Oliver Waters, Dominic Bianco, Jacob Robison, Noah Kuttymartin, Alice Cian, Behavior/Leadership Team
Samantha Mikulskis, Clémence Van Damme, Editor; Jennifer Loy, Chief Editor
October 26, 2024
Far-right Protestors[1]
Introduction
US neo-Nazi groups are actively spreading their ideological beliefs both online and in person. Their activity is increasingly transitioning from Telegram to a new alternative social media site[2] while continuing offline efforts, such as the February 2024 protest marches in Nashville, Tennessee.[3] Their ideology promotes anti-Semitism, bigotry, white supremacy, and ultranationalism, spread through the use of Nazi imagery such as swastikas and Nazi salutes.[4] Extremists have been disseminating pro-Nazi disinformation on Tiktok channels reaching tens of millions of views, often using AI-generated content to spread their political messaging.[5] Other Neo-Nazi groups have sought to harass and intimidate ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ communities at their political and cultural events, including the Blood Tribe starting a fight at a drag show in Wadsworth in March 2023,[6] and the Aryan Freedom Network (AFN) holding anti-immigration rallies in Springfield Ohio targeting the Haitian immigrant community in September 2024.[7] These groups, including Atomwaffen Division (AWD) and The Base, likely pose a significant threat to minority communities across the country, and their actions will likely be closely connected to the 2024 US election and its aftermath. Extremist rhetoric combined with growing distrust in government institutions will likely lead to attacks aimed at intimidating minority groups, especially Jewish, Black, and LGBTQ+ communities. Neo-Nazis will likely exploit social media platforms, including TikTok to gain support, recruit members, and spread anti-Semitic propaganda. Regional and federal governments should bolster the security detail surrounding critical infrastructure during the election period, to prevent accelerationist groups from influencing it by disrupting services. Voters should remain cautious of Nazi propaganda leading up to the election, exercising additional vigilance to identify disinformation and AI-generated content promoting extremist views on social media platforms.
Summary
In 2023 The Blood Tribe, a neo-Nazi group founded by Christopher Polhaus, established a 10.3-acre compound near Springfield, Maine, to house and train its members.[8] The Blood Tribe held a march in Nashville, Tennessee in February 2024, where participants carried swastika flags. After being confronted by local police, the group dispersed peacefully.[9] Disinformation posted on the Blood Tribes Telegram channel in August and September 2024 claimed that Haitian immigrants ate cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio. Despite the Blood Tribe having a limited public profile, with less than 1000 followers on social media,[10] Trump’s reiteration of the rhetoric amplified these claims to a larger audience, with 67 million viewers tuning in to watch the presidential debate live.[11] Other far-right groups exploited this amplification to spread anti-Haitian immigrant rhetoric, with the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) and the Aryan Freedom Network (AFN) demonstrating and handing out flyers in Springfield on September 10, 2024.[12] Polhaus has connections to other extremist individuals and groups including January 6 Insurrectionist Riley June Jones and the National Socialist Club (NSC-131).[13]
Since 2020, US authorities have arrested senior figures of the accelerationist neo-Nazi group AWD, including co-leader John Denton, on various charges such as swatting, conspiracy to threaten journalists, and cyberstalking.[14] In 2023, law enforcement arrested and charged Sarah Clendaniel and Brandon Russell, the founders of AWD, for plotting to sabotage electrical infrastructure.[15] Despite law enforcement action to crack down on Neo-Nazi activity on Telegram, as of October 2024, the channel affiliated with Atomwaffen remains active, totaling 13,000 members.[16]
Members of groups, including AWD and The Base, are shifting away from Telegram in favor of alternative platforms with fewer content restrictions and end-to-end encryption to organize their operations covertly. This shift occurred after law enforcement arrested, in September 2024, the leaders of the “Terrogram” network used by these Neo-Nazi groups to organize and plan attacks.[17] Mainstream platforms, like TikTok, host a large network of pro-Nazi accounts, known as “NazTok,” attracting millions of views with AI-generated content, Nazi slogans, disinformation, and Holocaust denial.[18] X experienced similar activity from pro-Nazi individuals and groups, with thousands of accounts actively posting or amplifying pro-Nazi posts.[19] Neo-Nazi groups are using AI to develop tools to create and spread hate speech, recruit, and build schematics for weapons and explosives.[20]
Analysis
