Thursday’s operation came after French President Emmanuel Macron hosted a
meeting in January of regional leaders to intensify the military campaign, i

 

 


<[link removed]>
<[link removed]>
Eye on Extremism


June 8, 2020

 

Agence France-Presse: French Troops Kill Al-Qaeda’s North Africa Chief
Abdelmalek Droukdel
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“Thursday’s operation came after French President Emmanuel Macron hosted a
meeting in January of regional leaders to intensify the military campaign, in
the face of surging attacks that claimed the lives of 4,000 people in 2019
alone. Northern Mali is the site of frequent clashes between rival armed
groups, as well as a haven for jihadist activity. In 2012, key cities fell
under the control of jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda, who exploited an
ethnic Tuareg-led rebel uprising, leading to a French-led military
intervention. According to the UN, Droukdel was an explosives expert and
manufactured devices that killed hundreds of civilians in attacks on public
places. He was sentenced to death in Algeria in 2013 for his involvement in the
bombings of a government building and offices of the UN’s refugee committee in
Algiers that killed 26 people and wounded 177. The US said it had provided
intelligence to help track down Droukdel, who was killed in Talhandak,
northwest of the town of Tessalit. “US Africa Command was able to assist with
intelligence and… support to fix the target,” spokesman Colonel Chris Karns
told CNN. France also claimed on Friday to have captured a leader of the
Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) group, which carries out frequent
attacks over Niger’s western borders. “On May 19, French forces captured
Mohamed el Mrabat, veteran jihadist in the Sahel region and an important cadre
in EIGS,” Parly said on Twitter, using the French initial for ISGS. She
described ISGS as “the other great terrorist threat in the region” and said
operations against them were continuing…A source told AFP that some 500
jihadist fighters had been killed or captured by French troops in the region in
recent months, among them several leading figures including commanders and
recruiters. Droukdel’s death is a symbolic coup for the French, a military
source said. He had remained a threat in the region, capable of financing
jihadist movements, even though his leadership had been contested, the source
added. Droukdel has been described as charismatic but ruthless, ready to
eliminate members of AQIM who rejected his instructions or ideological
positions, according to the analysis group Counter Extremism Project.”

 

Vice: German Neo Nazis Are Getting Explosives Training At A White Supremacist
Camp In Russia
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“German neo-Nazis have been getting military-style training at camps run by a
far-right Russian terrorist organization, German media reported Friday, in the
latest sign of deepening international cooperation between white supremacist
networks. Citing intelligence sources, German news magazine Focus reported that
the extremists had attended a camp held near Saint Petersburg, where they were
shown how to use weapons and explosives, and received close combat training.
The training camp, known as Partizan, is run by the Russian Imperial Movement
(RIM), an ultranationalist, quasi-paramilitary organization which claims to be
fighting for the “predominance of the white race.”The U.S. government added RIM
to its list of specially designated global terrorist groups in April — the
first time it had taken such action against a white supremacist organization —
saying it had “provided paramilitary-style training to white supremacists and
neo-Nazis in Europe.” The Russian government considers RIM to be extremist, but
has not banned the group. The German extremists who attended the camp belonged
to the youth wings of two fringe German political parties widely considered to
be neo-Nazi movements: the National Democratic Party and The Third Path…Kacper
Rekawek, an affiliated researcher for the Counter Extremism Project, said that
Russia and Ukraine had become important hubs for the transnational white
supremacist movement, where permissive government attitudes towards militant
far-right groups has effectively created a safe space for extremists to network
or receive military-style training. “I don’t think these [German] guys would be
able to do this sort of thing anywhere in Europe,” he told VICE News.”

 

CNN: A Louisiana Man Was Charged With Terrorism After Allegedly Driving A
Vehicle Into A Target
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“A Louisiana man is in police custody after allegedly driving a vehicle into a
Target store in Hammond, Louisiana. Walter Allbritton III is accused of driving
a vehicle into a Target Friday, fleeing on foot and attempting to carjack a
vehicle before being apprehended by police, according to the Hammond Police
Department. Allbritton faces multiple charges, including terrorism, aggravated
assault with a vehicle, attempted armed robbery and attempted aggravated arson,
according to Hammond Police Chief Edwin Bergeron Jr. “It could have been a
tragic, tragic event,” Bergeron said Friday evening, and added he was glad the
police arrived on the scene in time to take action. Police say Allbritton also
dropped four suspicious packages: two at the Target shopping center, and the
others at Sanderson Farms and a Dollar General. Hammond police bomb technicians
confirmed the suspicious devices left at the four locations are fake. “It's
very unfortunate that somebody would do this and terrorize any community,” the
police chief added. Allbritton was not hurt and is being interviewed by
detectives from multiple agencies involved in the investigation, Bergeron said.
The police believe the suspect is mentally stable and say he is coherent.”

