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, the leader of the neo-Nazi group The Base posted on a
Russian video platform, encouraging Europeans to join and promoting
accelerationism. The Base also posted on at least three platforms requesting
donations in the cryptocurrencies Bitcoin, Monero, or Tether. On February 16,
the German-language pro-ISIS online group al-Saif Media released propaganda
marking the Villach, Austria knife attack and the February 13 Munich vehicular
attack.
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Extremist Content Online: Leader of Nazi Group the Base Posts Video and the
Group Requests Cryptocurrency; German-Language Pro-ISIS Group Celebrates and
Encourages Attacks
(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, the leader of the neo-Nazi group The
Base posted on a Russian video platform, encouraging Europeans to join and
promoting accelerationism. The Base also posted on at least three platforms
requesting donations in the cryptocurrencies Bitcoin, Monero, or Tether. On
February 16, the German-language pro-ISIS online group al-Saif Media released
propaganda marking the Villach, Austria knife attack and the February 13 Munich
vehicular attack.
On February 18, the pro-ISIS online group Qimam Electronic Foundation released
a guide for creating accounts and posting on the Element messenger platform. On
February 19, the pro-ISIS online propaganda group Ansar al-Khilafah Foundation
released a video on RocketChat encouraging lone-actor attacks. In a search of
Facebook, CEP located and reported 10 pro-ISIS accounts, eight of which were
still on the platform four days later.
On Telegram and X (formerly Twitter), the leader of the neo-Nazi group Blood
Tribe shared a fundraiser on the GiveSendGo platform allegedly for legal
expenses. On Telegram, several channels affiliated with the white supremacist
Active Club movement shared a video posted by members of the Pennsylvania
chapter that showed a banner drop demanding mass deportations. An accompanying
post also called for an end to legal immigration. Finally, CEP researchers
located four European Active Club accounts on Instagram, three German and one
Lithuanian, which were still on the platform four days after they were reported.
Leader of The Base Releases Video, Group Requests Cryptocurrency
On February 18, Rinaldo Nazzaro, the leader of the accelerationist neo-Nazi
group The Base, released a video on a Russian video streaming platform. The
footage was labeled as an interview for the Greek chapter of the neo-Nazi
skinhead group Combat 18 earlier in the month. Nazzaro promoted The Base and
accelerationism, claiming, “As conditions continue to deteriorate in our
countries, we can potentially use that as an opportunity for us to gain power
[in a specific geographic area].” Nazzaro also praised the Atomwaffen Division
(AWD) and confirmed that former AWD members are currently in The Base. Nazzaro
also claimed that a member of The Base had been present at the U.S. Capitol
riot on January 6, 2021, but that he attended as a member of a different
organization. Nazzaro criticized white supremacists who were celebrating the
2024 election of Donald Trump, repeating that there was no political solution
and stating that white people could only be saved via “extra-constitutional”
tactics. Nazzaro concluded by encouraging Europeans to contact him on several
platforms and join The Base.
Also, on February 18, via Telegram, SimpleX, and VK, The Base requested
cryptocurrency donations via Bitcoin, Monero, or Tether. The post claimed that
money would be used for training and travel expenses for “local cells.”
German-Language Pro-ISIS Propaganda Group Celebrates Munich Vehicular Attack
and Villach, Austria Knife Attack
On February 16, the German-language pro-ISIS online propaganda group al-Saif
Media released images encouraging terrorism and celebrated the Villach, Austria
knife attack. Posted three days after the February 13 Munich attack, one image
encouraged additional vehicular attacks, stating that “the streets are full of
targets.” The other image included a photo of the Villach perpetrator and
encouraged lone-actor attacks.
ISIS did not officially claim responsibility for either attack. Two people
died and 37 people were injured in Munich. One person was killed and five
wounded in Villach. The Villach attackerreportedly
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pledged his allegiance to ISIS before the attack.
Al-Saif Media announced its creation on RocketChat on January 21, with the
mission of translating ISIS content into German and encouraging terrorist
attacks in the West.
Pro-ISIS Tech Group Releases Guide for Using Element Messenger
On February 18, the pro-ISIS Qimam Electronic Foundation (QEF) released a
guide for using the decentralized open-source Element messenger platform. The
guide contained instructions for creating accounts on Element, joining and
creating channels, messaging, and improving security on the platform. The post
noted that private communications can be end-to-end encrypted. While ISIS
online supporters have used Element since at least 2020, several pro-ISIS
propaganda groups have created channels on the platform in late 2024 and early
2025, seeking stable online platforms as Telegram continues to remove pro-ISIS
chats, channels, bots, and users.
