH* Colville, WA Ohio* Arkansas Sacred Truth Publishing Florida Euro Folk Radio & Ministries Kentucky Missouri 1 0 Pennsylvania 0 1 0 Virginia 0 0 0 1 Vinland Clothing 0 1 0 0 0 0 Oildale, CA 1 0 0 0 Vinlanders Social Club 2 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 Indiana* 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 Arizona 0 0 California 0 1 0 0 3 Florida 0 0 Minnesota 0 0 1 North Carolina 1 1 Texas Western Hammerskins 0 0 California 0

HATE BY STATE AL Å DC Å KS Å MS å NY Å SC å WV å The arrows at right indicate AK - FL Å KY Å MO Å NC Å SD Å WI - whether the number of AZ - GA å LA å MT Å ND å TN å WY - hate groups in each state AR å HI - ME Å NE - OH Å TX å rose or fell in the last year. CA Å ID Å MD Å NV - OK å UT - The four highlighted states CO - IL Å MA Å NH - OR Å VT å saw the steepest inclines CT Å IN Å MI Å NJ å PA - VA Å and declines. DE å IA å MN Å NM å RI å WA Å

48 splc intelligence report THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

43 NEO-CONFEDERATE Many groups celebrate traditional Southern culture and the Civil War’s dramatic Arkansas conflict between the Union and the Confederacy. But neo-Confederate groups Jacksonville, FL go further and embrace racist attitudes toward blacks and white . Morganton, GA Neo-Confederate groups seek to revive many of the racist principles of the Hill, KY antebellum South. Louisiana Maryland ACTBAC NC Aiken, SC Lobelville, TN Mississippi Camp, NC Lobelville, TN Pace Confederate Depot West Plains, MO Dixie Republic Conroe, TX Baldwyn, MS North Carolina Traveler’s Rest, SC La Porte, TX Southern Future Travelers Rest, SC FreeMississippi Waxahachie, TX Aiken, SC Tennessee Perkinston, MS Winchester, VA Southern National Congress Texas Mary Noel Kershaw Alexandria, VA* Killen, AL* Foundation Wetumpka, AL Anniston, AL Tuscaloosa, AL Wetumpka, AL 0 0 0 Harrison, AR 0 0 Jacksonville, FL 0 0 0 0 Lake City, FL 0 0 0 0 0 0 , FL 0 0 0 0 Macon, GA 0 0 0 0 0 Ft. Mitchell, KY 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 , KY 4 2 2 0 Taylorsville, KY 0 0 3 3 Logansport, LA 2 0 0 Clements, MD 4 4 5 2 West Plains, MO Tupelo, MS 4 2 Wilmington, NC 0 4 0

193 BLACK SEPARATIST Black separatist groups are organizations whose ideologies include tenets of Greensboro, NC racially based hatred. These groups typically oppose integration and racial Omaha, NE intermarriage, and want separate institutions — or even a separate nation — for Jersey City, NJ blacks. Most forms of black separatism are strongly anti-white and anti-Semitic. Philadelphia, PA Oklahoma City, OK All Eyes on Egipt Bookstore Black Riders Liberation Party Israelite Church of God Portland, OR Brooklyn, NY* Los Angeles, CA* in , The Allentown, PA Orlando, FL Oakland, CA New York, NY* Pittsburgh, PA Decatur, GA , CA Washington, DC Israelite School of Universal Macon, GA Miami, FL Fort Myers, FL Practical Knowledge Monticello, GA Chicago, IL Miami, FL Baltimore, MD* Chicago, IL Detroit, MI Orlando, FL Los Angeles, CA Dorchester, MA New York, NY West Palm Beach, FL Rialto, CA Detroit, MI Portland, OR Baltimore, MD Washington, DC Cleveland, OH Virginia Minneapolis, MN continued »

spring 2017 49 THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

BLACK SEPARTIST CONT’D Charlotte, NC Miami, FL Cleveland, OH Miami, FL Newark, NJ Pensacola, FL Columbus, OH Atlanta, GA Las Vegas, NV Pine Hills, FL Dayton, OH Chicago, IL Bronx, NY Saint Petersburg, FL Tulsa, OK Tampa, FL Harrisburg, PA Atlanta, GA Philadelphia, PA 2 0 0 Augusta, GA Pittsburgh, PA Charleston, SC 2 0 Columbia, SC 0 1 4 0 Greenville, SC 0 7 11 0 0 0 Chattanooga, TN 1 4 8 0 Memphis, TN 7 1 1 8 2 Austin, TX 0 2 8 1 5 0 1 Dallas, TX 4 5 3 Fort Worth, TX 6 15 , TX 4 4 8 1 Texarkana, TX 2 0 3 Norfolk, VA 3 5 13 Richmond, VA 14 5 Milwaukee, WI Brunswick, GA New Black Panther Party Columbus, GA Houston, TX* 0 22 East Saint Louis, IL Los Angeles, CA Rockford, IL Washington, DC 0 Indianapolis, IN Jacksonville, FL Lexington, KY Miami, FL Indianapolis, IN Heath, OH Louisville, KY Tampa, FL Detroit, MI Oregon Baton Rouge, LA Tallahassee, FL Minneapolis, MN Warr Acres, OK Monroe, LA Atlanta, GA St. Louis, MO Pittsburgh, PA , LA Augusta, GA North Carolina Memphis, TN Shreveport, LA Waycross, GA New York, NY Austin, TX Boston, MA Springfield, IL Syracuse, NY Corpus Christi, TX Springfield, MA Louisville, KY Oklahoma Dallas, TX Baltimore, MD St. Louis, MO Portland, OR Houston, TX Benton Harbor, MI Hattiesburg, MS Philadelphia, PA San Antonio, TX Detroit, MI Newark, NJ Texas Hampton, VA Grand Rapids, MI Dayton, OH Seattle, WA Nation of Islam Kansas City, MO Nashville, TN Israel United In Christ Chicago, IL* St. Louis, MO Dallas, TX Mount Vernon, NY* Birmingham, AL Holly Springs, MS Tomball, TX Birmingham, AL Huntsville, AL Southaven, MS Virginia Beach, VA Phoenix, AZ Mobile, AL Charlotte, NC New Black Panther Party Los Angeles, CA Montgomery, AL Durham, NC for Self Defense Denver, CO Pine Bluff, AR Greensboro, NC , GA* Washington, DC Phoenix, AZ Raleigh, NC New Haven, CT Miami, FL Compton, CA Winston-Salem, NC Tampa Bay, FL Orlando, FL Los Angeles, CA Camden, NJ Sicarii 1715 Tallahassee, FL Oakland, CA Newark, NJ San Diego, CA* Atlanta, GA Rialto, CA New Brunswick, NJ Inland Empire, CA Chicago, IL San Diego, CA Plainfield, NJ Seattle, WA Kansas City, KS Stockton, CA Willingboro, NJ War On The Horizon Louisville, KY Denver, CO Brooklyn, NY Washington, DC New Orleans, LA Washington, DC Buffalo, NY Boston, MA Wilmington, DE Harlem, NY Detroit, MI Fort Lauderdale, FL Rochester, NY St. Louis, MO Gainesville, FL Akron, OH

50 splc intelligence report THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

52 ANTI-LGBT Opposition to equal rights for LGBT people has been a central theme of Christian Providence Road Right organizing and fundraising for the past four decades. These groups are Baptist Church not listed on the basis of opposition to same-sex marriage or the belief that the Maiden, NC Bible describes homosexual activity as sinful. Anti-LGBT groups engage in crude Public Advocate of name-calling and disseminate disparaging propaganda and falsehoods about this the United States population, such as the claim that molest children at vastly higher rates Falls Church, VA than straight men. Ruth Institute San Marcos, CA Abiding Truth Ministries Citizens for Community Downers Grove, IL Save California Springfield, MA Values Illinois Family Institute Sacramento, CA Alliance Defending Freedom Cincinnati, OH Carol Stream, IL Stedfast Baptist Church Scottsdale, AZ Conservative Republicans Illinois Family Institute Fort Worth, TX American College of Texas Tri-County chapter TC Family (Traverse of Pediatricians Houston, TX Peoria, IL City Family) Gainesville, FL D. James Kennedy Ministries Liberty Counsel Traverse City, MI American Family Association (formerly Truth in Action) Orlando, FL Tom Brown Ministries Tupelo, MS* Fort Lauderdale, FL Mass Resistance El Paso, TX Franklin, PA Faith Baptist Church Waltham, MA* Traditional Values Coalition Americans for Truth (formerly Sons of Thundr) Torrance, CA Washington, DC* About Homosexuality Greenville, GA Lewiston, ME Anaheim, CA Naperville, IL Faith2Action St. Louis, MO True Light Pentecost Church North Royalton, OH Yorktown, VA Spartanburg, SC Powder Springs, GA Faithful Word Baptist Church Mission: America United Families International ATLAH World Missionary Tempe, AZ Columbus, OH Gilbert, AZ Church (All The Land Pacific Justice Institute Verity Baptist Church Anointed Holy) Washington, DC Sacramento, CA Sacramento, CA New York, NY Family Research Institute Pass the Salt Ministries Campus Ministry USA, The Colorado Springs, CO Hebron, OH Topeka, KS Terre Haute, IN Family Watch International Pilgrims Covenant Church Windsor Hills Baptist Church Center for Family and Gilbert, AZ Monroe, WI Oklahoma City, OK Human Rights (C-FAM) Generations With Vision Pray in Jesus Name World Congress of Washington, DC Elizabeth, CO Project, The Families/Howard Center for New York, NY Heterosexuals Organized Colorado Springs, CO Family, Religion, and Society for a Moral Environment Probe Ministries Rockford, IL Vallecito, CA (H.O.M.E.) Plano, TX

