The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the methods used by
extremists to exploit the Internet and social media platforms to recruit fol
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Extremist Content Online: ISIS Supporters Celebrate Terror Attack In France on
RocketChat Communications App
(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. Last week, ISIS supporters on
RocketChat celebrated the murder of three people in a church in the French city
of Nice by a man identified by French law enforcement as Brahim Aioussaoi, and
shared photos of Aioussaoi and a video allegedly showing emergency personnel
recovering a body. In addition, CEP researchers located a post on a pro-ISIS
channel on RocketChat that called for the group’s supporters to renew their
bay’ah (pledge of allegiance) to ISIS leaderAbu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi
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. Also, CEP researchers located two identical pro-ISIS websites with WordPress
URLs that contained Amaq News reports and propaganda photos, including those
showing executions.
Meanwhile, white supremacists on Telegram, Gab, and 8chan successor
imageboards celebrated the second anniversary of the murder of eleven people at
Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue and praised the shooter, Robert Bowers,
posting screenshots from his now removed Gab social media account. Also,
several white supremacist Telegram channels that have previously called for
violence shared information on the 3D printing of firearms. Finally, several
white supremacist Telegram channels posted about the 2020 U.S. election,
including one prolific white supremacist Telegram channel with approximately
5,000 subscribers advised its audience to be quiet and cautious on Election
Day, warning that law enforcement was aware of white supremacist terrorist
threats and that individuals should be extra careful.
ISIS Supporters Celebrate Nice, France Attack on RocketChat
On October 29, ISIS <[link removed]> supporters
on RocketChat celebrated the murder of three people in a church in the southern
French city of Nice by a manidentified
<[link removed]> by French law enforcement as
Brahim Aioussaoi. Aioussaoi is alleged to have used a knife and attempted to
behead one of the victims. French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the
murders were an “Islamist terrorist attack.” French law enforcement apprehended
Aioussaoi after shooting him. The attack occurred approximately two weeks after
the murder of French schoolteacher Samuel Paty byAbdoulakh Anzorov
<[link removed]>, who was
allegedly incensed by Paty showing his students caricatures of the Prophet
Muhammad.
ISIS supporters on RocketChat praised the attack and shared photos of
Aioussaoi and a video allegedly from the aftermath of the assault showing
emergency personnel recovering a body. There is no indication that the attacker
claimed allegiance to ISIS. The group’s supporters have a history of
celebrating terrorist acts that fit their ideology or could potentially have
been committed by an ISIS supporter.
ISIS supporters sharing video alleged to be from the aftermath of the October
29 Nice attack on RocketChat
Pro-ISIS RocketChat Channel Calls for ISIS Supporters to Renew Allegiance to
ISIS
CEP researchers located a post (made initially on October 23) on a pro-ISIS
channel on RocketChat called for the group’s supporters to renew their bay’ah
(pledge of allegiance) to ISIS leaderAbu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi
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. The channel stated that video or audio pledges would be published on a
Telegram and RocketChat channel, likely to show the group’s strength. The oath
of allegiance includes a statement to follow the rulings of ISIS’s leader.
Audio or video of pledges will likely be used in future propaganda.
Two Pro-ISIS Websites Found on WordPress
CEP researchers located two identical pro-ISIS websites with WordPress URLs.
Both websites contained Amaq News reports and propaganda photos, including
those showing executions. The websites also had embedded violent ISIS
propaganda videos and audio statements from ISIS leadership.
Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists Celebrate Second Anniversary of Pittsburgh
Synagogue Shooting
On October 27, white supremacists on Telegram, Gab, and 8chan successor
imageboards celebrated the second anniversary of the murder of eleven people at
Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue. Several Telegram channels praised the
shooter,Robert Bowers
<[link removed]>, and posted
screenshots from his now removed Gab social media account, spread propaganda
glorifying him, and calling for additional violence against Jews. Users on Gab
and an 8chan successor imageboard also praised Bowers and called for
anti-Semitic violence.
White Supremacist Telegram Channels Spread Information on 3D Printing of
Firearms
The week of October 24 to October 31, several white supremacist Telegram
channels that have previously called for violence shared information on the 3D
printing of firearms. The same channels havepreviously
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posted links to instructions for making 3D firearms. Homemade firearms
production, either using partially milled lower receivers or 3D printed
components, can allow individuals to get around local or national firearms
restrictions or background checks and allows for the existence of unregistered
firearms. There is no evidence that the creators of the websites that offer 3D
printing firearms plans are white supremacists. However, their content is
frequently shared by extremists who encourage acts of violence.
Three men were arrested
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in mid-October, for “manufacturing and selling hard to obtain firearms and
firearm parts in a manner that the ‘government would not know’ the purchasers
had them.” According toABC News
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, the three had ties to a white supremacist group and were being investigated
for possibly creating a hit list. One of the men was recently discharged from
the U.S. Marine Corps after he was exposed as a white supremacist.
Prolific White Supremacist Telegram Channels Advise Members to Keep Quiet on
Election Day
Several white supremacist Telegram channels have also posted regarding the
2020 U.S. presidential election on November 3. On October 28, a prolific white
supremacist Telegram channel with approximately 5,000 subscribers advised its
audience to be quiet and cautious on election day. The channel also warned that
law enforcement was aware of white supremacist terrorist threats and that
individuals should be extra careful. The channel has previously spoken out
against the formation of large groups. Several white supremacist
accelerationist channels reminded their followers that “there is no political
solution,” and that no matter who Americans elect, that their interests would
not be respected. Numerous channels alleged that both the Democrats and
Republicans are secretly controlled by Jews, while a white supremacist
accelerationist channel with over 5,000 subscribers claimed that Democrats
would steal the election through voter fraud. A prominent white supremacist
channel with over 5,200 members urged their followers to prepare for a dark
winter by stockpiling food, clothing, and ammunition, and stated that it was
acceptable to steal supplies from others.
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