Mastodon Twitter Instagram Youtube
Nov 17, 20

This Week In Fascism #83: Proud Boys Stab DC Residents; anti-BLM SWAT Cop, Oath Keepers Chats Reveal Drive for Violence

Welcome fellow antifascists!

We have some big stories this week. The trial for a Three Percenter militia member connected to a string of bombings begins, Unicorn Riot sheds light on the Oath Keepers militia pushing to engage in violence, an anti-BLM cop on the SWAT team, Proud Boys attack anti-Trump protesters in DC at the Millions MAGA March, and much more!

We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s dive in!

News

This Week in Fascism is Launching a Campaign to Expand!

For over a year, This Week in Fascism has been a clearing house for important information regarding the fascist creep into mainstream politics, far-Right organizing threatening our communities, and the antifascist and anti-racist struggle against it.

The authors behind TWiF are now hoping to expand this work by launching a podcast to go a long with the weekly column. Towards this end, we’re launching a crowd-funding campaign! Sign up and help us meet our goal to continue to put out the column and create a brand new podcast that will be featured right here on It’s Going Down!

Trial Begins for Michael Hari, Mastermind Responsible for 2017 Mosque Bombing

On Monday, November 9th, the trial for Michael Hari began. Hari, leader of the III%er cell called the “White Rabbit Three Percent Illinois Patriot Freedom Fighters Militia,” bombed the Dar Al-Farooq Mosque in Bloomington, Minnesota during 5:00 am morning prayer on August 5th, 2017. Hari, who at the time ran a security company who bid on Trump’s border wall, traveled with two accomplices, Michael McWhorter and Joe Morris from Charence, IL, to Bloomington, MN where, according to the Star Tribune, “Morris smashed a mosque window with a sledgehammer and threw inside a plastic container filled with diesel fuel and gasoline, then McWhorter tossed in a pipe bomb made from PVC pipe and black powder.”

Luckily no one was physically injured in the attack but the bombing has caused irreparable damage to the feeling of safety and security within the Muslim community in Bloomington. Hari faces at least five charges including federal civil rights and hate crimes charges and weapons and arson charges as well. This isn’t the first time the White Rabbit cell has been involved in acts of domestic terror. The group also attempted to bomb a women’s clinic in Charence, IL but the explosives didn’t ignite. Allison Ethan, assistant U.S. attorney accurately describes Hari’s beliefs as anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, anti-woman and far-Right.

According to the Star Tribune, “After the attack, and the attempted bombing of the clinic in Illinois, Hari adopted the name “White Rabbits.” He assigned military titles to members he recruited, and deemed himself “Captain.” Hari kept a “White Rabbits Handbook,” where he spelled out critiques of the American welfare system, public schools, immigrants, Muslims and more.”

According to the Huffington Post, “Hari has an extensive criminal record. He was found guilty of child abduction in 2006 after he took his daughters to Central America because he worried he’d lose custody. He was tracked down by an investigator for the “Dr. Phil” show and was later sentenced to 30 months of probation.”

Given how the far-Right operates, it’s not a surprise that Hari’s bigotry is multifaceted. His hatred of women, Muslim people, immigrants and Black and Brown people is not exceptional. It’s integral to far-Right organizing. It’s also not surprising that given how Trump has emboldened bigotry and allowed it to become a part of mainstream dialogue (Trump himself is known for espousing far-right talking points), that acts of violence in the name of nationalism, white pride and a desire to go back to the mythical time of traditional values.

For more information on the III% Militia, check out this excellent thread by our comrades Antifa Sac.

Oath Keepers Seem to Love Plotting to Murder People More than the ‘Constitution’

Autonomous media collective Unicorn Riot has released a collection of chat logs and video records from the far-Right militia the Oath Keepers, made up largely of ex-military and law enforcement and led by Steward Rhodes. The Oath Keepers are known for promoting outlandish conspiracy theories, doing security at far-Right and neo-Nazi rallies, and also claiming that they will be ready to fight in a civil war at the drop of a hat.

According to Unicorn Riot:

Following the presidential election of Joe Biden, a new pinned message appeared in the Oath Keepers’ secret RocketChat forum in a channel entitled “It’s Time to Go Underground.”