0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 4 0 0 5 1 0 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 7 3 1 0 1 0 0 4 1 1 0 2 4 0

0 3 0

spring 2017 51 THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

101 ANTI-MUSLIM Anti-Muslim hate groups are a relatively new phenomenon in the United States, Citizens for National Security most of them appearing in the aftermath of the World Trade Center terrorist Boca Raton, FL attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Earlier anti-Muslim groups tended to be religious in Citizen Warrior orientation and disputed Islam’s status as a respectable religion. Anti-Muslim Nashville, TN groups listed here exhibit extreme hostility towards Muslims and attribute to Clarion Project Islam’s followers an inherent set of negative traits. Washington, DC Committee to End the CSI III% Security Force Minneapolis, MN American Constitution Refugee Center Henry County, GA Ste. Genevieve, MO Center Buhl, ID ACT for America St. Louis, MO Nashville, TN Counter Jihadist Coalition Virginia Beach, VA* Lake County, MT American Freedom Alliance of Southern California Jonesboro, AR Kalispell, MT Los Angeles, CA Santa Monica, CA Tucson, AZ Stillwater County, MT American Freedom Crusaders, The Corona, CA Whitehall, MT Defense Initiative Garden City, KS Los Angeles, CA Fayetteville, NC New York, NY David Horowitz Freedom Center Los Angeles, CA Faith Freedom 5 5 0 1 0 2 0 0 5 0 4 7 0 1 2 0 1 2 0 5 2 0 2 1 0 3 0 1 2 0 1 0 6 1 10 4 0 7 2 0 1 3 0 0 0 1 6 1 Bellevue, WA Family Security Matters 0 7 Washington, DC Fortress of Faith 0 Bellingham, WA Foundation for Advancing American Freedom Christian Truth Law Center Bronx, NY Mission Viejo, CA Nashua, NH Ann Arbor, MI Islamthreat.com Colorado Brooklyn, NY American Security Rally Pleasant Hill, CA Cheshire, CT Long Island, NY of Montana Watch Connecticut Cleveland, OH Helena, MT Sherman Oaks, CA , DE Cincinnati, OH Bare Naked Islam Keep South Dakota Safe PAC Brevard County, FL Columbus, OH Marina del Rey, CA Aberdeen, SC Heathrow, FL Rapid City, SD Bomb Islam Lincoln County Citizen Jacksonville, FL Knoxville, TN Phoenix, AZ Action Network Palm Beach, FL Memphis, TN Bosch Fawstin Fayetteville, TN Des Moines, IA Dallas, TX New York, NY Pig Blood Bullets Meridian, ID Houston, TX Bureau on American Priest River, ID Twin Falls, ID San Antonio, TX Islamic Relations Des Plaines, IL Leesburg, VA Irving, TX Nashville, TN Baton Rouge, LA Pierce County, WA Center for Security Policy Radio Jihad/Global Boston, MA Spokane Valley, WA Washington, DC Patriot Radio Detroit, MI Altra Firearms Christian Action Network New York Grand Rapids, MI Jackson Center, PA Forest, VA Refugee Resettlement

52 splc intelligence report THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

Watch Flagstaff, AZ of the World Meridian, ID Fairplay, MD California Houston, TX Truth in Love Project Religious Awareness Colorado Straight Way and More, The Chattaroy, WA Network Illinois Venice, FL Understanding the Threat Washington, DC Indiana Sultan Knish a blog Vienna, VA Secure Michigan New Hampshire by Daniel Greenfield United West, The New Baltimore, MI North Carolina New York, NY Lake Worth, FL Shoebat Foundation, The Cleveland, OH Team America Political Virginia Christian Alliance Newtown, PA Ohio Action Committee Henrico, VA Silver Bullet Gun Oil Tennessee Littleton, CO Courtland, VA Texas Treasure Valley Stop the Refugee Watch

100 GENERAL HATE These organizations are subdivided into anti-immigrant, hate music, Holocaust Newport Beach CA denial, and radical traditional Catholic groups. A final “other” sub-category Irving Books includes groups espousing a variety of hateful doctrines. Key West, FL Realist Report, The ANTI-IMMIGRANT (14) Immigration Reform Poker Face Poway, CA American Border Patrol (formerly CCIR) Allentown, PA RADICAL TRADITIONAL Sierra Vista, AZ Huntington Beach, CA CATHOLIC (14) American Immigration New Yorkers for Chicago, IL Catholic Counterpoint Control Foundation/ Immigration Control and Soleilmoon Recordings Broomall, PA Americans for Enforcement (NYICE) Portland, OR Catholic Family News/ Immigration Control New York, NY Stahlhelm Records Catholic Family Monterey, VA ProEnglish Milwaukee, WI Ministries, Inc. Americans for Legal Arlington, VA Tightrope Niagara Falls, NY Immigration (ALIPAC) US Border Guard Calico Rock, AR Christ or Chaos Raleigh, NC Mesa, AZ United Riot Records West Chester, OH Borderkeepers of Alabama HATE MUSIC (16) New York, NY Culture Wars/Fidelity Press Birmingham, AL American Defense Records Wolf Tyr Productions South Bend, IN Californians for Population Lexington, KY Holbrook, NY Fatima Crusader, The/ Stabilization Behold Barbarity Records (10) International Fatima Santa Barbara, CA & Distro Barnes Review/Foundation Rosary Crusade Center for Immigration Plymouth, MN for Economic Liberty, Inc. Constable, NY Studies Hate Crime Streetwear Upper Marlboro, MD IHM Media Washington, DC Productions Campaign for Radical Truth Richmond, NH Colorado Alliance for Anaheim, CA in History IHS Press Immigration Reform Hostile Class Productions Coeur d’Alene, ID Norfolk, VA Lakewood, CO Burbank, IL carolynyeager.net In the Spirit of Federation for American ISD Records Kerrville, TX Chartres Committee Immigration Reform Denison, TX Committee for Open Carrollton, VA Washington, DC Label 56 Debate on the Holocaust Most Holy Family Monastery Immigration Reform Nottingham, MD San Diego, CA* Fillmore, NY Law Institute Micetrap Distribution York, PA OMNI Christian Book Club Washington, DC Maple Shade Township, NJ Deir Yassin Remembered Palmdale, CA Legal Immigrants MSR Productions Geneva, NY* Remnant, The/The for America Wheat Ridge, CO Ann Arbor, MI Remnant Press Winter Springs, FL NSM88 Records Institute for Forest Lake, MN National Coalition for Detroit, MI Historical Review continued »

spring 2017 53 THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

GENERAL HATE CONT’D As-Sabiqun Framingham, MA Force Robert Sungenis Washington, DC* Cultural Studies Press Fresh Meadows, NY State Line, PA Los Angeles, CA New York, NY Lordship Church Slaves of the Immaculate Oakland, CA European-American Coeur d’Alene, ID Heart of Mary Sacramento, CA Evangelistic Crusades Masjid al Islam Richmond, NH San Diego, CA Sheridan, CA Oakland, CA Tradition in Action Philadelphia, PA Fundamentalist Latter National Prayer Network Los Angeles, CA Bill Keller Ministries Day Saints Clackamas, OR OTHER (46) St. Petersburg, FL Hildale, UT* Official Street Preachers a2z Publications Brother Nathanael Colorado City, AZ Los Angeles, CA Las Vegas, NV Foundation, The Custer, SD Ozark Craft LC Active Democracy Frisco, CO Pringle, SD Harrison, AR Washington, DC Chick Publications Holy Nation of Odin Power of Prophecy Aggressive , CA Kingsburg, CA Austin, TX Fence Lake, NM* Christian Anti- Insight USA Reformation-Bible Berino, NM Commission Longwood, FL Puritan-Baptist Church/ American Clarion Vista, CA Invictus Books Vatican Assassins Rapid City, SD Concerned Citizens and Wentzville, MO Newmanstown, PA American Free Press Friends of Illegal Immigration Jamaat al-Muslimeen Rense Radio Network Washington, DC Law Enforcement Baltimore, MD Ashland, OR Jewish Defense League Repent Amarillo Los Angeles, CA Amarillo, TX 0 0 0 Jewish Task Samanta Roy Institute of 3 0 Science and Technology 3 2 Shawano, WI 3 2 Sharkhunters International 0 2 10 0 0 2 Hernando, FL 0 1 6 0 Sons of Liberty Media 1 0 1 2 1 (formerly You Can Run 1 3 1 0 1 0 0 But You Cannot Hide) 1 4 3 Annandale, MN 21 6 0 0 1 Tony Alamo 4 3 2 Christian Ministries 0 Fouke, AR* 0 1 0 Fort Smith, AR 4 0 Canyon Country, CA Santa Clarita, CA New York, NY s 0 5 0

TOP FIVE STATES FOR HATE GROUPS 2016

1. CALIFORNIA 2. FLORIDA 3. TEXAS 4. NEW YORK 5. PENNSYLVANIA

Though the number of hate groups fluctuates each year, states with large populations like California, Florida and Texas regularly have the most.