Screenshot from Qimam Electronic Foundation guide regarding the Element
messenger platform. Screenshot taken on February 20.
Pro-ISIS Online Group Releases Video Encouraging Terrorist Attacks
On February 19, the pro-ISIS online propaganda group Ansar al-Khilafah
Foundation released anasheed [Sunni Muslim vocal music] video on RocketChat
encouraging lone actor attacks. The video included clips from the January 7,
2015, Charlie Hebdo attack; the January 9, 2015, Paris kosher supermarket
attack; the November 13, 2015, Paris attack; the July 13, 2016, Nice truck
attack; and the March 22, 2024, Moscow attack. Lyrics encouraged committing
acts of violence.
Pro-ISIS Accounts Found on Facebook
In a sample of content located on Facebook on February 20, CEP researchers
found 10 pro-ISIS accounts. The accounts averaged 2,071 friends, ranging
between 218 and over 4,900. The accounts posted content including a full-length
ISIS propaganda video, clips taken from videos, propaganda photos, pages from
the weekly al-Naba newsletter, audio messages, and links to ISIS propaganda on
other websites.
One account posted an ISIS propaganda video on February 10, the same day it
was released, from the group’s self-proclaimed Sahel province. The video was
still online ten days later, had over 1,300 views, and had been shared 11 times.
CEP reported all 10 accounts to Facebook on February 20. Eight accounts were
still online on February 24.
ISIS propaganda video “Sons of the Fierce Battles 2,” on Facebook released on
February 10, 2025. Screenshot taken on February 20.
Neo-Nazi Group Launches Fundraiser on GiveSendGo
On February 17, Christopher Pohlhaus, the leader of the neo-Nazi group Blood
Tribe, launched a fundraiser on the GiveSendGo platform. The fundraiser was
allegedly created to help pay for legal expenses following alawsuit
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against the group for waging an intimidation campaign against residents and
local leaders of Springfield, Ohio. A prior fundraising campaign by Pohlhaus
and Blood Tribe on GiveSendGo is no longer listed on the site. As of February
24, the fundraising campaign had received $2,429, almost 2.5 percent of its
total goal. The crowdfunding campaign was advertised on Telegram and X accounts
affiliated with Pohlhaus and Blood Tribe. Pohlhaus’ personal X account was
removed from the platform in early February for violating the platform’s rules.
However, he created a new account on February 13, which was still active as of
February 24.
Pennsylvania Active Club Posts Video of Banner Drop Demanding Mass Deportations
On February 18, the Pennsylvania chapter of the white supremacist Active Club
movement posted a video of three individuals displaying a banner over a roadway
calling for mass deportations. Text posted on Telegram accompanying the video
promoted the great replacement conspiracy theory and called on the federal
government to increase the rate of deportations, stating that they would hold
the administration accountable if their demands were not met. Additionally, the
post called for an end to legal immigration. Multiple white supremacist Telegram
channels
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, includingseveral
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Active Club chapters, have advocated for mass deportations and have sought to
recruit using a pro-deportation message. The video was shared by several
Telegram channels, including the main Active Club channel and an influential
neo-Nazi account belonging to a supporter of Active Clubs and Patriot Front.
Accounts Belonging to European Active Clubs Located on Instagram
CEP researchers located four accounts on Meta-owned Instagram affiliated with
European Active Club chapters. Three accounts belonged to German groups in
Ostwestfalen-Lippe, Nuremberg, and North Rhine-Westphalia, with 395, 82, and
222 followers, respectively. The fourth account was affiliated with a
Lithuanian chapter and had 90 followers. The German Instagram accounts were
created in October 2024 and January and February 2025, while the Lithuanian
account was created in December 2024. The four accounts posted propaganda
videos, photos, and links to Telegram pages. CEP reported the four accounts to
Instagram on February 20. All four accounts were still online on February 24.
In May, CEP located and reported four
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Instagram accounts affiliated with German Active Club chapters, including the
main country account, Kassel, the Lower Rhine, and Saxony. All four accounts
were eventually removed from the site.
Image from Active Club video on Instagram. Screenshot taken on February 20.
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