“Let’s all take a step back for a moment and understand that the media relishes when one of us fights back. How about we all sit back and ‘peacefully’ start visiting the homes of democratic politicians and media personalities so they can see how it feels when people with differing opinions disrupt their lives,” the pinned message read.

The statement by the Oath Keepers captures the growing agitation among far-right networks. While militias have always engaged in plausible deniability rhetoric of ‘self-defense’, they’ve increasingly come to interpret nearly anything as an attack – and their desire to fight has shifted from generalized fantasy toward specific targets.

While the far-right has never enjoyed the mainstream media, they now discuss targeting them openly. “Why hasn’t anyone talked about the Media,” asked Oath Keeper ‘Rsmutny’. “I think they have to be a main target of ours.”

“I agree,” added RocketChat user ‘BradfordCountyPA’. “It’s not freedom of speech when sedition is the goal and lies are the means. If we don’t take action we’ll all be going to the gulag.”

In the forum hosted at oathkeepersnational.org, members escalate their rhetoric and egg each other on. There are few, if any, attempts to de-escalate the calls to violent action.

“Either we start fighting back or we lose forever,” wrote Oath Keeper bonsaiisuperstar (real name Michael Ottis Wilson of Lebanon, Ohio). “You bleed a little now or a lot later… Either we kill them or they kill us.”

In his profile on Parler, a newer ‘free speech’ social network serving as a hub for far-right disinformation, Wilson wrote that it was “time to start executing lefties openly and violently” and “to start killing the news media live on air.” As of this writing, he is still active in the Oath Keepers chats and his account is still live on Parler.

Tom Metzger, Notorious Neo-Nazi & KKK Boss, Dead at 82

On November 4th, White Aryan Resistance, a website operated by notorious neo-Nazi and KKK leader Tom Metzger announced the white supremacist leader’s death. A paid death notice also appeared in the San Diego Union-Tribune, which failed to mention Metzger’s political activities, including his Ku Klux Klan leadership, extensive ties to racist violence, and self-identification as a national socialist. Alongside KKK leader David Duke, Metzger established the Klan Border Patrol, which targeted Mexican migrants crossing the border. He founded White Aryan Resistance after splitting from the KKK.

The Times of San Diego notes that in 1980, Metzger ran for Congress and won his Democratic primary race, only to lose the general election miserably after his candidacy was disavowed by the party. He ran for Senate and Congress on two other occasions, never succeeding.

In 1990, Metzger was ordered to pay $5 million in punitive damages for inciting East Side White Pride’s racially motivated killing of an Ethiopian immigrant named Mulugeta Seraw. (Jim McElroy, the civil rights lawyer who collected the verdict, sold Metzger’s home to a Latinx family and brought Seraw’s son to the United States, eventually adopting him helping him attend grad school to become a pilot.) According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Metzger also ran into legal trouble for attending a cross burning in 1982, violating Canadian immigration law by traveling there to “promote race hatred,” and for connections to a 2009 mail bomb attack in Arizona.

The fact that Metzger was never brought to justice despite connections to multiple acts of terrorism demonstrates the inability of the right-wing State apparatus to stop the creep of fascist violence, and highlights the importance of antifascist organizing and community defense. Metzger was a hateful, disgusting individual and the damage caused by his influence is incalculable. Rest in piss, Nazi scum!

Paul Waggener and Operation Werewolf

Shane Burley has published an in-depth exploration of Paul Waggener’s fascist self-help grift “Operation Werewolf.” The small business empire, which peddles a webzine, books, workout routines, and clothing, among other things, grew out of the right-wing Odinist group Wolves of Vinland, co-founded in 2007 by Paul Waggener and his brother. Wolves of Vinland preached a white supremacist form of Asatru, and placed heavy emphasis on fight training and self-improvement. While they didn’t openly state their racism and disguised their fascism as apolitical, Wolves of Vinland only allowed white members and used racial slurs in private conversations.

