Extremist Content
Online: White Supremacists Blame Jews, Israel & China For
COVID-19
Telegram Meme Encourages
Those Infected To Spread Virus To Religious Minorities
(New York, N.Y.) – The Counter
Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the methods used by
extremists to exploit the Internet and social media platforms to
recruit followers and incite violence. This week, white supremacists
on Telegram channels and chan-style message boards blamed Jews, Israel
and China for COVID-19 and shared a meme encouraging those who have
the virus to spread it to religious minorities. ISIS released a
propaganda video to numerous web platforms titled “Defeated by Their
Enemy” from the extremist group’s self-proclaimed Kirkuk province in
Iraq. Also, ISIS’s Al Hayat Media Center released an Urdu nasheed
seeking to further exacerbate tensions between Hindus and Muslims in
India. Additionally, on Telegram and chan-style message boards, white
supremacists celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Christchurch
terror attack and advocated for further violence. A neo-Nazi Telegram
channel urged for attacks on Jews, donors to pro-immigrant
organizations and individuals that are “anti-white,” and a neo-Nazi
Internet security group released a cyber security manual with
instructions on protecting one’s online information and identity.
Finally, CEP researchers located seven uploads of a notorious neo-Nazi
National Action propaganda video on the BitChute video streaming
platform.
White Supremacists Blame China And Jews For
COVID-19, Share Meme Advocating For Spreading
Infection
In numerous Telegram channels and chats, and on chan
imageboards, white supremacists and other right-wing extremists have
blamed Jews, Israel, China or Chinese people generally for COVID-19.
Numerous posts have falsely accused China of accidentally releasing
the virus from a biological weapons research facility. Many posts have
also accused Israel of developing the virus, and have accused Jews of
deliberately spreading it. Several white supremacist Telegram channels
have also accused immigrants of spreading
COVID-19.
A meme on Telegram urges the viewer that if they are infected
by COVID-19, to intentionally infect Muslims, Jews, people of color,
and to spread the disease on public transit. The meme was shared by an
anti-Semitic Telegram channel with over 1,200 subscribers and a
Telegram channel that claims to be affiliated with the neo-Nazi
British Movement, which has over 700 subscribers. While the meme is an
attempt at humor, it invokes the genocidal fantasies of white
supremacist movements in a time of precarity.
ISIS Propaganda Video Uploaded To Multiple
Websites
On March 13, ISIS released a propaganda video titled
“Defeated by Their Enemy,” from the group’s self-proclaimed Kirkuk
province in Iraq. The video shows ISIS attacks conducted in the past
year in the Kirkuk region and includes footage of ISIS fighters
conducting night raids, and executions of militiamen and accused
spies.
In addition to Telegram and RocketChat, the video was
uploaded to at least ten additional websites: YouTube, the Internet
Archive, ok.ru, Amazon Drive, file.fm, mail.ru, Dropbox, the Microsoft
One Drive, Jumpshare, and Yadi.sk. Approximately four hours later, the
video was still available on five websites: ok.ru, file.fm, mail.ru,
Jumpshare and Yadi.sk, in addition to Telegram and RocketChat. While
the YouTube video was removed in approximately 20 minutes, it had at
least 130 views at the time of removal.
ISIS Releases Urdu
Nasheed
On March 11, ISIS’s Al Hayat Media Center released an Urdu
nasheed titled “People of Determination and Courage.” ISIS has been attempting to further inflame tensions in India
between Hindus and Muslims. India’s recent Citizenship Amendment Bill
does not include Muslims in India’s list of protected religious groups
that can attain asylum, and the National Register of Citizens calls
for Indians to provide proof of citizenship in order to be included in
a national registry. Nationalist mobs in New Delhi have murdered
dozens of Muslims and burned buildings in sectarian
attacks.
The mp3 was released on Telegram, Top4top, YourListen, and
Clyp. Two days later the mp3 was still available on Telegram,
YourListen, and Clyp.
White Supremacists Celebrate One-Year Anniversary
Of Christchurch Terror Attack
White supremacists celebrated online in the days prior the
one-year anniversary of the March 15 terrorist attack on two mosques
in Christchurch, New Zealand. Brenton Tarrant is awaiting trial on
charges of 51 counts of murder and 40 counts of attempted murder and
engaging in a terrorist act. White supremacists on Telegram praised
Tarrant’s actions. White supremacists on 8chan’s successor forum also
praised Tarrant and encouraged further violence. Users of a white
supremacist chan board exchanged video clips and memes taken from
Tarrant’s Facebook live footage.
Neo-Nazi Telegram Channel Urges Attacks On Jews
And Donors To Pro-Immigrant Organizations
In a post regarding so called “legitimate targets” on March
10, a neo-Nazi Telegram channel said that “hypothetically” violence
should be used against anyone who is “anti-white”. The post alluded to
Jews as being the architects of a plot to replace whites, and implied that violence should
be used against Jews, political parties, and those who donate to
organizations that help immigrants. Robert Bowers, who is accused of
murdering 11 people at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue, posted
diatribes against Jewish groups that assist refugees. The Telegram
channel administrator was concerned that lone actor shooters, such as
Dylann Roof and Brenton Tarrant, have attacked targets such as
churches and mosques, while not attacking who or what organizations
are considered the foundation of the alleged perpetrators of
replacement theory. The channel, which has over 3,800 subscribers and
uses an image of Timothy McVeigh as an AVI has indicated that the
creator lives in Slovakia.
Neo-Nazi Internet Security Group Releases Cyber
Security Manual
A neo-Nazi internet security group released a 54-page cyber
security manual on March 11. The manual contains information on
obscuring one’s online information and identity, how to avoid being
doxed, secure communications, and encryption. The group launched an “.onion” page in December. The channel
has over 2,100 subscribers as of March 13.
Seven Uploads Of Notorious National Action
Propaganda Video Found On British Video Streaming
Site
Seven uploads of a notorious neo-Nazi National Action propaganda video were located by
CEP researchers this week on the BitChute video streaming platform.
The video features a National Action rally interspersed with
propaganda imagery and calls for unspecific action against
politicians, Jews, bankers, and immigrants. BitChute’s Community
Guidelines forbid the posting of “terrorist material” or content that
promotes terrorist organizations. BitChute is registered in the United
Kingdom. The oldest video was uploaded in September 2019 and had 865
views on March 13, and the most recent upload was in February 2020 and
had 101 views on March 13. All seven links were reported to BitChute
on March 13 for violating the site’s policies on terrorist material,
they were still online approximately 72 hours
later.
National Action was proscribed by the British government in
December 2016 following the group’s vocal support for Thomas Mair, who
murdered British MP Jo Cox. In March 2018, the chair of the UK Home
Affairs Committee, Yvette Cooper MP, criticized Google/YouTube for the
group’s failure to remove National Action propaganda videos. In March
2020, a Metropolitan police officer was arrested on suspicion of
belonging to a banned right-wing terrorist organization. The Guardian
alleged that the officer had links to National
Action.
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