Neo-Nazi groups, including the Blood Tribe, will likely expand their ongoing disinformation efforts on social media to radicalize right-leaning voters in support of their political cause as the 2024 election approaches. These groups will likely use election-related tensions to intensify their recruitment efforts among disaffected voters. The Blood Tribe will likely exploit mainstream anti-immigration rhetoric, likely attempting to radicalize Republican voters by blurring the line between mainstream conservative ideas and fringe anti-semitic ideologies, likely normalizing hate-driven beliefs among broader voting blocks. Neo-Nazi groups will very likely cooperate with other white nationalist groups including the KKK, likely bolstering their numbers at physical events and rallies. The Blood Tribe will likely use this increased presence to intimidate and harass ethnic and sexual minority communities through rallies in ethnically diverse cities, including Nashville, Tennessee, likely carrying swastika flags and performing Nazi salutes to intimidate immigrant community members. Events involving the targeted communities, including drag shows and immigrant-advocacy protests, will likely be disrupted by Neo-Nazi actors, likely increasing the risk of physical confrontations. The Blood Tribe will likely justify violent actions at protest events by exploiting divisive cultural issues, such as gender identity debates, likely deepening political polarization between Democrats and Conservatives.
AWD will likely prioritize attacks on power infrastructure as part of a broader strategy to disrupt essential services, likely viewing the instability caused by outages as a means to reduce public trust in the government. AWD will likely hasten its transition from Telegram to alternative platforms in preparation for attacks, likely due to concerns that law enforcement is monitoring its activity. This shift will very likely complicate federal agencies’ efforts to track and disrupt the group's efforts. AWD will very likely use AI-generated tools and social media apps, including X, SimpleX, and Telegram, to quickly produce and distribute large quantities of propaganda, likely allowing neo-Nazis to leverage a successful attack for recruitment purposes. This AI-generated material will likely take the form of deepfake videos and images using the likeness of senior politicians, including President Biden to spread disinformation, likely undermining trust in response efforts by making it harder for the general public to identify real information produced by local government and federal agencies.
Recommendations
The Counterterrorism Group (CTG) recommends that individuals question sources, verify facts, and identify possible biases by consulting reliable media sources to validate claims made by users on social media. Citizens should also familiarize themselves with techniques to identify AI-generated propaganda by using tools such as TinEye and Google Reverse Image Search. Social media users should report accounts promoting hate speech and pro-Nazi narratives to platform owners using the appropriate mechanisms on X, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
Social media companies, including TikTok and Twitter, should crack down on violations of community guidelines and terms of usage. These companies should establish clear boundaries regarding what content users can and cannot share on their platforms to prevent the spread of racist, anti-semitic, or offensive posts. To prevent banned users from returning by setting up new accounts, social media firms should implement a blacklist using data including device-specific IP addresses, usernames, and full names.
Local law enforcement should monitor protest events for progressive causes likely to attract ethnic and sexual minority groups including LGBTQ+ rights campaigners and pro-Semitic advocates, to prevent Neo-Nazis from intimidating or harassing attendees. Authorities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and National Security Agency (NSA), should monitor online platforms like Gab, Telegram, and SimpleX, which are commonly used by neo-Nazis to detect any indicators of event planning or mobilization. These agencies should utilize advanced technology, such as AI threat detection programs, to track discussions on plans to disrupt protests or incite violence. Using this collected information, officers on security details for election events should prepare to de-escalate confrontations by physically restraining Neo-Nazis and protesters that partake in brawls. If intelligence received suggests that Neo-Nazis are preparing to use violence at an event, law enforcement should be equipped with protective gear, including riot shields and helmets, to prevent physical altercations while ensuring the safety of officers. Otherwise, Law enforcement should minimize overt personal protective equipment when policing Neo-Nazi rallies, using discrete body armor and stab-proof vests, to prevent the inadvertent escalation of peaceful demonstrations.