54 splc intelligence report THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM ACTIVE ANTIGOVERNMENT GROUPS in the United States in 2016

16 10 5 7 8 4 11 28 13 5 16 23 4 6 8 5 5 16 5 13 8 8 16 16 9 11 17 6 15 5 4 12 33 7 32 4 9 10 13 7 11 24 8 18 16 14 32 9

10 ACTIVE ANTIGOVERNMENT 28 GROUPS BY STATE 3

THE INTELLIGENCE PROJECT IDENTIFIED 623 EXTREME ANTIGOVERNMENT GROUPS THAT WERE ACTIVE IN 2016. Of these groups, 165 were militias, marked with an asterisk, and the remainder included “common-law” courts, publishers, ministries, and citizens’ groups. Generally, such groups define themselves as opposed to the “New World Order,” engage in groundless conspiracy theorizing, or advocate or adhere to extreme antigovernment doctrines. Listing here does not imply that the groups themselves advocate or engage in violence or other criminal activities, or are racist. The list was compiled from field reports, group publications, the Internet, law enforcement sources and news reports. This list does not document activism that takes place only online by individuals or groups, whether on Facebook, VK, or similar online forums, which is a growing activity by all extremists. Groups are identified by the city, county or region where they are located.

spring 2017 55 THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

ALABAMA (16) Three Percenters- Eagle Forum San Diego III% Security Force* III%ers, The Little Rock Tenth Amendment Center Statewide Statewide Oath Keepers Los Angeles III% United Patriots* ARIZONA (24) Logan County Three Percenters- Statewide III% Security Force* Pope County III%ers, The Alabama Constitutional Statewide Union County Fresno County Militia* III% United Patriots* Van Buren United States Clanton Statewide Secure Arkansas Justice Foundation American Patriots III% American Patriots III% Little Rock Ramona Statewide Statewide Three Percenters- Ventura County Tea Party Constitution Party Arizona Militia* III%ers, The Ventura of Alabama Glendale Faulkner County Washitaw Empire Adamsville Arizona State Militia* CALIFORNIA (32) de Dugdahmoundyah Montgomery Flagstaff III% United Patriots* San Pedro Eagle Forum Kingman Sunnyvale We Are Change Birmingham Parker American Independent Fresno Freedom Yell Phoenix Party Los Angeles Ozark Sierra Vista Vacaville COLORADO (11) Free Patriot Press Tucson American Patriots III% III% United Patriots* Birmingham Constitution Party Statewide Statewide Tempe California State Militia* American Constitution Party Mobile Constitutional Sheriffs and Fresno Arvada LewRockwell.com Peace Officers Association Modoc County American Freedom Network Auburn Higley Sacramento County Johnstown Limestone County Eagle Forum San Francisco American Patriots III% Constitution Party Glendale Victorville Statewide Hour of the Time Constitution Club, The Eagle Forum Oath Keepers Eagar Hemet Brighton Bay Minette Molon Labe Constitution Party Freedom First Society Republic for the united Phoenix San Leandro Colorado Springs States of America Oath Keepers DEMOCRATS AGAINST Oath Keepers Dothan Chino Valley U.N. AGENDA 21 Statewide South Alabama Militia* Phoenix Santa Rosa Team Law Dothan Pima County Eagle Forum Grand Junction Three Percenters- Prescott Valley Santa Rosa Three Percenters- III%ers, The Outpost of Freedom Educate Yourself III%ers, The Shelby County Tucson Costa Mesa Douglas County ALASKA (10) Riders United for a Free Enterprise Society We Are Change III% United Patriots* Sovereign America, Corp. Fresno Statewide Statewide Phoenix Free Republic Walsenburg Alaska Citizens Militia* Surprise Fresno CONNECTICUT (8) Nikiski Surprise Guardians of the Oath III% United Patriots* American Patriots III% Three Percenters- Orange County Statewide Statewide III%ers, The HISAdvocates.org American Patriots III% Anchorage Municipality Navajo County Costa Mesa Statewide Defense Force* You Have the Right Jeremiah Films Eagle Forum Anchorage Statewide Los Angeles Ridgefield Central Alaska Militia* ARKANSAS (11) Liberty Under Fire John Birch Society Delta Junction III% United Patriots* Freedom Fighters Southington Constitution Party Statewide Taft Oath Keepers of Alaska American Patriots III% Oath Keepers Hartford Soldotna Statewide Anaheim Post & Email, The Eagle Forum Arkansas State Apple Valley Stafford Cordova Militia Corps* Citrus Heights Three Percenters- Oath Keepers Mansfield Riverside III%ers, The Anchorage Constitution Party San Diego County* Hartford County South Central Patriots* of Arkansas Resistance--’s We Are Change Wasilla Fayetteville Official Website, The Waterbury

56 splc intelligence report THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

ANTIGOVERNMENT 'PATRIOT' ORGANIZATIONS IN PERCENTAGES

24 22 23 28 26

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 76 78 77 72 74

TOTAL 1360 TOTAL 1096 TOTAL 874 TOTAL 998 TOTAL 623

MILITIA GROUPS OTHER PATRIOT GROUPS

The number of “Patriot” antigovernment groups has fluctuated wildly in the last two decades, peaking in 2012 with 1,360 groups. But the percentage of the count that consists of militias, meaning groups that actively engage in military-style training, has diminished over the years. This may be the result of several criminal conspiracies involving militias in recent years that led to the demise of some of them.

DELAWARE (4) Florida Constitutional Sarasota True Patriots III% United Patriots* Guard* We Are Change Dallas Statewide Gainesville Orlando HAWAII (3) American Patriots III% Florida Militia* Palm Beach American Patriots III% Statewide Central Tampa Statewide John Birch Society Northeast Wild Bill for America Constitution Party Newark Northwest South Daytona Keaau Oath Keepers Southern GEORGIA (14) Three Percenters- Statewide Freedom Law School III% United Patriots* III%ers, The DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (4) Brooksville Statewide Honolulu County Renew America John Birch Society American Patriots III% IDAHO (13) Washington, DC Statewide Statewide III% United Patriots* Special Operations Speaks KrisAnne Hall Constitution Party Statewide Washington, DC Wellborn of Georgia American Patriots III% WND Books Liberty First Woodstock Statewide Washington, DC Wellborn Discount Book Distributors/ AVOW (Another Voice WorldNetDaily Now the End Begins The Patriot Depot of Warning) Washington, DC Jacksonville Powder Springs Rigby FLORIDA (28) Oath Keepers Eagle Forum Christian Exodus III% Security Force Alachua County Marietta Statewide Statewide Statewide Freedom Fighter Radio Constitution Party of Idaho III% United Patriots* Sarasota Patriots Martinez Coeur d’Alene Statewide Sarasota John Birch Society Eagle Forum Agenda21Today Southeast Constitutional Barnesville Ada County Shady Grove Militia* Liberty Alliance Idaho Light Foot Militia* American Coalition Sarasota Powder Springs Kootenai County 4 Property Rights Three Percenters- Oath Keepers Meridian St. Lucie III%ers, The Duluth Priest River American Patriots III% Orange County Gainesville Oath Keepers Statewide Tri-County Tea Party (FL) Warner Robins Bonner County Constitution Party (Villages Conservative Sovereign Filing Solutions Moyie Springs of Florida Action Group) Morrow People for Constitutional The Villages Lady Lake Three Percenters- Freedom (P4CF)* Eagle Forum Uncle Sam’s Misguided III%ers, The Emmett Sanibel Children Wilkinson County The Voice of Idaho

spring 2017 57 THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

ANTIGOVERNMENT ‘PATRIOT’ GROUPS 1995–2016 1360 1274

1096

998

858 874 824

623

523 512

435

217 194 171 158 152 149 143 132 147 131

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 19932001 GEORGE W. BUSH 20012009 BARACK OBAMA 20092017