In 2015 Waggener launched Operation Werewolf, which encouraged men to work toward “physical excellence.” He began using the platform to publish his writing, sell merchandise, and release his music and training programs, demanding money from his followers each time they advance to a higher level of membership. Operation Werewolf has ties to violent neo-Nazi groups like American Front, Atlanta-based white nationalist heathen group Ravensblood Kindred, Wotan Network and other folkish groups. Much like the James Mason and the accelerrationist terrorists in Atomwaffen Division, Waggener admires Charles Manson and portrays him favorably as a “spiritual outlaw.” Waggener does not shy away from violence, encouraging combat training and firearm ownership, and putting out guides that discuss how to create improvisational weapons. The group’s tribalism and emphasis on physical strength means that they are actively preparing for violent, revolutionary situations, ready to defend their in-group from threats at all costs. Despite all this, OW still has a large following on YouTube, Instagram, and Telegram. Earlier this year, Waggener announced that Operation Werewolf was shutting down, but he continues to collect large sums of money from his white supremacist fans and use his social media influence to advance fascism and male chauvinism.

Burley’s reporting highlights how the fascist’s emphasis on hierarchy and tribal supremacy lends itself to internal competition, grifting, and predatory behavior within the far-Right movement. By positioning himself as a leader and peddling false promises of unbeatable strength and self-mastery, Waggener is scamming and preying upon the very people who share his political beliefs and goals.

Violent Right-Wing Attacks at DC’s #MillionMAGAMarch

This weekend over five thousand Trump supporters,, QAnon believers, Proud Boys, and other fascists gathered in the streets of Washington D.C. to support Trump’s coup attempt, alledging that the president had actually won the election to Joe Biden. Local activists mobilized to counter-protest and protect the community from far-right attacks in response to the march.

Unsurprisingly, a number of Nazis were present at the protest, including Baked Alaska (Tim Gionet), Nick Fuentes, and Vincent James.

Members of the crowd destroyed Black Lives Matter signs, chanted “America first,” “Groyper,” and flashed white supremacist hand symbols, as seen in the video below.

The protests become violent on Saturday night, when three people were stabbed by Proud Boys and one journalist was attacked by right wing protesters, requiring medical attention. One of the victims, independent journalist Talia Jane, was slashed in the ear by Proud Boy, Dane Menough.

 

It comes as no surprise that this march erupted in violence. In the lead up to Saturday’s clashes, Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio tweeted “DC Antifa ends tonight.”

Proud Boys were seen at the rally wearing shirts that stated “Stand back and stand by,” a reference to Trump’s orders to the hate group at the first presidential debate earlier this fall.

According to anti-Trump counter-demonstrators, the cops stood back while the Proud Boys and fascists assaulted community members. No tear gas or riot munitions were deployed. Yet, earlier on Saturday at an unrelated protest, a peaceful crowd of school nurses were threatened with arrest by DC police for gathering on a sidewalk to demand a say in school reopenings. The police permit fascist attacks in our communities, but draw the line when workers, overwhelmingly women of color, take to the streets to protest the state’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, proving once again that the only thing they protect and serve is the interest of capital.

Doxxes

Zachary Pickering, Proud Boy of Cranston, Rhode Island

Antifascist researcher Antifash Gordon has released the identity of Rhode Island Proud Boy and security guard Zackary Pickering. Pickering works as private security for right-wing radio troll John DePetro of the John DePetro Show. DePetro is known for seeking out Rhode Island to get protest footage and incite violence and panic.

DePetro accidentally doxxed Pickering when he panned the camera over to Pickering and thanked him using his full name. More and more members of the far-right are finding themselves gainfully employed providing private security for right-wing media personalities, politicians, and for events. Rhode Island residents are asked to look out for Pickering, as he is a member of a violent, SPLC-designated hate group.

Glenn Thomas Greer, MyMilitia Member of Dandridge, Tennessee

Antifascist activist Molly Conger released the identity of MyMilitia member Glenn Thomas Greer. MyMilitia is a networking site where militia members and members of the far-right to proselytize, organize and spread their violent fantasies over the last few weeks building up to and over the course of the election. According to internet hosting records obtained by The Guardian, MyMilitia was registered to Ohio Conservative Chad Embrey in 2016. “The website is one of several domains Embrey has bought related to the militia movement. Embrey’s expressed goals for the website include changing the “negative perception” of militias and assisting communities “from all threats foreign or domestic”.”

