Violent Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism – Transnational Connectivity, Definitions, Incidents, Structures and Countermeasures About This Study
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Violent Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism – Transnational Connectivity, Definitions, Incidents, Structures and Countermeasures About this study This study titled “Violent Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism – Transnational Connectivity, Defi- nitions, Incidents, Structures and Countermeasures” focuses on the transnational connections of the violent extreme right-wing milieus in six countries: Finland, France, Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States. It was commissioned by the German Federal Foreign Office, Division “Interna- tional Cooperation against Terrorism, Drug Trafficking, Organized Crime and Corruption”, in 2020. CEP is grateful for the constructive support and critical feedback received throughout the process by the Federal Foreign Office. We would also like to thank the renowned external project experts engaged in the production of this study, without whom this work could not have been as comprehensive. The positions presented in this study only reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily correspond with the positions of the German Federal Foreign Office. Please direct inquiries regarding this study to Marco Macori, CEP research fellow: [email protected]; phone: +49 030 300 149 3369. For more information about the activities of the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Germany, please visit www.counterextremism.com/german. About the authors The production of this study was managed/implemented by a special project team consisting of CEP leadership, staff and advisors in collaboration with external project experts focused on writing the country chapters, which formed the basis for the production of the core part of the study. CEP project team: David Ibsen — Executive Director Kacper Rekawek, PhD — Affiliated Researcher Lara Pham — Deputy Director Joshua Fisher-Birch — Research Analyst Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler — Senior Director Marco Macori — Research Fellow Alexander Ritzmann — Senior Advisor External project experts: Prof. Dr. Jean-Yves Camus — Director, Graham David Macklin, PhD — Assistant Observatoire des Radicalités Politiques (ORAP) Professor, Centre for Research on Extremism Morgan Finnsiö — Researcher, Expo (C-REX) at the University of Oslo Foundation Dr. Shaun McDaid — Senior Lecturer, Division Tommi Kotonen, PhD — Research Coordinator, of Criminology, Politics and Sociology at the University of Jyväskylä University of Huddersfield Fabian Rasem — Research Assistant Legal notice © 2020 Counter Extremism Project Germany gGmbH. All rights reserved. Any form of dissemination or reproduction of this document or parts thereof, unless for internal purposes, requires the prior written consent of Counter Extremism Project Germany gGmbH, Pariser Platz 6a, 10117 Berlin/Germany. www.counterextremism.com/german 3 Violent Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism – Transnational Connectivity, Definitions, Incidents, Structures and Countermeasures Table of Contents: Executive Summary .............................................5 4. Online dimension integral to the movement ................................................28 1. Introduction .......................................................7 5. Member State responses ..............................32 2. A transnational movement ..........................10 5.1. Legal definitions and administrative 2.1. United by narratives .................................10 practices.....................................................32 2.2. United by variety .......................................11 5.2. Development of countermeasures and 2.3. United by (national) inspirations .............12 strategic approaches ................................33 2.3.1. Anglo-Saxon ....................................12 5.2.1. Scandinavian P/CVE approach ......34 2.3.2. Eastern European ..........................13 5.2.2. Multifaceted approaches ..............34 2.3.2.1. Azov and RID ....................13 5.2.3. Counterintelligence/counter-crime 2.3.2.2. Other Eastern approach....................................................35 Inspirations ........................16 6. Summary and conclusions ...........................36 2.3.4 Exceptional inspirations .................17 ANNEXES ...............................................................60 2.4. Connected through travel ........................18 FINLAND ............................................................60 2.5. Connected through attempts to take FRANCE ..............................................................74 advantage of the COVID-19 situation .....19 GERMANY ..........................................................87 3. Music, violent sports, money, violence: SWEDEN ..........................................................107 the drivers of the movement ......................20 UNITED KINGDOM .........................................126 3.1. Fuelled by music .......................................20 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ........................141 3.2. Fuelled by violent sports ..........................21 3.3. Fuelled by money ......................................22 3.4. Organised for violence .............................24 3.4.1. Trends ..............................................24 3.4.3.1. Lone actor phenomenon ..26 3.4.3.2. Gender dimension .............27 4 Counter Extremism Project Germany gGmbH Executive summary Violent Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism – Transnational Connectivity, Definitions, Incidents, Structures and Countermeasures Kacper Rekawek, PhD, Alexander Ritzmann, Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The 21st century, and the period after 2014 in particular, The violence of the transnational movement is always saw the emergence of a new leaderless, transnational justified as“defensive” or “reactive” to that of the and apocalyptic violent extreme right-wing (XRW) movement’s ideological enemies and is planned movement.Nowadays, national violent XRW scenes and executed locally. However, its inspirations or are transnationally linked through apocalyptic narra- wider justifications are often transnational in tives such as the “great replacement,” “white genocide” nature, for example, drawing on an online manifesto and “Day X”. Transnationally oriented violent XRW of a successful violent XRW terrorist attacker from propagandists argue that the “white race” can only be another country. saved if all violent XRW abandon parochial national differences and divisions and work and fight together. The transnational violent XRW movement is male-dominated, but there have been cases of fe- The movement is not structurally unified in one hier- male terrorist plotters or attackers emerging from archical structure but embraces a “divided we stand” that milieu. The membership of some of the national approach. Its members include individuals, groups, violent XRW scenes are reportedly up to 15% female. organisations, and networks, as well as political parties. The transnational violent XRW movement features The transnational violent XRW movement is driven by a strong online component that at times outpaces music, violent sport, money, and violence. Music its offline counterpart and effectively takes on a and violent sport events are a common feature of life of its own. Consequently, the former is often many violent XRW scenes transnationally. They aim unable to operationally boost the latter. How- to provide the movement with finances to sustain ever, violent XRW virtual structures continue to its existence and attract previously unconnected closely embrace and utilise currently available individuals as potential recruits to its ranks. technologies and, similar to other extremist and terrorist milieus, are early adopters of these tech- Between 2015 and 2020, violence emanating from nologies. Nonetheless, the volume of violent XRW the violent XRW milieu has been steadily increas- online communication should not be mistaken for a ing and has become multi-faceted, yet it often does robust transnational operational online space. not fall under national legal definitions of terrorism. The overall movement draws on a range of na- Attacks are regularly committed by violent XRW tional inspirations: militants who do not belong to the movement’s most well-known organisational outlets. None- a. Anglo-Saxon – ideological via tracts published theless, some of these organisations also tried in the USA or practical with certain British and to stage spectacular terrorist attacks but their American violent XRW entities attempting either efforts so far have largely failed or were foiled to lead coalitions of like-minded international by the security services. actors or directly branch out to other countries; www.counterextremism.com/german 5 Violent Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism – Transnational Connectivity, Definitions, Incidents, Structures and Countermeasures b. Germanic – ideological via national-socialist only on administrative practice or working defini- symbolism and imagery, and practical. German tions of “extremism” or “right wing extremism.” On violent XRW entities are amongst the most in- one hand, this state of affairs necessitates a certain ternationally networked, with almost all other degree of improvisation while countering the threat violent XRW actors attempting to make connec- and, simultaneously, reduces the availability of coun- tions in the country. This also includes organ- terterrorism tools to address the threat emanating isations that fought on different sides of the from the transnational violent XRW movement. war in Ukraine; As a result, the six countries deploy