Boise Chicago Watchmen of Indiana* Ellsworth County ILLINOIS (16) INDIANA (16) Statewide KENTUCKY (12) III% United Patriots* III% Security Force IOWA (6) III% Security Force* Statewide Statewide III% United Patriots* Statewide American Patriots III% III% United Patriots* Statewide III% United Patriots* Statewide Statewide American Patriots III% Statewide Constitution Party American Patriots III% Statewide American Patriots III% of Illinois Statewide Constitution Party of Iowa Statewide Metropolis Constitution Party of Indiana Statewide B’Nai YHWH Alaheim Eagle Forum Evansville Eagle Forum Louisville

Statewide Constitution Preservation Orange City Constitution Party AP IMAGES/JAN BAUER (CLINTON); AP IMAGES/MIKE GROLL (BUSH); AP IMAGES/CAROLYN KASTER (OBAMA) Illinois Sons of Liberty* Hammond Oath Keepers of Kentucky Champaign County Eagle Forum Statewide Lexington Iroquois County Indianapolis Three Percenters- John Birch Society Lake County Indianapolis Baptist Temple III%ers, The La Grange McLean County Indianapolis Story County KY County Rangers* Peoria County Indiana Sons of Liberty* KANSAS (6) Bath County Will County Huntington III% United Patriots* Oath Keepers Willowbrook North Statewide Ekron Next News Network Northeast American Patriots III% Take Back Kentucky Northbrook South Statewide Clarkson Oath Keepers Southwest Oath Keepers Tea Party of Kentucky Woodstock Oath Keepers El Dorado Louisville Three Percenters- Bedford Southeast* Three Percenters- III%ers, The Outlaw Militia* Prophecy Club III%ers, The DeWitt County Hamilton County Resources, The Bullitt County Three Percenters Club Three Percenters- Topeka Watchmen of America Springfield III%ers, The Three Percenters- Lexington We Are Change Hamilton County III%ers, The LOUISIANA (9)

58 splc intelligence report THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

III% United Patriots* of Massachusetts Genesis Communication Leadwood Statewide Framingham Network Missouri Militia* American Patriots III% John Birch Society Eagan Columbia Statewide Statewide Oath Keepers Houston Constitution Party Three Percenters- Saint Paul Joplin of Louisiana III%ers, The Three Percenters- Baton Rouge Worcester County III%ers, The Springfield Eagle Forum MICHIGAN (16) Crow Wing County Oath Keepers Shreveport III% Security Force MISSISSIPPI (18) Statewide Oath Keepers Statewide III% Security Force St. Louis Central American Patriots III% Statewide Three Percenters- Covington Statewide III% United Patriots* III%ers, The Baton Rouge Constitution Party Statewide Cole County Outlaw Militia* (U.S. Taxpayers Party American Patriots III% MONTANA (10) Tangipahoa Parish of Michigan) Statewide III% United Patriots* Three Percenters- Grand Rapids Citizens Militia Statewide III%ers, The Delta 5 Mobile Light of Mississippi* American Patriots III% Avoyelles Parish Infantry Militia* Batesville Statewide MAINE (8) Calhoun County Carroll County Eagle Forum III% United Patriots* Genesee County Hickory Flat Billings Statewide Volunteer Militia* Constitution Party John Birch Society American Patriots III% Genesee of Mississippi Great Falls Statewide Jack Van Impe Seminary Oath Keepers John Birch Society Ministries International Mississippi Militia* Ennis Statewide Troy Statewide Eureka* Maine Militia* Lost Horizons Mississippi Preparedness Statewide Bangor Commerce Township Project* Stand Up America U.S. Belfast Michigan Downriver Harrison County Bigfork Three Percenters- Volunteer Militia* Northeast SteveQuayle.com III%ers, The Wyandotte Northwest Bozeman Piscataquis County Oath Keepers Statewide Three Percenters- Watchmen of Maine* Statewide Southwest III%ers, The Sanford Southeast Michigan West Fergus County We Are Change Volunteer Militia* Mississippi Tea Party NEBRASKA (5) Bangor Lapeer County Jackson III% United Patriots* MARYLAND (7) Livingston Oath Keepers* Comstock III% United Patriots* Wayne County Statewide American Patriots III% Statewide Three Percenters- Outlaw Militia* Statewide American Patriots III% III%ers, The Gulfport Constitution Party Statewide Isabella County Three Percenters- of Nebraska America’s Survival, Inc. Three Percenters Club III%ers, The Lincoln Owings Lansing Petal Oath Keepers Constitution Party We Are Change MISSOURI (15) Statewide of Maryland Grand Rapids III% United Patriots* Three Percenters- Rockville West Michigan Statewide III%ers, The Kerodin.com Volunteer Militia* 2nd Amendment Custer County Gaithersburg Muskegon County Patches.com NEVADA (8) Oath Keepers MINNESOTA (7) Halltown III% United Patriots* Statewide III% Security Force* American Patriots III% Statewide Three Percenters- Statewide Statewide American Patriots III% III%ers, The III% United Patriots* Constitution Party Statewide Statewide Statewide of Missouri Constitution Party MASSACHUSETTS (5) Central Minnesota Piedmont (Independent III% United Patriots* Tea Party Eagle Forum ) Statewide Saint Cloud Statewide Las Vegas American Patriots III% Constitution Party John Birch Society Eagle Forum Statewide of Minnesota Statewide Elko Constitution Party Redwood Falls Missouri Citizens Militia* Oath Keepers

spring 2017 59 THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

Las Vegas Christian American Charlotte OKLAHOMA (9) Southern Nevada Militia* Patriots Militia* Constitution Party III% United Patriots* Statewide Bernalillo County of North Carolina Statewide Three Percenters- Constitution Party Charlotte American Patriots III% III%ers, The of New Mexico Eagle Forum Statewide Statewide Los Lunas Statewide Oath Keepers We Are Change Oath Keepers Free North Carolina Canadian County Las Vegas Statewide Cape Carteret Carter County NEW HAMPSHIRE (8) Southern New John Birch Society Comanche County III% United Patriots* Mexico Militia* Charlotte Oklahoma City Statewide Doña Ana County Crumpler Pawnee County American Patriots III% Three Percenters- Oath Keepers Overpasses for America Statewide III%ers, The Piedmont Triad Tecumseh John Birch Society Torrance County Statewide Three Percenters- Conway NEW YORK (23) Stokes County Militia* III%ers, The Troy III% United Patriots* King Pottawatomie County Oath Keepers Three Percenters- OREGON (28) Alstead American Patriots III% III%ers, The III% United Patriots* Three Percenters- New York City Wake County Statewide III%ers, The Statewide NORTH DAKOTA (5) American Patriots III% Belknap County Constitution Party III% Security Force* Statewide We Are Change of New York Statewide American Patriot Party Manchester Buffalo III% United Patriots* Ashland What Really Happened John Birch Society Statewide Bearded Bastards Concord Garden City Park American Patriots III% Statewide NEW JERSEY (17) Flushing Statewide Central Oregon III% United Patriots* New York City Constitution Party Constitutional Guard Statewide New York Mutual of North Dakota Redmond American Patriots III% Assistance Group* Bismarck Constitution Party Statewide Statewide Three Percenters- Grants Pass Constitution Party Oath Keepers III%ers, The Eagle Forum New Jersey Capital Region Sheridan County Portland Palmyra Catskill OHIO (13) Embassy of Heaven John Birch Society Central III% Security Force Stayton Evesham Township Hudson Valley Statewide Freedom From Government Flemington Long Island III% United Patriots* Hillsboro Hanover Southern Tier Statewide Heirs of Patrick Henry Keyport Staten Island American Patriots III% Statewide Oakland Statewide Statewide McCutcheons Ink. Totowa Thornwood Constitution Party Central Point Wantage Warren County New Lebanon News With Views Oath Keepers Wayne County John Birch Society Merlin Cape May Western Statewide Oath Keepers Bergen County Sovereign News, The Oath Keepers Benton County North New York City Statewide Columbia County Statewide Three Percenters- Toledo Douglas County R.V. Bey Publications III%ers, The Ohio Defense Force Josephine County* Pleasantville Herkimer County Home Guard* Lane County Three Percenters- We the People Cincinnati Linn County III%ers, The Queensbury Cleveland Marion County Monmouth County NORTH CAROLINA (13) Zanesville Polk County tomatobubble.com III% Security Force* Ohio Minutemen Militia* Redmond Saddle Brook Statewide Oak Harbor Washington County NEW MEXICO (7) III% United Patriots* Silver Shield Xchange Oregon Militia Alliance* III% United Patriots* Statewide Cleveland Statewide Statewide American Patriots III% Three Percenters- Pacific Patriots Network* American Patriots III% Statewide III%ers, The Grants Pass Statewide America’s Remedy Knox County Southern Oregon