 

United States

 

The Washington Post: As Trump Vows Crackdown On ‘Antifa,’ Growth Of Right-Wing
Extremism Frustrates Europeans
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“The day that President Trump declared he would label the far-left “antifa”
movement a domestic terrorist organization last week, a far-right group also
based in the United States announced a new international branch in Russia. The
Atomwaffen Division, a small but violent neo-Nazi group, claimed in March that
it had disbanded after its alleged leader and four other members were arrested
on federal charges. But the group has continued to put out polished propaganda
videos and establish affiliates around the globe. Security experts and
officials in Europe say they are frustrated that U.S. authorities have not
taken bolder steps to combat growing right-wing extremism. Their concern has
been exacerbated by Trump’s focus on antifa as responsible for violence at
nationwide protests sparked by the death of George Floyd in police custody in
Minneapolis. “Our requests to our U.S. counterparts for legal assistance and
information exchange in matters of right-wing extremist groups would often be
unanswered,” said a European intelligence official, who, like other officials,
spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss
the issue publicly. When European authorities do get a response, the official
said, they are often told that the concerning behavior “is protected as freedom
of speech in the U.S.”

 

The Wall Street Journal: NYPD, FBI Investigate Attack On Officers As Possible
Terrorist Attack
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“The New York Police Department and the FBI are investigating the stabbing
attack of a police officer last week as a possible terrorist attack, NYPD
officials said Saturday. An NYPD officer guarding against looters in Brooklyn
was stabbed in the neck and two other officers were shot during a chaotic chain
of events on Wednesday night. The suspect, Dzenan Camovic, who is Muslim and
lives in Brooklyn, shouted “Allahu akbar” before stabbing the officer on a
street in a commercial district, police officials said. Mr. Camovic, 20 years
old, was shot during the incident, although it is unclear by whom. It is also
unclear who shot the officers. All three officers were in stable condition and
expected to recover. Lawyers for Mr. Camovic couldn’t be reached for comment.
NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller said
at a press briefing Saturday that the stabbing had “the hallmarks” of a
terrorist attack. Surveillance video of the attack shows the suspect ambushing
a pair of officers from behind, and stabbing one of the officers in the neck,
according to police officials. The suspect was arrested on the scene and is
being held with serious injuries and is unable to communicate for an interview,
the officials said.”

 

Syria

 

Kurdistan 24: Kurdish-Led SDF Launches Large-Scale Operation Against ISIS In
Syria <[link removed]>

 

“The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched a large-scale operation on
Thursday against the Islamic State in Syria's Deir al-Zor province after a
recent increase in attacks by the extremist group. The campaign, named
“Deterrence of Terrorism,” is expected to last at least approximately one week.
“ISIS attacks have increased in the recent period, which poses a real threat to
people’s safety, security and stability,” the SDF’s General Command said in a
public statement on Friday. The operation was launched in coordination with the
Iraqi army and the US-led Coalition against the Islamic State. SDF Commander
Adnan Efrin told the local news agency Northpress that at least 6,000 SDF
fighters are participating in the campaign in response to a call from civilians
and tribal leaders to assist them amid the recent increase in activity of
Islamic State sleeper cells. The news agency reported that, on Thursday, four
cell members were arrested in the village of Albu Hamdah outside the town of
al-Dashisha in the southeastern countryside of Hasakah. The SDF General Command
said that the goal of the campaign will be to “pursue and track the cells of
ISIS terrorist organization in the eastern Badia (desert) along the Khabour
River and the Syrian-Iraqi border.”

