Overview

Joshua Dan Nunes is an American white supremacist and the founder of the neo-Nazi group NatSoc Florida (NSF). Since its founding in 2022, the Duval County-based NSF has carried out antisemitic, homophobic, and racist demonstrations all throughout Florida.

A former U.S. Marine, Nunes served in Afghanistan in the early 2010s. Nunes was first connected to white nationalism in August 2020 when he was arrested during a counterprotest to an “End the Hate” rally. The rally, which sought to remove a mural from the Baker County Courthouse that depicted members of the Ku Klux Klan, became violent when Nunes confronted a protester.“NatSoc Florida (NSF),” Anti-Defamation League, December 6, 2022, https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/natsoc-florida-nsf.

Nunes founded NSF in 2022 and modeled the group after well-known neo-Nazi groups such as the Nationalist Social Club (NSC-131) and the Nationalist Socialist Network (NSN). Thomas Sewell, the founder of the Australia-based NSN, reportedly mentored and advised Nunes in his establishment of the NSF.“NatSoc Florida (NSF),” Anti-Defamation League, December 6, 2022, https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/natsoc-florida-nsf. The group’s belief system is based on “The Great Replacement,” an ethno-nationalist theory warning that an indigenous European—e.g., white—population is being replaced by non-European immigrants.“Great Replacement Theory,” Counter Extremism Project, Accessed November 15, 2023, https://www.counterextremism.com/content/great-replacement-theory.

In mid-2022, the NSF proliferated neo-Nazi propaganda throughout Jacksonville, carrying out flyer drop campaigns and demonstrations against Jewish businesses. The NSF reportedly distributes an average of 20,000 flyers a month. Additionally, NSF demonstrated in front of a drag-themed restaurant in June 2022, where they held signs stating, “Fags groom kids,” “Grooming in progress” and “Judaism allows child rape.”“NatSoc Florida (NSF),” Anti-Defamation League, December 6, 2022, https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/natsoc-florida-nsf.

The NSF regularly demonstrates on overpasses across Florida. Two demonstrations held in August and September 2022 occurred in Tampa and Jacksonville, respectively. During the demonstration, the small cohort of NSF members brandished swastika flags and banners with messages stating, “Communism is Jewish,” and “Problem-Solution,” featuring imagery of the Star of David and the group’s logo.“Joshua Dan Nunes,” Stop Antisemitism, September 17, 2022, https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemite-of-the-week-8/joshua-dan-nunes-marine-turned-madman.

These hate campaigns continued through the end of the year, and in late October 2022 Nunes, along with a group of protesters, plastered neo-Nazi imagery and banners throughout Jacksonville that featured messages such as “End Jewish supremacy in America,” and “Honk if you know it’s the Jews.” Despite owning up to the hate crime, Nunes and the protesters were not arrested by police.Josh Fiallo, “Cops ID Neo-Nazis Accused of Hanging Antisemitic Banners Around Jacksonville,” The Daily Beast, November 9, 2022, https://www.thedailybeast.com/cops-id-neo-nazis-accused-of-hanging-antisemitic-banners-around-jacksonville; Beth Reeves Cravey, “What we know about 2 of the leaders in recent antisemitic activities in Jacksonville,” The Florida Times-Union, November 4, 2022, https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/crime/2022/11/04/jacksonville-identifies-two-men-behind-antisemitic-displays-florida/8265794001/.

According to Stop Antisemitism, the NSF’s tactics of propaganda distribution and in-person harassment campaigns have been reinforced and supported by a network of white supremacist groups throughout Florida, including the notorious Goyim Defense League (GDL) founded by John Minadeo II.“Joshua Dan Nunes,” Stop Antisemitism, September 17, 2022, https://www.stopantisemitism.org/antisemite-of-the-week-8/joshua-dan-nunes-marine-turned-madman. On January 16, 2023, the NSF and GDL orchestrated a large projection on the Wells Fargo building in Jacksonville that read, “Jews are wrecking the U.S.A.” In a similar incident two days earlier on January 14, an image of a swastika entwined with a crucifix was projected on the side of the CSX building. It is not yet confirmed if NSF or GDL were connected to the event.Aleks Phillips, “Neo-Nazi Messages Keep Appearing on Buildings All Over Florida,” January 18, 2023, https://www.newsweek.com/florida-antisemitic-messages-swastika-jacksonville-west-palm-beach-1774725.