60 splc intelligence report THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

623 ACTIVE ANTIGOVERNMENT GROUPS

165 MILITIAS

458OTHER ANTIGOVERNMENT GROUPS

Constitutional Guard Statewide III% Security Force* Three Percenters Club Southern Pennsylvania American Statewide Statewide Three Percenters- Patriot Radio III% United Patriots* TENNESSEE (10) III%ers, The Crawford County Statewide III% Security Force* Crook County Pennsylvania Light American Patriots III% Statewide Voice of Freedom, The Foot Militia* Statewide American Patriots III% Klamath Falls Westmoreland County Constitution Party Statewide West Valley Three Percenters- of South Carolina Constitution Party Constitutional Guard* III%ers, The Taylors Montgomery County Yamhill County Northumberland County John Birch Society Eagle Forum PENNSYLVANIA (16) Unsolicited Opinion Statewide Nashville III% United Patriots* with Maggie, The Oath Keepers East Tennessee Statewide Norristown Charleston Mountain Militia* Alt Market Western PA Liberty Forum South Carolina Knoxville Pittsburgh Grove City Light Foot Militia* Lawful Path American Patriots III% RHODE ISLAND (5) Horry County Lynnville Statewide American Patriots III% Three Percenters- National Black Berks County Patriots Statewide III%ers, The Robe Regiment Blandon Oath Keepers Sumter County Springfield Constitution Party Northern SOUTH DAKOTA (4) Oath Keepers Lancaster Rhode Island Citizen Militia* III% United Patriots* Knoxville Osceola Statewide Statewide Three Percenters Club* John Birch Society Three Percenters- Constitution Party Nashville Harleysville III%ers, The of South Dakota Three Percenters- Pittsburgh Statewide Sioux Falls III%ers, The Oath Keepers We Are Change Three Percenters- Smith County Armstrong Providence III%ers, The TEXAS (32) Berks County SOUTH CAROLINA (8) Stanley County III% United Patriots*

spring 2017 61 THE YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM

Statewide III% United Patriots* Hampton Oath Keepers Adask’s Law Statewide Mechanicsville Statewide Garland American Patriots III% Middlesex County Three Percenters- American Patriots III% Statewide New River Valley III%ers, The Statewide Constitution Party of Utah Orange County Statewide American Patriot Party Bountiful Pittsylvania-Henry WISCONSIN (11) Statewide Eagle Forum Prince William County :David-Wynn: Miller New Books South Jordan Roanoke Milwaukee Austin Liberty RoundTable Scottsville III% United Patriots* Constitution Party of Texas Highland Statewide Statewide Princeton Oath Keepers Winchester American Opinion Eagle Forum Salt Lake City Outlaw Militia* Foundation, Inc. Anderson Three Percenters- Albemarle County Appleton Freedom School III%ers, The Tea Party Patriots American Patriots III% Austin Sevier County Merrifield Statewide Golden Triangle Militia* Utah Light Foot Militia* Three Percenters- Constitution Party Groves Tooele County, UT III%ers, The of Wisconsin Orange VERMONT (4) Buckingham County Milwaukee Groups Against Agenda 21 III% United Patriots* WASHINGTON (16) Eagle Forum Sulphur Springs Statewide III% United Patriots* Milwaukee Infowars.com American Patriots III% Statewide John Birch Society Austin Statewide American Patriots III% Appleton John Birch Society Oath Keepers Statewide Menomonee Falls Dallas Randolph Citizen Review Online Oath Keepers Houston Three Percenters- Sequim North Robinson III%ers, The Constitution Party Northeast Oath Keepers Orange County of Washington Port Washington Dallas VIRGINIA (33) Spokane Valley WYOMING (5) High Plains III% United Patriots* DTM Enterprises III% Security Force* Northeast Statewide Ephrata Statewide Upper Rio Grande American Patriots III% Eagle Forum III% United Patriots* Outlaw Militia* Statewide Lynden Statewide Statewide American Policy Center Liberty For All III%* American Patriots III% Republic Warrenton Yakima Statewide Round Rock Constitutional Rights PAC Oath Keepers Constitution Party Republic of Texas Alexandria Statewide of Wyoming Bastrop County Constitution Party Stevens County Assembly Torrington Radio of Virginia Chewelah Natural News Austin Newport News Three Percenters- Cody s Silver Bear Café Declaration Alliance III%ers, The Garland Herndon Pierce County Texas Eagle Forum GrassTopsUSA Inc. Washington Light Dallas Lorton Foot Militia* Texas Lightfoot Militia* Clark County Anderson County Springfield Grant County Cherokee County John Birch Society Skamania County Gregg County Fredericksburg Spokane County Henderson County Petersburg Yakima County Smith County Oath Keepers We Are Change Three Percenters- Bedford County Spokane III%ers, The Botetourt County WEST VIRGINIA (5) Comanche County Craig County III% United Patriots* TURF - Texans Uniting Culpeper County Statewide for Reform and Freedom Dinwiddie American Patriots III% San Antonio Fairfax County Statewide UTAH (9) Franklin County Constitution Party III% Security Force Fredericksburg of West Virginia Statewide Goochland Martinsburg

62 splc intelligence report PICTURING EXTREMISM

It may have shocked some fans of the “Harry Potter” children’s A director and a screenwriter films to see their star, Daniel Radcliffe, shaving his head and donning neo-Nazi tattoos in his latest movie, “Imperium,” an discuss their new movie about independent film released late last summer. But then again, the film’s message was not altogether different from the anti-big- otry themes woven into the Potter films, too. The film follows white supremacists and what the story of Radcliffe’s character, Nate Foster, an FBI agent frus- trated with his work in the agency’s counterterrorism division they hoped to accomplish who is recruited by a senior agent in charge of its domestic ter- rorism unit, played by Toni Collette. Foster goes undercover with a neo-Nazi gang and works his way through the world of white to eventually uncover a potentially lethal terrorist plot. “Imperium” has a depth and realism unusual for a main- stream American film, in part because its script was co-written by longtime FBI agent Michael German, now a senior fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice. German, a one-time undercover agent himself whose bust of a Washington state militia group helped inspire the film’s climactic ending, is a domestic terrorism expert whose experiences helped inform “Imperium’s” detailed explanation of how ordinary people become radicalized by far- right movements. The Intelligence Report recently caught up with German and the film’s first-time director,Daniel Ragussis,

MATTHEW EISMAN/GETTY IMAGES EISMAN/GETTY MATTHEW for a discussion of the film and what its makers hoped to achieve.

Interview conducted by David Neiwert. spring 2017 63 One of the interesting things about the days, trying to get financing, I can’t tell you Harry Potter books and films is that J.K. how constantly the comment I was getting Rowling really wove in a deeper anti-fas- was, “This isn’t really a thing, is it? Does this cist message – the villain, Voldemort, was really happen? When were these cases? In clearly a prototype, and the whole the 1950s?” And I was like, “No, this is a thing cultural conflict was over “blood purity” that’s happening, and you need to be aware and dehumanization. of it. This is not from the 1950s. It happened RAGUSSIS: Yes, and it’s interesting, because then, but it’s happening now too.” I made the point — not only about Harry Potter, but “” and other things One of my favorite Mike German sto- that are full of this sort of modern popular ries was his arrest of members of the culture conception of evil, which has been Washington State Militia in 1996, when incredibly shaped by the Nazis and by fas- he was still at the FBI. Mike posed as this cism — that you see this in a lot of these skinhead arms dealer who was capable of major franchises. That’s an interesting way Director Daniel Ragussis (previous bringing these eager militiamen arms and in which our culture is picking up on these page, from far left), actor Daniel weapons, and he set them up with a ware- historical tropes and then turning them into Radcliffe and former FBI agent Michael house meeting space where they recorded movie bad guys, but there’s a real, historical German worked together to produce all the meetings where bombs were made “Imperium,” a film about infiltrating and revolutionary talk flowed. On the final precedent for it and a real rooting in what the radical right. actually happened. day, Mike told them they were going to learn how to get out of handcuffs with- Were you around, or were you like the out a key, so they all slipped into cuffs and Radcliffe character, who was only 5 years old when the were sitting there waiting when Mike pulled his badge and Oklahoma City bombing happened? announced their arrest. RAGUSSIS: No, I was older than that, so I remember it. What I RAGUSSIS: That was actually the spiritual inspiration for how will say is, I didn’t realize there was a connection between that the film climaxes. The scenario where the agent outthinks and the white supremacist movement until I started working on the people. this movie. I probably discovered that through Mike German, when he wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post in 2005. Mike, I wonder when you sat down to write the script, to what I had become interested in this world, the white suprem- extent did you intend the character to be sort of a facsimile of acist community, and I was looking for a way into that world yourself? when I came across Mike’s story. He was drawing connections GERMAN: Not at all. In fact, probably if there was any intention between Oklahoma City and all the rest of the far-right move- it was in the opposite direction, to make it clear that it wasn’t ment, and that was something that was new to me. Not only me. Also, to be clear, I think Dan was really more responsible new, but something where I was feeling, “How did I not know for developing the character. this? How do people not know this? How is this something that The way we worked was that we talked through a lot of the we don’t talk about?” issues and what we thought were important things to about what it’s like to be undercover and what it’s like to have Good question. to wrestle with the bureaucratic structure of the FBI, the atti- RAGUSSIS: Yeah, and it’s an interesting question. It has a lot tudes within the FBI about white supremacist violence versus of layers to it. I think one of the things Mike talks about is that terrorism from other groups. Also, how to capture the com- there is, for whatever reason, a reticence or a where plexity of the white supremacist movement and the fractures we as a culture are not making those connections and are not within that movement. seeing those things. Even our law enforcement community is As far as the character, it’s funny, because when I look at it not necessarily making those connections in a way so that peo- I don’t see anything. Dan and I have joked about it that I don’t ple realize that this is a real threat. really like classical music [which the Radcliffe character does]. In fact, when I was the script around in the early That’s Dan’s influence.