 

Iraq

 

World Politics Review: ISIS Is Making A Comeback, And Iraq's Government May
Not Be Able To Handle It
<[link removed]>

 

“The Islamic State is stepping up its attacks in Iraq, fulfilling the
expectations of many analysts that the extremist group would mount a comeback
after the Iraqi government declared victory over it in 2017. While the Islamic
State has yet to show the same capabilities it had at its peak in 2013 and
2014, when it gained control of several provinces and population centers —
including Mosul, one of Iraq's largest cities — the tempo of attacks has been
increasing for over six months. This coincides with a period of domestic unrest
due to widespread anti-government protests. The US-led coalition against the
Islamic State has also reduced its aerial activities due to heightened tensions
between Washington and Tehran following the US assassination of Iran's top
military commander, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, in January. The Islamic State
has been ramping up a campaign of violence in rural parts of Iraq since the
second half of 2019, focusing on Diyala, Kirkuk and Salahaldin provinces, to
the east and north of Baghdad. Both the frequency and character of the attacks
have been steadily increasing, and there is data that suggests the Islamic
State is moving skilled fighters to the area from Syria to stoke a new
insurgency.”

 

Afghanistan

 

Associated Press: US Airstrikes Hit Taliban; 10 Afghan Police Killed In Ambush
<[link removed]>

 

“U.S. forces carried out two sets of airstrikes against the Taliban, in
western and southern Afghanistan, a U.S. military spokesman said Friday.
Elsewhere in the south, the Taliban set off a roadside bomb and ambushed a
police convoy, killing 10 Afghan policemen. The U.S. strikes against the
Taliban were the first following a brief cease-fire declared by the insurgents
for a major Muslim holiday last month. A U.S. military spokesman, Col. Sonny
Leggett, said one set of airstrikes took place on Friday afternoon in western
Farah province, targeting 25 Taliban fighters who were attacking Afghan forces.
Hours earlier, on Thursday night, the U.S. air forces struck an unknown number
of Taliban in southern Kandahar province, he said. There was no immediate
comment from the Taliban. Since the signing of the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement
at the end of February, U.S. forces have only once before announced a strike
against the Taliban, in defense of Afghan forces. Leggett did not elaborate on
the latest airstrikes or their targets. However, an Afghan government official,
speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the
media, said three senior Taliban commanders and at least 13 other fighters were
killed in the Farah airstrikes.”

 

The Wall Street Journal: Lawsuit Accusing Contractors Of Paying Protection
Money To Taliban Is Expanded
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“Families of American soldiers and personnel wounded or killed in Afghanistan
have accused two U.S. contractors of paying protection money to the Taliban,
expanding a lawsuit filed earlier. Two companies identified in an amended
complaint received at least $1.7 billion in contracts to implement U.S. aid
projects in Afghanistan over almost a decade through 2015, according to records
cited in the lawsuit. U.S. congressional investigations have documented
widespread instances of U.S. companies that paid money to warlords and
insurgents in exchange for protection at the height of the war. The bipartisan
Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, created by Congress,
wrote in its final report in 2011 that poor planning, management and oversight
damaged U.S. objectives. It cited payments by Afghan contractors to insurgent
groups for protection as particularly alarming. A lawsuit filed last year on
behalf of more than 100 families seeks compensation for deaths and injuries
between 2009 and 2017, citing actions involving payments to insurgents by U.S.
and international firms. The amended complaint filed Friday added nearly 100
families seeking compensation for deaths and injuries between 2009 and 2017.”

 

Voice Of America: Taliban Ambush Kills 15 Afghan Forces, US Attacks Insurgents
<[link removed]>

 

“Afghan officials said Friday fresh fighting in the southern province of Zabul
has killed at least 15 members of the security force and 12 Taliban insurgents.
Separately, the United States military reported it has also conducted
airstrikes in the south and elsewhere in Afghanistan to disrupt “coordinated”
Taliban attacks against Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF).
Gul Islam Sayal, a provincial government spokesman, told VOA that insurgents
ambushed a “police reinforcement” convoy early Friday on the main highway
linking Zabul with the Kandahar province. Sayal said the government responded
by sending additional police forces and aerial strikes to counter the Taliban
raid. He did not discuss details of battlefield casualties. But a security
official requesting anonymity told VOA the clashes killed 15 Afghan highway
police personnel and 12 insurgents. He said the Taliban also took away several
military vehicles. Separately, a spokesman for the U.S. forces in Afghanistan
(USFOR-A) said an airstrike Friday targeted insurgents assaulting Afghan forces
in Kandahar. Col. Sonny Leggett gave no further details, noting this was the
second airstrike the U.S. military had carried out in support of Afghan forces
since Thursday.”

