The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the methods used by
extremists and terrorist groups on the Internet to spread propaganda and incite
violence. Last week, CEP researchers found a TikTok post glorifying the
Christchurch attacker that received over 35,000 views, along with similar
content praising other white supremacist shooters on TikTok and Telegram. CEP
reported the accounts to their respective platforms but, as of June 3, the
content remains live.
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Extremist Content Online: TikTok Post Glorifying Christchurch Attacker
Receives Over 35,000 Views, Account Links to Telegram Content Celebrating
Attacker
(New York, N.Y.) — The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the
methods used by extremists and terrorist groups on the Internet to spread
propaganda and incite violence. Last week, CEP researchers found a TikTok post
glorifying the Christchurch attacker that received over 35,000 views, along
with similar content praising other white supremacist shooters on TikTok and
Telegram. CEP reported the accounts to their respective platforms but, as of
June 3, the content remains live.
Also last week, al-Qaeda released a communique through a propaganda website
urging attacks on “Zionists” in retaliation for Israeli actions in Gaza. The
post praised recent protests at American universities and encouraged followers
to commit acts of terrorism on U.S. soil.
Additionally, CEP researchers identified a pro-ISIS propaganda image
advocating for an attack on the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium
during an upcoming match between India and Pakistan. Finally, CEP identified
four new Instagram accounts representing Active Club chapters in Germany, which
CEP reported to Instagram. The accounts remain online as of June 3.
TikTok Post Glorifying Christchurch Attacker Receives Over 35,000 Views,
Account Links to Telegram Channel and Chat Celebrating Attacker
CEP researchers located a post on TikTok on May 30 that glorified the
perpetrator of the March 15, 2019, Christchurch attack and had received over
35,000 views after it was online for 12 days. The post consists of an
anime-style drawing of an individual with the assailant’s specific rifle,
containing text on the weapon, in a car outside of one of the two mosques that
were attacked. The same account also posted a similar video glorifying the
individual who attacked a synagogue in Halle, Germany, in October 2019, as well
as two other videos advocating violence against Jews and containing a clip from
the attacker’s video. The account made approximately ten other posts primarily
glorifying the Christchurch attacker, as well as other white supremacist mass
shooters.
The TikTok account contained links to a channel and chat on Telegram, where
the full video made by the Christchurch attacker was located. Members of the
Telegram chat also posted edited clips from the attack video. CEP reported the
TikTok and Telegram accounts on May 30, but they were still online on June 3.
“It is concerning that TikTok has not taken down an account that is
celebrating a horrific act of violence and is clearly trying to receive a large
number of views, and then directing their audience to Telegram, a
communications app with little content moderation,” said CEP Researcher Joshua
Fisher-Birch. “TikTok allows for a much larger audience than Telegram, but
engaging with individuals in the account’s associated Telegram chat allows
individuals to share content and promote white supremacism directly.”
Al-Qaeda Communiques Call for Terrorist Attacks Against “Zionists,” Encourages
Donating Money to Flood Victims in Afghanistan
On May 29, al-Qaeda <[link removed]>
released a communique on one of their propaganda websites calling for attacks
on “Zionists” as revenge for Israeli military operations in Gaza. The post
noted that individuals who commit attacks would help inspire others and
advocated committing acts of terrorism in the U.S. While the post noted with
approval that there were demonstrations on American university and college
campuses calling for an end to the Israeli military operation, the communique
stated that it was important for al-Qaeda’s followers to commit acts of
violence specifically.
Al-Qaeda’s central command also issued a message on May 30, offering
condolences to the people of Afghanistan regarding recent flooding in the
country. The post reaffirmed al-Qaeda’s support for the Taliban and called for
financial donations to help those affected by the disaster, claiming that
international relief had been paltry.
Header of al-Qaeda communique calling for attacks against Jews. Screenshot
taken on May 30.
Pro-ISIS Graphic Threatens Long Island, New York Cricket Match
A pro-ISIS <[link removed]> propaganda image
posted on May 29 encouraged a terrorist attack on the Nassau County
International Cricket Stadium on Long Island during an upcoming match between
India and Pakistan to be held on June 9. The image was posted on a website that
hosts ISIS propaganda in 31 languages and was labeled as being made by ISIS
online supporters.
ISIS online supporters create images and posters to encourage acts of
terrorism, receive media attention, and force event planners to spend more
money on security.
The May 29 image is highly similar to propaganda that appeared
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earlier in May in issue 35 of the pro-ISIS web magazine Voice of Khorasan. In
it, individuals were encouraged to attack soccer stadiums in the German cities
of Berlin, Munich, and Dortmund. Pro-ISIS groups alsoreleased images
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in April encouraging attacks on European stadiums during the 2024 Champions
League soccer games.
Pro-ISIS propaganda has also previously criticized cricket. On August 24,
2023, an al-Azaim document titled “Cricket is a Weapon and Tool of Intellectual
War” condemned playing or following the game.
Instagram Accounts for German Active Clubs Located
On May 30, CEP located four Instagram accounts for Active Club chapters in
Germany. Accounts for the white supremacist movement were found for Kassel, the
Lower Rhine region, Saxony, and a primary account for the country. The profiles
had 275, 134, 72, and 236 followers, respectively, and all contained links to
the individual chapter’s Telegram channels. All four accounts posted photos or
videos showing their members putting up recruitment stickers, in one case
including stickers for the right-wing extremist group Der Dritte Weg (The Third
Way). Two of the accounts posted AI-generated images that depicted German
Active Club crews. It is unclear if this is for operational security reasons or
if the groups lack the members necessary for a photo. The accounts were
recently created or became functional, with the oldest post made on April 30.
CEP reported the four accounts to Instagram on May 30, but they were still
online on June 3.
Instagram account for the white supremacist Active Club chapter for the German
city of Kassel. Screenshot taken on May 30.
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