64 splc intelligence report You’re taller than Daniel Radcliffe, I’ll say that! these people, these human beings, and even potentially engage GERMAN: That part of it we actually talked about. Once it was with them as such. That’s really the way that this is ultimately written, and we first started talking about who would play these going to be overcome. roles, I sort of suggested that we find somebody that’s of smaller stature to give the audience a feeling of that person’s vulner- Although obviously a lot of these folks are lost souls. ability. That we’re not looking at this person as Jason Bourne. RAGUSSIS: No, exactly, and that came through very clearly The chances of him fighting his way out of this situation are in the research that I was doing. Even someone like Jerry [an really slim. That’s what it really is. Even though I have boxed older white supremacist character in the film], who has devel- and wrestled and played rugby, was a pretty athletic guy, I oped a successful middle-class, well-educated lifestyle, still is wasn’t going to fight my way out of any of those rooms. They imprisoned by those beliefs and I can’t imagine would ever be always had you outnumbered and outgunned and so the idea shifted from them. Who is going to reason Jerry out of those was how to capture that vulnerability. We wanted to have some- beliefs? It would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible. That’s body who the audience would immediately see was at risk with the really challenging part for anyone that wants us to make this kind of work. progress and move beyond these belief systems.

One of the impressive things about the film, I thought, was I’m curious about the extent of which the project was a learning even though it’s all fictionalized, there were some events in the experience for the cast and the crew. film that were clearly drawn from real life and the context was RAGUSSIS: I think it certainly was, and again, in the beginning, astonishingly accurate, especially for a contemporary film. You even when I was hiring crew, I was getting the same comments obviously worked pretty hard at that. and questions that I was mentioning before. People were say- RAGUSSIS: Yes, I did. What I would say is, it’s not necessarily a ing, “Is this really a thing? Didn’t this happen in the ‘50s and character thing, like, “Oh, I’m going to make this guy into a ver- ‘60s? Is this really a thing today?” sion of Mike,” so much as what Mike did educate me about and Then, of course, with every one of them, as I pointed them what his experiences were. This kind of work does not involve in the right direction to do the research and start exploring, someone going around and beating the hell out of people and they realized what I had realized, that, yes, this is actually an getting in shootouts and all the rest of it. enormous thing. It was both educating them to understand the In reality, this kind of work is about social dominance and reality of this community in all the ways that we’ve been talk- having people like you and having people trust you and want ing about, but also trying to also take the further step of really to talk to you. It’s all about social manipulation. It’s not about getting into the mindset of these people, because for an actor, pulling a gun. That became one of the primary missions of the you have to be able to understand your character’s point of film, to show undercover work in that way, and to have a main view. You have to be able to see the world through their eyes. character who is bound by those constraints. Of course, I conducted extensive research, including soci- Mike, what do you think our prospects are going forward, ologists’ work in this area. I read propaganda pieces like The especially regarding that cultural blind spot, where we only Turner Diaries, and then of course, there’s the online commu- see terrorists as Muslims and we ignore other threats? What nity, which in this day and age is enormous, and that’s where do you see for us going forward, as far as domestic terrorism you could really get a lot of the social side of things. If you from the radical right? go on these sites, yes, there’s political discussions, of course, GERMAN: I think it will be a persistent threat. It’s been with and everything is always infused with that. But then there us for a long time. It will be with us for a long time. But I think are long threads where people are talking about, “Who’s your it’s a manageable threat, and I think actually the law enforce- favorite classical composer and what’s your favorite painting,” ment does a pretty good job of managing that threat. Their recipe exchanges, “I’m looking for love in another race-con- commentary isn’t hyperbolic, they don’t spread unnecessary scious individual.” fear, they tend to solve these crimes fairly quickly and take It painted a picture to me that was very important to try and them seriously. record, that these people have lives and interests. They can’t I actually wrote a piece not long ago that argued that our be reduced to a simple character, and that was important for counter-terrorism apparatus could really learn a lot by how law me because I am of the mind that it is important to understand enforcement addresses this crime. It isn’t that we’re not giving

spring 2017 65 Former FBI agent Michael German (at left) co-wrote the movie directed by Daniel Ragussis (with microphone). It stars Daniel Radcliffe, who earlier played Harry Potter in the children’s films that carried a similar anti- fascist message. enough attention to this, it’s that we’re giving too much atten- We’d all maybe love to believe that these people are demons tion to the other. The goal of our counter-terrorism response and monsters. Their views and their politics and sometimes should be to stop unnecessary and irrational fear and look at behavior are monstrous, but they themselves are human these issues objectively, resolving the issues rather than hyper- beings, and so I think, as complicated and dirty a truth as ventilating about how a threat can materialize. it may be, it’s not one that we can shy away from if we want Part of what we tried to do in the film was show that this to deal with this issue pragmatically and try to make prog- is a very layered issue. There’s skinhead violence, and that’s ress on it. the kind of thing that local law enforcement is responsible for. There’s terrorism, which is different and less prevalent, but GERMAN: It’s easy to demonize people you disagree with potentially more damaging. and make them into monsters, but in the end everybody I But there’s also the influence on our policy that this kind of met when I was undercover in the neo-Nazi and antigovern- discourse has, and that’s a different kind of problem, but one ment movements were real people and had full lives. I think that we should be talking about and focused on. I think that’s it’s important that we look at these issues treating them as what’s come up through the end of the presidential campaign real people. and now, where people are just starting to recognize that there Part of the problem with our society now is that it’s very easy is a lot of divisive discourse that is really harming us as a society. to just go among people who share your beliefs and not have to be in a place where your beliefs are challenged. The vast major- Andrew Anglin, the editor of the neo-Nazi website The Daily ity of neo-Nazis strongly believe what they believe and don’t Stormer, has excoriated the film, denouncing Radcliffe as a Jew want to share that side of themselves with the rest of society. and claiming that the movie wound up making the Nazis look They’re completely peaceful and have their website, where they good. How do you respond to that? can go invent their ethnostate and [organize their] conference RAGUSSIS: Well, look, he’s obviously like anyone else, he’s pro- once a year. I’m completely fine with that and more power to moting a certain agenda or ideology and is going to try to turn them; I will defend their right to do that. the thing so that it’s going in the direction that he wants. This idea that we have now of twitter-takedowns and social Our objective was to show these people as human beings, media-takedowns I think is very dangerous. From my experi- which they are. You could do the same thing with the tens of ence within the violent fringe of this movement, that’s exactly millions of people who were actively supporting the Nazi move- what they want. As soon as people feel like they can’t express MIKE PONT/WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGES ment in Germany. That’s what proves to you — themselves and can’t engage with others about their ideas, these movements are propped up by millions of people that that’s when the person on the fringe who says, “No, you have have in some ways somewhat normal and mainstream views. to use violence to change things,” becomes more convincing. So to the degree that the movie humanized the people in the As much as it’s painful to hear them sometimes, we need to movement, I think that’s the necessary complication of the sub- engage with them and confront them, and then I think those ject matter. ideas will fall on the lack of merit. ▲

66 splc intelligence report HATE INCIDENTS IN THE U.S.