 

Voice Of America: US Envoy Discusses Afghan Peace With Taliban, Pakistan
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“U.S. envoy for Afghanistan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, has met with
leaders of the Taliban in Qatar to review the implementation of a peace deal
with the Islamist insurgency aimed at ending nearly two decades of Afghan
conflict. A Taliban spokesman, while releasing details of Sunday’s meeting in
the Qatari capital Doha, said Khalilzad was accompanied by Gen. Scott Miller,
the U.S. commander of international troops in Afghanistan. “Both sides talked
about speedy release of the prisoners and commencement of intra-Afghan
negotiations, in addition to other relevant matters,” tweeted Suhail Shaheen,
who speaks for the Taliban’s political office in Doha. Shaheen said Mullah
Abdul Ghani Baradar, the political deputy to the Taliban chief, led the
insurgent delegation at Sunday’s talks. He noted that Qatar’s foreign
ministry’s special envoy, Mutlaq al-Qahtani, also attended the meeting. In a
pre-visit announcement last week, the U.S. State Department had said the
“primary focus” of Khalilzad’s trip will be to “obtain agreement between the
Afghan parties on the practical next steps necessary for a smooth start to
intra-Afghan negotiations.” The long-awaited intra-Afghan dialogue, however, is
tied to a prisoner swap between the Afghan government and the insurgent group,
stipulated in the U.S.-Taliban agreement.”

 

Pakistan

 

Arab News: Operation Underway Against Militants Near Pakistan-Iran Border
<[link removed]>

 

“A major intelligence-based operation is ongoing against militants hiding near
Pakistan’s border with Iran in the southwestern Balochistan province, Pakistani
intelligence officials and local witnesses said, in the latest attempt to
combat violence on the 900-km shared frontier. Over the years, Iran and
Pakistan have accused each other of not doing enough to stamp out militants
allegedly sheltering across the border. In the most recent attack that has
caused friction between the two nations, six Pakistani security personnel were
killed in a bomb attack on a paramilitary Frontier Corps vehicle, the army’s
media wing said on May 19. Six Pakistani soldiers were also killed in a
roadside bomb attack in Balochistan on May 8. Several militant groups are
active in Balochistan, Pakistan’s biggest but poorest province. Much of the
violence in the past has been blamed on, or claimed by, ethnic Baloch
separatists. Baloch Khan, a spokesperson for Baloch Raaji Ajoi Sangar (BRAS),
an umbrella group of Baloch insurgent groups, confirmed in a media statement
last month that a “Pakistan army operation” was ongoing and soldiers were
surrounding and raiding remote villages. However, he said no commanders or
fighters of BRAS had been killed in the attacks.”

 

Lebanon

 

Agence France-Presse: Dozens Wounded As Supporters And Opponents Of Hezbollah
Clash At Beirut Rally
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“Protesters poured into the streets of the Lebanese capital Saturday to decry
the collapse of the economy, as clashes erupted between supporters and
opponents of the Iran-backed Shiite terror group Hezbollah. Hundreds filled the
streets in and around the protest hub of Martyrs Square in the center of
Beirut, with skirmishes also between protesters and security forces, who fired
tear gas. Forty-eight were wounded in the violence, 11 of whom were
hospitalized, while the rest were treated at the scene, the Lebanese Red Cross
said. It was the first major anti-government rally attracting demonstrators
from across the country since authorities relaxed a lockdown imposed in
mid-March to fight the spread of the coronavirus. “We came on the streets to
demand our rights, call for medical care, education, jobs and the basic rights
that human beings need to stay alive,” said 21-year-old student Christina. Many
protesters wore face-masks as part of hygiene measures imposed to fight the
pandemic, which has severely exacerbated an economic crisis, the worst since
the debt burdened country’s 1975-1990 civil war. But Saturday’s protest turned
violent as supporters of Hezbollah clashed with some demonstrators who were
demanding that the group disarm.”

