This week saw the arrests of five young men in Europe—two in Italy and three in
the Netherlands, including a 16-year-old boy, who stand accused of membership
in “The Base”—a neo-Nazi white supremacist network that was designated as a
terrorist group by the European Union on July 26, 2024. In the Netherlands,
which sanctioned the group as a terrorist organization in January, the suspects
(aged 16, 18, and 26) are accused of incitement to terrorism, as they
reportedly encouraged terrorist acts in online chats.





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Counterpoint Brief: EU Arrests Members of Newly-Designated Terrorist Group The
Base


(New York, N.Y.) – This week saw the arrests of five young men in Europe—two
in Italy and three in the Netherlands, including a 16-year-old boy, who stand
accused of membership in “The Base”—a neo-Nazi white supremacist network that
wasdesignated
<[link removed]>
as a terrorist group by the European Union on July 26, 2024. In the
Netherlands, which sanctioned the group as a terrorist organization in January,
the suspects (aged 16, 18, and 26) are accused of incitement to terrorism, as
they reportedly encouraged terrorist acts in online chats.



The Base currently or formerly has claimed to have members in Europe, North
America, Australia, and South Africa. The group was founded in the U.S. by
Rinaldo Nazzaro <[link removed]>
(a.k.a. Roman Wolf, a.k.a. Norman Spear) in 2018. An accelerationist group, The
Base believes that societal collapse and the weakening or dissolution of
government are necessary factors to incite a race war and form a white
ethno-state. The group’s ideology is inspired by the book “Siege
<[link removed]>,”
written by the American neo-Nazi James Mason.



Already listed as a terrorist group in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia,
and New Zealand, members of The Base now face a travel ban and asset freeze in
Europe, while EU citizens are prohibited from providing financial support.



Expert Analysis:



CEP Researcher and Content Review Specialist Joshua Fisher-Birch



“The European Union’s listing of The Base as a terrorist organization, and the
subsequent arrests in Europe, highlight the risk that white supremacist
accelerationist groups and movements pose to public safety. The Base has sought
to recruit in Europe and the United States. In 2024, the group posted photos of
their members or propaganda activities allegedly in Belgium, France, Germany,
Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, Sweden, and Ukraine, in addition to
several regions in the U.S. The group’s founder, Rinaldo Nazzaro, still offers
advice and issues directives online from Russia. In response to the EU listing
in July, the Base declared that this was a test of their member’s determination
and urged them to continue their activities.”



CEP Resources:



To read CEPs Group Report on The Base, click here
<[link removed]>.



To read CEP’s Report on White Supremacy Groups in the United States, click here
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.



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