[1] Attackers entering a power substation, generated by a third party image database (created by AI)
[2] Note: This platform has not been named to prevent promotion of Neo-Nazi ideology, Neo-Nazi accelerationists seek new digital refuge amid looming Telegram crackdown, Institute for Strategic Dialogue, October 2024, https://www.isdglobal.org/digital_dispatches/naztok-an-organized-neo-nazi-tiktok-network-is-getting-millions-of-views/
[3] Neo-Nazis march in Nashville, leave after being challenged, NBC News, February 2024, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/neo-nazis-march-nashville-leave-challenged-rcna139415
[4] Transnational Neo-Nazism in the Usa, United Kingdom and Australia, GW Program on Extremism, February 2020, https://extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs5746/files/Jackson%20-%20Transnational%20neo%20Nazism%20in%20the%20USA%2C%20United%20Kingdom%20and%20Australia.pdf
[5] NazTok: An organized neo-Nazi TikTok network is getting millions of views, Institute for Strategic Dialogue, July 2024, https://www.isdglobal.org/digital_dispatches/naztok-an-organized-neo-nazi-tiktok-network-is-getting-millions-of-views/
[6] Two arrested after protesters and supporters clashed at Wadsworth drag queen story hour, The Columbus Dispatch, March 2023, https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2023/03/11/dozens-demonstrate-at-drag-story-hour-for-children-at-wadsworth-park/69997506007/
[7] In parroting a lie about migrants in Springfield, Ohio, Trump excites extremists, National Public Radio (NPR), September 2024, https://www.npr.org/2024/09/24/nx-s1-5118438/neo-nazi-haitian-springfield-trump-debate
[8] Neo-nazi ex-marine buys up land in rural maine for 'Blood Tribe', Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), July 2023, https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2023/07/27/neo-nazi-ex-marine-buys-land-rural-maine-blood-tribe
[9] Neo-Nazis march in Nashville, leave after being challenged, NBC News, February 2024, Neo-Nazis march in Nashville, leave after being challenged (nbcnews.com)
[10] Before Trump, neo-Nazis pushed false claims about Haitians as part of hate campaign, NBC, September 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/trump-neo-nazis-pushed-false-claims-haitians-part-hate-campaign-rcna170796
[11] How many people are watching the presidential debate? Ratings are in for ABC’s Trump-Harris Showdown, ABC News, September 2024, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-harris-debate-abc-ratings-2024/
[12] In parroting a lie about migrants in Springfield, Ohio, Trump excites extremists, National Public Radio (NPR), September 2024, https://www.npr.org/2024/09/24/nx-s1-5118438/neo-nazi-haitian-springfield-trump-debate
[13] Neo-nazi ex-marine buys up land in rural maine for 'Blood Tribe'', Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), July 2023, https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2023/07/27/neo-nazi-ex-marine-buys-land-rural-maine-blood-tribe
[14] Atomwaffen Division, Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/atomwaffen-division
[15] US woman pleads guilty in neo-Nazi plot to attack power grid, BBC, May 2024, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-69012594
[16] Neo-Nazi accelerationists seek new digital refuge amid looming Telegram crackdown, Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), https://www.isdglobal.org/digital_dispatches/neo-nazi-accelerationists-seek-new-digital-refuge-amid-looming-telegram-crackdown/
[17] Neo-Nazi accelerationists seek new digital refuge amid looming Telegram crackdown, Institute for Strategic Dialogue, October 2024, https://www.isdglobal.org/digital_dispatches/neo-nazi-accelerationists-seek-new-digital-refuge-amid-looming-telegram-crackdown/
[18] NazTok: An organized neo-Nazi TikTok network is getting millions of views, Institute for Strategic Dialogue, July 2024, https://www.isdglobal.org/digital_dispatches/naztok-an-organized-neo-nazi-tiktok-network-is-getting-millions-of-views/
[19] Verified pro-Nazi X accounts flourish under Elon Musk, NBC News, April 2024, https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/x-twitter-elon-musk-nazi-extremist-white-nationalist-accounts-rcna145020
[20] Neo-Nazis And White Supremacists Globally Look To Artificial Intelligence To Promote Their Message, Spread Misinformation, And Aide Their Cause, January 2023-May 2024, Domestic & Transnational Terrorism Threat Monitor, June 2024, https://www.memri.org/dttm/neo-nazis-and-white-supremacists-globally-look-artificial-intelligence-promote-their-message-0