 

Arab News: Lebanon Will Descend Into Chaos Before Hezbollah Disarms
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“Once again, and despite the dangers, Lebanese protesters have taken to the
streets. Although limited in numbers, it is the first time they have stood so
close to the presidential palace in Beirut and the first time they have openly
requested the full respect of the constitution. Indeed, a few courageous
protesters, mainly women, held signs saying, “Make 1559 happen,” and “Make 1680
Happen,” referring to UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. Clearly, they are
calling for Hezbollah to disarm as a key step toward the return of Lebanon’s
sovereignty. In 2004, Resolution 1559 saw the UNSC declare its support for a
free and fair presidential election in Lebanon, conducted according to
constitutional rules devised without foreign interference or influence. It also
called on all remaining foreign forces to withdraw from Lebanon. And, in a
related provision, the council called for the disbanding and disarmament of all
Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias. Resolution 1680 of 2006 “strongly
encouraged” the delineation of Lebanon’s border with Syria and called for the
full implementation of all requirements of Resolution 1559, including the
disarmament of armed militias such as Hezbollah.”

 

Egypt

 

Al Monitor: Is Islamic State Making A Comeback In Sinai?
<[link removed]>

 

“On May 31, the Egyptian armed forces announced in a statement that 19
militants had been killed during military strikes carried out during the
previous week in Sinai. The same statement said the strikes were based on
intelligence information that confirmed the presence of extremists in several
locations in the vicinity of the cities of Bir al-Abd, Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah
in North Sinai. Two military strikes were carried out, the first of which
resulted in the killing of three suspects found with automatic weapons,
ammunition, grenades and RPG ammunition in their possession. Military
engineering teams also discovered and destroyed five explosive devices that had
been planted to target the Egyptian armed forces, officials said. The army
reported five deaths among its ranks; two officers, one noncommissioned officer
and two soldiers. The Associated Press reported this occurred when an explosive
device hit their vehicle. During the operation, the Egyptian air force carried
out a number of airstrikes to target “terrorist hideouts,” which resulted in
the death of 16 suspects, bringing the total to 19, according to the army’s
statement. On April 30, an explosive device targeted a military vehicle near
the city of Bir al-Abd, killing 10 soldiers, including an officer and a
noncommissioned officer.”

 

Nigeria

 

The Defense Post: Jihadists Kill Six Nigerian Troops: Sources
<[link removed]>

 

“Jihadists have killed six Nigerian troops in an attack on a military base in
northeast Nigeria, army sources said Sunday. Fighters from the Islamic State
West Africa Province (ISWAP) in trucks fitted with machine guns attacked the
base in Auno, a village that is 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Maiduguri, the
capital of Borno state, they said. “We lost six soldiers in the attacks which
the terrorists launched around 6:30 pm (1730 GMT), on Saturday, a military
officer told AFP. Jihadists overwhelmed the troops during the two-hour battle,
“forcing them to withdraw in disarray,” said another military source who gave a
similar toll. The insurgents then looted weapons and burnt buildings before
they were pushed out with aerial support, the sources said. “A search is
ongoing for 45 soldiers who are still unaccounted for but we assume they
escaped in the fighting and are yet to return,” the second source said. Auno
lies on a 120-kilometer highway linking Maiduguri and Damaturu in neighboring
Yobe state. The area has been repeatedly targeted by militants who attack
troops and abduct motorists at bogus checkpoints. ISWAP, which split from Boko
Haram in 2016, focuses on attacking the military but it has also been accused
of increasingly targeting civilians.”

 

The Telegraph: A Deadly Alliance: Coronavirus Makes Boko Haram More Dangerous
Than Ever
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“Boko Haram, one of the world’s deadliest jihadist groups, has long threatened
the security of the vast swathes of West and Central Africa. But now the
coronavirus pandemic is adding a new dimension of danger.  Boko Haram – whose
name means ‘Western education is forbidden’ – reached the height of its power
five years ago, soon after it kidnapped 276 of mainly Christian schoolgirls
from their school in the town of Chibok, northeastern Nigeria in 2014. In 2015,
the jihadists controlled an area of Nigeria equivalent to the size of Belgium.
The fighters sought to turn themselves from insurgents to rulers and impose
their ruthless interpretation of Islam over a so-called ‘caliphate’. Since
then, national governments helped by their Western partners have beaten the
group back, shrunk its territory and forced it into a gruesome guerrilla war.
Just before the pandemic struck, many political actors around the Lake Chad
Basin in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad were discussing how to consolidate
these gains and ultimately, defeat Boko Haram.  But now, local governments are
scrambling to shore up their healthcare systems and redeploying precious
resources away from fighting the jihadists.”