For the Record FOURTH QUARTER OF 2016 incidents of apparent hate crimes and hate group activities listed here are drawn primarily from media sources. These incidents include only a fraction of the almost 260,000 reported and unreported hate crimes that a 2012 Bureau of Justice Statistics report estimated occur annually. This listing carries a selection of incidents between July and December 2016. Any additional listings can be found on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s website. SPLCENTER.ORG/GET-INFORMED/HATE-INCIDENTS

ALABAMA Glendale • December 22, 2016 in which he threatened to The men were accused of Birmingham • August 3, 2016 Police investigated a possible injure or kill several people and plotting a bomb attack targeting Former Ku Klux Klan member hate crime after a family said its religious groups. an apartment complex home Thomas Edwin Blanton, one of home was damaged with a red FLORIDA to a mosque and many Muslim three men convicted for the 1963 on the garage door and Fort Pierce • September 14, 2016 immigrants from Somalia. The bombing of the 16th Street Baptist what appeared to be “Trump” The mosque that Orlando FBI says that as part of this plot, Church, was denied parole. written underneath. A racist nightclub gunman Omar Mateen the men conducted surveillance ARKANSAS note was also left at the home. attended was set on fire in what of the complex and other places Palmdale • July 7, 2016 in southwest Kansas. Fort Smith • December 2, 2016 Muslim leaders say was the A swastika and “USA” were Lindsborg • September 3, 2016 Racist fliers from American latest incident in an escalating spray-painted on a Muslim man’s The president of Bethany Vanguard Reaction America campaign of harassment car on the final day of Ramadan. College reported that the school were distributed at the and violence. was the target of nearly a dozen University of Arkansas. Richmond • September 25, 2016 Sarasota • December 22, 2016 racist messages written in chalk CALIFORNIA Maan Singh Khalsa, a Sikh, was A Jewish congregation reported brutally attacked and his turban that someone had drawn anti- on sidewalks around the campus. Agoura Hills • October 19, 2016 was violently knocked off his Semitic images on its property. One of the messages said, “Make Mark Feigin, 40, was charged Lindsborg white again.” head. His hair, which Sikhs let GEORGIA with making criminal threats grow naturally, was cut. The MARYLAND to the Islamic Center of Rome • July 21, 2016 assault resulted in stitches and College Park • December 11, 2016 Southern California. An Police in northwest Georgia other severe injuries. Hate crime Fliers linked to American ensuing investigation of Feigin’s say fliers were left in residents’ charges were filed against two Vanguard, a white supremacist home uncovered several guns driveways stating that the Black men arrested for the assault. group, were found on the and thousands of rounds Lives Matter movement is telling San Jose • November 26, 2016 campus of the University of ammunition. followers to kill white people and The Evergreen Islamic Center of Maryland. Antioch • September 7, 2016 police officers. The fliers urged received a letter that called the readers to join the Ku Klux Klan. Severna Park • December 6, 2016 Roy Charles Sorvari, 27, and recipients “children of Satan” Woodstock • October 24, 2016 Severna Park Middle School Christyne Gail McDaniel, and “vile and filthy people.” Residents found Ku Klux Klan administrators closed down 25, face charges of arson and The letter also threatened that literature strewn about their a bathroom after finding ink conspiracy to commit murder, President-elect Donald Trump driveways. The fliers attacked writings containing “a threat to the mayhem, and assault will “do to you Muslims what the transgender population as school and an Islamic reference.” with a deadly weapon for Hitler did to the Jews.” At least “an abomination.” Wheaton • August 1, 2016 allegedly throwing Molotov two other mosques in Southern cocktails into the home of a IOWA Two transgender women were California, the Long Beach punched and kicked inside a black family in Antioch. Iowa City • November 16, 2016 Islamic Center and the Islamic convenience store. Two suspects, Concord • September 30, 2016 An American citizen born in Center of Claremont, received Edras Vasquez, 20, and Carlos The nonprofit Rainbow Sudan, Amar Samel, found a the same letter. Hernandez-Sanez, 18, were Community Center of Contra handwritten note taped to his Simi Valley • December 10, 2016 being held on bond. Costa was the target of a rash of front door that read, “You can A 29-year-old man was booked MASSACHUSETTS burglaries and vandalism. on suspicion of making criminal all go home now. We don’t want Boston • December 5, 2016 Davis • December 21, 2016 threats and committing a hate n****** and terrorists here. Posters advocating a white Nathaniel Neal Rogers, 21, faces crime after allegedly stabbing #Trump.” supremacist group, American battery and hate crime charges and injuring a worshipper near a Waterloo • October 28, 2016 Vanguard, were found on the following an altercation where Simi Valley mosque. A county supervisor candidate Emerson College campus. The he “pushed an Asian male and CONNECTICUT found graffiti on his yard signs then told him to go back to his and front door referencing fliers were placed in public view East Haddam • November 10, 2016 country,” according to police. anti-LGBT Bible verses and as part of the group’s “Northern Vandals sprayed “Trump 2016” threatening death. Propaganda Campaign.” Fresno • November 30, 2016 over a message of unity sign Daniel Coronel Wilson, Jr., KANSAS Boston • December 16, 2016 welcoming all people of color A Suffolk County judge ordered was charged in Fresno County and religions to the community. Garden City • October 14, 2016 Superior Court with felony assault that a Malden man be held on Stamford • August 3, 2016 Curtis Allen, Gavin Wright, and in connection with the December $20,000 bail for after allegedly Kendall J. Sulllivan, 50, posted Patrick Eugene Stein face federal 2015 beating of 68-year-old Sikh committing a hate crime by numerous statements on the charges of conspiring to use a man Amrik Singh Bal. beating a man with a brick. Internet forum Metalthrone.net weapon of mass destruction.

