Network of far-right militias covertly proliferating in US: Report
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Extremist white supremacist groups expand their influence across the US under the guise of martial arts and fitness clubs.
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Marchers bearing insignias of the white supremacist group Patriot Front pause during a gathering on Saturday, July 2, 2022, in Boston (AP)
A recent report by Counter Extremism Project, published by The Independent, shows that extremist organizations with white supremacist ideologies are employing the guise of fitness and martial arts to attract and expand their ranks, effectively establishing a new network of militias across the United States, Canada, and Europe.
According to the report, at least 46 "active clubs" have emerged in 34 US states between 2020 and 2023. These clubs publicly promote "brotherhood" and training in combat sports and fitness while covertly recruiting members into extremist militias.
The rapid growth of these groups over just three years has alarmed experts who closely monitor the surge in far-right extremism and white supremacist movements, which has been coupled with an increase in threats of political violence.
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"I've never seen a network in right-wing extremism grow so fast. Usually, it takes years to build a transnational network. It's concerning," said Alexander Ritzmann, the author of the report and an advisor to the Counter Extremism Project.
In addition to their fitness activities, these groups have engaged in public displays of hate, including banner drops with hateful messages, often coordinating with or maintaining memberships in neo-fascist groups such as the Proud Boys, Patriot Front, and White Lives Matter.
These groups adhere to the "White Supremacy 3.0" ideology, which was propagated by neo-Nazi organizer Robert Rundo, founder of the white supremacist Rise Above Movement.
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Active clubs maintain an open network approach, encouraging individuals to start their own independent groups and recruit white men, often promoting their activities at public events like concerts, NASCAR races, and local festivals, targeting young and active demographics.
"The strategy is hiding in plain sight," Ritzmann said in an interview. "They try to show that they’re actually just a bunch of white men doing sports together, being rather on the nice and friendly side so that law enforcement would look at this and would say, ‘This is a bit odd, but definitely, you know, not a priority for us to research now.’"
The report predicts that the unchecked proliferation of these extremist groups in the US is likely to entail increased political violence and terrorist attacks.
