The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the methods used by
extremists to exploit the Internet and social media platforms to recruit....
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Extremist Content Online: White Supremacists and Neo-Nazis Celebrate El Paso
Shooter On Telegram Ahead Of Attack’s Second Anniversary
(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, CEP researchers located a
dozen neo-Nazi or white supremacist Telegram channels celebrating the birthday
of the alleged El Paso shooter. On Instagram, multiple posts were found
spreading antisemitic content as well as a video that glorified the 2011 Norway
Attacker. Furthermore, a post was found on 4chan’s “politically incorrect”
board promoting Patriot Front, a white supremacist group and a large amount of
extreme right-wing theory books were located on Mega.Nz. During a police
officer’s congressional testimony on the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol,
a post was made by a media group linked to the Proud Boys calling the officer a
“traitor.” Finally, an ISIS propaganda video was distributed across multiple
websites.
Online Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists Celebrate Alleged El Paso Shooter
Prior to Attack Anniversary
On July 27, neo-Nazis and white supremacists celebrated the birthday of the
alleged El Paso shooter, one week before the attack anniversary. The gunman is
alleged to have attacked a Walmart on August 3, 2019, murdering 23 people and
injuring 22 others in a white supremacist, anti-Latino, and anti-immigrant act
of domestic terrorism, following the posting of a manifesto on 8chan. At least
12 neo-Nazi or white supremacist Telegram channels celebrated the alleged
killer’s birthday by posting a propaganda video containing news footage from
the attack, photos and drawings that glorified the attacker, and the attacker’s
manifesto. Ten of the 12 Telegram channels that praised the gunman and
encouraged additional violence had previously been deleted at least once by the
communications app, and in some cases, the channels were deleted and returned
multiple times.
Video Glorifying 2011 Norway Attacker, Neo-Nazi, and Antisemitic Posts Located
on Instagram
From July 25 to July 31, CEP researchers located multiple accounts on
Instagram that made posts supporting the 2011 Norway attacker, spread neo-Nazi
propaganda, and made antisemitic posts. On July 23 and July 24, two different
Instagram accounts posted the same 57-second video tribute to the 2011 Norway
attacker who killed 77 people and wounded over 300 people in a bombing and
shooting rampage. The video had 106 and 173 views respectively when it was
located.
CEP also located two different accounts that posted video clips from
Atomwaffen Division
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(AWD) propaganda videos. One post, online since June 30, had 285 views when it
was located on July 28, while the other had 15.
Multiple other Instagram accounts were located that posted antisemitic memes
or caricatures or called for acts of violence. An additional Instagram account
with over 500 followers was found that sold Holocaust denial books.
The two accounts that posted the Norway attacker tribute videos were deleted
by Instagram before they could be reported by CEP. The two accounts that posted
AWD propaganda videos were removed after they were reported by CEP. One of the
Instagram accounts that called for violence was removed by the platform after
CEP reported it, however three other accounts that posted antisemitic content,
white supremacist content, or offered holocaust denial books, were still online
four days after they were reported.
A video upload containing Atomwaffen Division propaganda clips located on
Instagram. Screenshot taken on July 29, 2021.
Patriot Front Propaganda Spread on 4chan
CEP researchers located a post on 4chan’s “politically incorrect” board made
on July 25 promoting the white supremacist fascist group Patriot Front
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The original poster (OP) claimed that they were not a group member but wanted
4chan to promote the group by sharing memes and trolling. The OP stated that
they were not recruiting for the group but hoped to rally the board to support
Patriot Front online. In a sample of posts on the thread, 52 percent were
supportive of Patriot Front, 34 percent were negative, and 14 percent were
neutral.
Neo-Nazi Propaganda, Including The Turner Diaries, Located on Mega.Nz
CEP researchers located a large quantity of extreme right-wing theory and
propaganda books on Mega.Nz. In addition to mainstream works of fiction and
philosophy, the same uploader included books and pamphlets by the notorious
founder of the American Nazi Party, George Lincoln Rockwell, the American
neo-Nazi Harold Covington, a pamphlet written by The Order’s David Lane, and
books by William Luther Pierce includingThe Turner Diaries
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content was spread on Telegram. An individual uploaded the eBooks in February
and March 2021. The content was removed by Mega.Nz after it was reported by CEP.
Proud Boys Linked Media Group Shares Message from Rise Above Movement Calling
Police Officer A “Traitor”
On July 27, during public hearings of the U.S. House Select Committee to
Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, a media group
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the Proud Boys shared a message on Telegram from an account linked to the white
supremacist Rise Above Movement
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a Washington, D.C. police officer a “traitor.” The message contained a video
clip of an officer testifying about the January 6 attack. Comments made under
the message referenced the “day of the rope,” an act of mass white supremacist
violence fromThe Turner Diaries novel. Nicholas DeCarlo, who works
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for the media group, is charged
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with six counts, including conspiracy and obstruction of an official
proceeding, related to his conduct on January 6. The media group previously
shared a Telegram post from the same RAM account on June 6. The same RAM
Telegram account had encouraged
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attacks on journalists during the January 6 attack, and in March 2021, the RAM
channel posted a photograph showing individuals wearing Proud Boys shirts
posing with a RAM flag.
ISIS Propaganda Video Released on Multiple Websites
On July 25, ISIS’s self-proclaimed West African province released a new
propaganda video titled “Festival of Sacrifice.” The video includes footage of
what is claimed to be Eid celebrations in ISIS-held territory in West Africa
and footage of food distribution. The video also contains quick footage showing
combat and executions. The video concludes with statements from an ISIS fighter
in West Africa.
The video was released on Telegram, and links were spread on RocketChat and
online bulletin boards. The video was uploaded to at least 17 websites but was
only available on five sites approximately four days later: sites connected to
the distributed web service ipfs.io, transfer.sh, ufile.io, uqload.com,
vudeo.net.
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