The site has been used to platform violent members of the far-right, including Michael Hari, an Illinois militia member who bombed a mosque in Bloomington, Minnesota in 2017. Hari used the site to energize it’s members into other acts of stochastic terror.

Last week, Molly Conger and a handful of other antifascists and researchers monitored the site for threats to polling places, vote-counting locations and other possible targets for far-right violence. As members became more emboldened, Conger and her collaborators traced their identities and shared them on twitter in hopes to thwart possible violence. Glenn Thomas Greer used the platform to espouse his desire for violence, which comes as absolutely no surprise given his domestic abuse charges, which according to Conger, includes aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and abduction.

Sgt. Eric Suess, Neo-Nazi Cop of Front Royal, Virginia

Antifascist researcher Firestorm on Fascism released the identity of neo-Nazi Sargeant Eric Suess of the Front Royal, Virginia. Suess is a SWAT team leader who uses his social media accounts like Twitter to constantly threaten violence toward Black Lives Matter and antifascist protesters. Suess has a lot of anger and isn’t shy about his violent fantasies. According to Firestorm on Fascism, Suess also uses his accounts to espouse racism toward Black and Brown people, especially as it relates to racialized policing. This isn’t the first far-Right cop we’ve encountered and probably won’t be the last, but Front Royal, Virginia continues to put their residents in greater danger by allowing this man to continue working is such a position of power.

Christopher Joseph Moster, Neo-Nazi from Denton, Texas

Antifascist researcher Antifascist Trash Panda identified Denton, Texas resident and neo-Nazi Christopher Joseph Moster. Moster aka Chris Jo aka Monster, rides around the Denton area on his motorcycle sporting a helmet with a swastika on it. According to Antifascist Trash Panda, when explaining the swastika, Moster claims that its a symbol for “Nordic enlightenment for peace and well-being.” What a strange hill to die on, Chris, especially given that his Facebook URL has two extra H’s at the end of it, a neo-Nazi dog-whistle that stands for Heil Hitler.

According to criminal records obtained by Antifascist Trash Panda, Moster’s ex had to file a protection order against him. Moster was also charged with “indecent with child sexual contact.” Misogyny and abuse is an integral part of far-right organizing. Antifascist Trash Panda asks folks who are inclined to please reach out to Moster’s employer “Sturm Welding” and kindly ask if they are aware of Moster’s neo-Nazi beliefs. At this time we have no indication that they are aware of his violent, far-Right ideology.

Phone: (940) 686-2492
Website: https://www.sturmwelding.com/contact

Trevor Turnbow, Violent Trump Supporter of Arlington, Texas

Antifascist Trash Panda brings us our final ID of the week with Trevor Turnbow of Arlington, Texas. Turnbow came to the attention of antifascists when he assaulted a young girl who was counter-protesting a Trump caravan event. In the video, Turnbow becomes enraged at the young women, exits his vehicle, runs over to her, pushes her, steals her skateboard and proceeds to try to break it before getting back into his truck and driving off. Turnbow was easily identified by the giant “Turnbow Construction” sticker on the back of his trailer. Trevor Turnbow, owner of Turnbow Construction is a violent, short-fused, Trump supporter who has no problem assaulting young women. He and his business should be avoided.

Support IGD!

Due to the pandemic, many people who have supported It’s Going Down monthly in the past can no longer afford to. If you are able, please consider signing up to donate monthly or giving IGD a one time donation. Your help ensures that this platform can continue to not only keep the lights on, but also grow and expand at a time when autonomous media platforms are needed, now more than ever.

Support Our Prisoners

  • Support those arrested during the ongoing rebellion! Check out list of bail funds here.
  • Support Gage Halupowski! Currently serving a six year sentence. There is currently an outbreak at his prison, so please step up and support! More info here.
  • Support Bay Area anti-racist Adroa Anderson, who is facing charges following a rally against the Proud Boys in San Francisco. Donate to the Black and Brown Legal Defense and Community Give Back on cashapp: $F12UNITY
  • Support Eric King! Anarchist and antifascist prisoner who has been targeted by the State and neo-Nazi inmates for being ‘ANTIFA.’ More info here. Donate here.

Share This:

A weekly roundup of the latest and greatest happenings in the anti-fascist world. Each column features a roundup of news, actions, doxxes and current calls to action.

More Like This