spring 2017 67 Cambridge • December 6, 2016 New York • September 7, 2016 Roxboro • December 3, 2106 SOUTH DAKOTA Graffiti containing and Jonathan Echevarria, 22, of The Loyal White Knights of the Sioux Falls • December 7, 2016 other hate speech was found in Brooklyn, was sentenced to Ku Klux Klan held a “Trump Police were searching for the three of Cambridge Rindge and 18 years in prison and Nolis Victory” event. suspect or suspects who wrote High School bathrooms. Ogando, 22, of Ridgewood, to NORTH DAKOTA “Make America White again — MICHIGAN eight years behind bars for their Fargo • September 6, 2016 build the wall” on a bridge near a Grand Rapids • November 21, 2016 part in a fatal group beating of Matthew Gust pleaded guilty to a local high school. A voicemail left at Grand Rapids a man they perceived to be gay federal hate crime for firebombing TEXAS more than five years ago. The Church threatened that Trump a Somali restaurant. He was College Station • December 13, 2016 would “help gays get kicked victim died two days later as a sentenced to 15 years in prison. result of his injuries. Texas A&M University students out of the country along with OREGON and activists protested against New York • September 10, 2016 all the fricken Mexicans that Portland • September 21, 2016 a speech by white nationalist A woman wearing traditional are illegal.” It went on to say An orange swastika was painted Richard Spencer, who was filmed Muslim clothing told police that “I hope Trump gets ya. Trump on former Portland Mayor Vera at a conference in November a man lit her blouse on fire in Trump Trump.” Katz’ statue. using Nazi-like salutes. midtown . NEW JERSEY PENNSYLVANIA Galveston • December 2, 2106 New York • December 1, 2016 Bayonne • October 14, 2016 A Muslim-owned business was Yasmin Seweid, 18, was assaulted Coudersport • September 17, 2016 Police arrested Jonathon targeted by vandals and covered by three men who called her a Residents reported that plastic Huffey, 20, for spray-painting in bacon, just days after bacon terrorist and shouted President- bags were left on their lawns anti-Muslim messages and the grease was smeared on its front elect Donald Trump’s name in that contained rocks, lollipops, words “Donald Trump” on a and a flier that read, “Are there door handles. Muslim community center. her direction before trying to yank off her hijab. troubles in your neighborhood? McKinney • November 4, 2016 Huffey faces charges of criminal Contact the Traditionalist A Trump campaign sign posted New York • December 3, 2016 mischief, bias intimidation, and American Knights of the Ku outside of a polling place had Native New Yorker, Muslim and criminal trespass. Klux Klan today.” razor blades glued to the bottom police officer, Aml Elsokary, Lakewood • August 27, 2016 of it. was assaulted by a white man East Stroudsburg • October 30, 2016 “Hail Hitler” was scrawled in State police reported that a VERMONT black paint, along with two yelling “ISIS bitch,” among other church had been targeted with Hartford • October 17, 2016 swastikas, on a side door to a slurs, and “I will cut your throat, graffiti criticizing Donald Trump Vandals spray-painted the side pre-teen camp. go back to your country.” The episode is being investigated as a and depicting obscene sexual of Dothan Brook Elementary Maywood • September 20, 2016 bias incident. and anti-Semitic images. School with the words “Amer- Aakash Dalal, 24, of Lodi New York • December 7, 2016 Lewisburg • December 5, 2016 KKK-ans for Trump.” was charged in a 30-count A swastika was found carved WASHINGTON indictment with a former Nassau County police are investigating a series of bias into a bathroom stall on the Lynden • December 21, 2016 schoolmate, Anthony Graziano, Bucknell University campus. for their alleged role in a series incidents at Nassau Community Skip Edward Saunders, 33, Mechanicsburg • December 20, 2016 of arson and graffiti attacks that College, all of which involved pleaded guilty to a hate crime for Someone carved “KKK” and terrorized North Jersey’s Jewish swastika graffiti. sending racial slurs and death “Trump” into the vehicles of community at the end of 2011 New York • December 21, 2016 threats to a Lummi woman, a Hispanic male and a man of and the beginning of 2012. Vandalism inside a Brooklyn Sharlaine LaClair, running for Middle Eastern descent. the Washington State House Moonachie • December 6, 2016 wastewater treatment plant Wilkes-Barre Township • October of Representatives. Police investigated a home included six swastikas, the break-in as a hate crime due to words “Heil Hitler” and 5, 2016 Pullman • November 9, 2016 the graffiti, including “KKK,” a “Trump.” Plastic bags containing rocks, According to police, a student swastika and other racial slurs, White Plains • November 14, 2016 a lollipop and a Klu Klux Klan found anti-LGBT slurs and “Go that was painted on multiple The spray-painting of a swastika recruitment fliers were found on 2 Hell” written in red paint on walls inside the home. The and the words “white power” residents’ front lawns. his car. name “Trump” was also written along the Bronx River Parkway SOUTH CAROLINA WEST VIRGINIA on a wall. bike path was being investigated Charleston • December 15, 2016 Clarksburg • November 10, 2016 NEW YORK as a hate crime. Dylann Roof, a self-radicalized A gay couple received an Cooperstown • August 3, 2016 Wilton Manors • September 7, 2016 white supremacist who killed intimidating and anonymous Lawrence Andrew Mileo, A Florida man who posted a nine black parishioners in 2015 note that read, “Trump is our 50, a white man from Myrtle Facebook rant threatening to when he opened fire during president now! Get out of our Beach, S.C., was arrested kill gay people on Labor Day in a a long-planned assault on neighborhood now F*****S!” for verbally and physically manner similar to the massacre Emanuel African Methodist When the couple called 911, assaulting a 33-year-old African- at an Orlando nightclub was Episcopal Church, was found police reportedly failed to s American woman. arrested and charged with a guilty of several murder respond. federal crime. charges and hate crimes by a Mineola • December 14, 2016 federal jury. According to police, graffiti was NORTH CAROLINA spray-painted on Washington Cary • October 13, 2016 Clemson • October 10, 2016 Avenue reading, “Make America Seven-year-old Pakistani- Clemson University police White Again,” presumably a American Abdul Usmani was investigated the discovery of reference to Donald Trump’s beaten by five of his fellow Ku Klux Klan recruitment campaign slogan “Make America students as they made references fliers that appeared on the Great Again.” to his race and Muslim religion. school’s campus.

68 splc intelligence report THE LAST WORD

KU KLUX KLOWNS The Loyal White Knights promised a major KKK parade to celebrate the election. It didn’t quite work out that way BY RYAN LENZ

Even the best-laid plans don’t do Pressed by the media for details of well in jail. the Klavalkade early, a lower-rank- At least that was the apparent ing Exalted Cyclops of the group lesson for Chris Barker, imperial told a reporter that it was set for 9 wizard of the Loyal White Knights a.m. in Pelham. But then Amanda of the Ku Klux Klan, who found Barker, the Imperial Kommander himself in the slammer unexpect- of the group and Chris Barker’s edly last December, charged with wife, said it was scheduled for six the stabbing of a fellow Klansman Men in orange: Imperial Wizard Chris Barker (left) and West hours later in Roxboro, a town Coast Grand Dragon William Hagen say they’re defending on the of the group’s big post- the white race, but that allegedly didn’t stop them from stab- located about 40 miles away. election celebration. bing one of their own the night before their coming-out party. Eventually, reporters landed Like many other hate groups, the in Roxboro. Loyal White Knights were delighted Perhaps those expecting a grand by Donald Trump’s unexpected Election It was so quick that hardly anyone display from Barker’s Klan were asking Day triumph, and they were in the mood noticed. It was easy to miss. too much, even if he could stay out of to celebrate. After all, campaign prom- The imperial wizard, the great and jail. His loyalty to the cause has come ises of a big, beautiful wall on America’s powerful Chris Barker, had an excuse, into serious question in the last couple of southern border, plans for a national reg- albeit a somewhat embarrassing one. years — after all, a Klansman is not sup- istry for Muslims and the of On the morning of the march, Barker posed to sell out his brothers to the cops, as many as 12 million undocumented was cooling his heels behind bars after even if he is in trouble and facing prison immigrants… What’s not to like? a rough night out. on a federal weapons charge. It was time for a parade. The night before, at Barker’s house But that’s precisely what Barker did. But not just any parade. The Loyal in Yanceyville, N.C., an argument among In 2015, he began to cooperate with White Knights planned to take to the Klan brothers turned ugly. Barker, and prosecutors in upstate New York in a case streets of Roxboro, N.C., robed and California Loyal White Knights leader against Glendon Scott Crawford, a mem- proud, to show the world just how very William Hagen, were charged hours later ber of the United Northern and Southern pleased they were. Or was it in Pelham? with attacking fellow Klansman Richard Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. As it hap- You see, when the time came for Dillon of Indiana, leaving him with mul- pened, Crawford had contacted Barker the Dec. 3 event billed as a “Victory tiple stab wounds to the chest. And so the just as Barker was facing the weapons Klavalkade Klan Parade,” hundreds of great and leaderless Kalavalkade turned charges, and Barker didn’t hesitate. He anti-racist protesters, police and report- into a fleeting race through town. got on the phone to the FBI and told ers arrived in Roxboro, where they It isn’t known what led the Aryan them Crawford had just called him, seek- waited for the Klansmen to arrive. heroes to turn on one another. The ing money to help construct a giant X-ray And waited. pressure of organizing the march? The weapon with which he intended to mass And the Klan did show, finally, in a adrenalin rush from Trump’s election? murder Muslims. form. But rather than the loud, proud Too long a parade route for tired white Last year, Crawford and an accomplice pageant they’d been advertising, the fear- legs? Or was it simply the fact that the were sent to prison for long terms, in part less warriors who are going to save the most complex operation the Loyal White thanks to the help of Imperial Wizard white man acted a little more like fright- Knights could pull off was stapling bags Barker. But all was right in Barker’s ened scaredy-cats. Instead of actually fol- of candy to racist fliers and tossing them world, once again, or so it seemed. lowing through on their Klavalkade, they in yards under cover of darkness? Except that it wasn’t. Barker now tore bravely through Roxboro in a fast- Whatever the truth, the confusion faces a new raft of weapons charges from paced column of cars and trucks fitted surrounding the parade began even an unrelated investigation — not to men-

CASWELL COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SHERIFF’S COUNTY CASWELL with Confederate battle flags. before the boys in the hoods quarreled. tion charges in the stabbing affair.▲

spring 2017 69 INTELLIGENCE REPORT Non Profit Org U S Postage A PROJECT OF THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER PAID 400 Washington Avenue • Montgomery, AL 36104 Southern Poverty Law Center

The SPLC Intelligence Report O ers Online Investigative Resources The Intelligence Report is o ering free online resources to help law enforcement track extremist activity in their communities and conduct criminal investigations. Check out our website and see all that we have to o er. intelligencereport.org

Extremist Files Read our in-depth profi les about hate movement leaders and their groups. Learn what motivates them, how they act and how your community may be a ected. Hatewatch.org Don’t wait for the printed edition to get updates about hate groups and extremists. Read our online Hatewatch blog for current events in the world of hate. And subscribe to our free E-newsletter Hatewatch Weekly. Interactive Hate Map Find detailed information about hate groups and their activities in your area. Ever seen tattoos like these while on duty? Everything you wanted to know about Racist Skinheads and more is available on our website. Intelligence

Learn more about our FREE TRAININGS tailored for individual local, Report state and federal law enforcement agencies. Request training online. WE’RE MORE THAN A MAGAZINE intelligencereport.org/training

Receive a FREE SUBSCRIPTION to Intelligence Report magazine: intelligencereport.org/subscribe LE162SP17

IR162 Back Cover_Law Enforcement.indd 1 1/24/17 4:19 PM