 

Premium Times Nigeria: How Explosion Killed Nine-Year-Old Child Of Suspected
Boko Haram Member
<[link removed]>

 

“A nine-year-old boy was on Monday killed and his teenage brother injured by
an explosive device they had taken to an internally displaced persons (IDP)
camp in Maiduguri, Borno State for their father. The kids had taken the device
from Bama on the instruction of their father who is a suspected member of Boko
Haram The incident has exacerbated residents’ concern about their safety. Bama,
the second largest town in Borno, is 72 km from Maiduguri. It is one of the
local government areas in the state worst affected by the Boko Haram
insurgency. Many young people in the town were believed to have subscribed to
the Boko Haram ideology, the reason the community was displaced for over five
years after several attacks by Boko Haram until the military began to liberate
it in 2018. Last year, the state government began a gradual return of the civil
populace while rebuilding of the entire community. Though many families that
had been living in various IDP camps in Maiduguri have returned to Bama, some
male returnees who are not sure of their safety left their wives and children
behind in IDP camps in Maiduguri. With the recent opening of roads connecting
other Borno communities with Maiduguri, residents can now easily travel to
visit their relatives outside the state capital.”

 

Africa

 

Al Jazeera: Twenty-Six Killed, Village Torched In Central Mali Attack
<[link removed]>

 

“Twenty-six people were killed and a village burned in the volatile Mopti
region in central Mali on Friday, according to officials. The attack targeted a
Fulani village Binedama, said Aly Barry, an official from Tabital Pulaaku, a
Fulani association. Two other local officials confirmed the attack and the
death toll to the AFP news agency, adding that the village was torched and its
chief killed. A local government official in Koro, a subdivision of the Mopti
region, told AFP that the attack on Binedama occurred on Friday afternoon. Two
women and a nine-year-old girl were among those killed, he said, speaking on
condition of anonymity. Moulaye Guindo, the mayor of the commune of Bankass,
which neighbours the commune to which Binedama belongs, said between 20 and 30
people were killed by men in military attire, according to the Reuters news
agency. The attack comes at a time of mounting insecurity in Mali, rising
popular discontent with the government, and increasing reports of abuses
committed by the country's armed forces. As is common with many attacks in
conflict-riven and remote Sahel region, it was not immediately clear who the
perpetrators were. No group has yet claimed responsibility.”

 

Independent: Isis And Al-Qaeda Set To Profit From Covid-19 As Lockdowns And
Aid Shortages Makes Sahel Communities ‘An Easy Target’
<[link removed]>

 

“The men with guns swarmed the girl’s village near Bankass, at Mali’s border
with Burkina Faso. She watched as the fighters – likely members of one of the
violent extremist groups roaming the arid region – murdered her relatives.
Twelve-year-old Hamsa escaped physical harm. But a day and a half later, when
she and her haggard family arrived at the Socoura displaced persons camp in the
central city of Mopti with only the clothes they were wearing, she was
catatonic. It took a month for relief workers and psychologists to coax a word
out of her. “I was afraid,” she said, according to aid officials. “I was
terrified. I thought I was going to get killed.”

 

Technology

 

The Verge: Facebook Moves To Limit Spread Of Extremist ‘Boogaloo’ Pages And
Groups
<[link removed]>

 

“Facebook is limiting the spread of pages and groups linked with the word
“boogaloo,” an internet slang term used in some far-right extremist circles to
refer to the idea of an impending second American Civil War, as first reported
by Reuters. The boogaloo term has more recently evolved into a disjointed
anti-government movement with various and at times conflicting views. Facebook
says it will no longer recommend boogaloo pages and groups to users and is
demoting them in search results, Facebook tells The Verge. The change was made
on June 2nd. On May 1st, Facebook updated its Violence and Incitement policy to
ban boogaloo and similar terms when used with images or statements depicting
armed violence. On Thursday, the FBI arrested three men in Nevada who
self-identified with the boogaloo movement on terrorism-related charges for
plotting to incite violence at an anti-police protest in Las Vegas. More and
more self-described boogaloo members, many of which are also gun rights
advocates, are using protests against racism and police brutality as cover to
to promote anti-government demonstrations involving displays of firearms, CNN
reports.”



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