Active Clubs

Friday, May 17, 2024

Active Clubs: The Case of Sweden 2020-2024 | Morgan Finnsiö

Morgan Finnsiö 
Researcher, EXPO Foundation

The Swedish EXPO Foundation published a detailed report on the local Active Club network in November 2023: https://expo.se/nyhet/har-tranar-nazisterna-i-kommunens-traningshall/

On May 17, 2024, CEP hosted a webinar to discuss the latest developments around the white supremacist Active Club network in the U.S. and Europe. Active Clubs are arguably the largest and fastest growing violent extreme-right network with more than 100 groups in North America and Europe.

The underlying strategy was developed in the U.S. in 2020 with the aim to build a shadow militia. To hide in plain sight, Active Clubs are supposed to present a friendly face to the public with a focus on sports and brotherhood to avoid law enforcement interventions. This less aggressive and more mainstream looking strategy is also meant to help grow the network. 

In September 2023, CEP published the first comprehensive report on the Active Club network and strategy. Further CEP research looked into the militant nature of the network and addressed the important difference between Active Clubs and other right-wing extremist groups doing combat sports. 

The Swedish EXPO Foundation published a detailed report on the local Active Club network in November 2023, while the Dutch weekly magazine The Groene Amsterdammer investigated the scene in the Netherlands in February 2024. 

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"Australian white supremacists and neo-Nazis are encouraging members to undergo combat sports training and law enforcement avoidance under the banner of “Active Clubs”, a parliamentary inquiry into right-wing extremism heard from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP)."

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April 12, 2024
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cep blog active club april 2024

(Mis)Understanding the transnational violent extreme-right Active Club Strategy

In early April 2024, CEP submitted a report to the inquiry of the Parliament of Australia into right-wing extremist movements. This blog summarizes the contribution of CEP´s senior adviser Alexander Ritzmann to the CEP report, where he analyzes the...

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"The global anti-terror group Counter Extremism Project last week warned the Senate committee about Australian neo-Nazis creating crowdfunding campaigns and “active clubs” to train members in combat."

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April 9, 2024
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"In 2023, a report from the Counter Extremism Project highlighted close to 46 active clubs in 34 states. Lewis said one of the most important strength values is their ability to recruit white men nationwide, encouraging them to organize and lead their own clubs."

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March 14, 2024
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"In the US, there are at least 46 active clubs across 34 states, a 2023 report from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) said." 

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March 3, 2024
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Active Clubs “promise a massive status upgrade through white supremacy,” said Alexander Ritzmann, a political scientist and senior advisor at the Counter Extremism Project. “It’s specifically interesting for people who feel unaccomplished, discriminated [against], unseen.…male fragility plus a tendency for violence. That is the target audience.”

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February 7, 2024
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"Due to their scattered nature, the exact number of active clubs can be difficult to quantify. However, a September 2023 report from the nonprofit Counter Extremism Project identified 46 active clubs across the United States. 

Most of these clubs are unique to a single state, such as the three identified in California and two each in Pennsylvania and Nevada. But at least one of them also crosses state lines, according to the Counter Extremism Project: the Great Lakes active club, which has members in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. While some of these clubs may have less than 30 members, they typically maintain a large social media presence."

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January 12, 2024
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Daily Dose

Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.

Fact:

On April 3, 2017, the day Vladimir Putin was due to visit the city, a suicide bombing was carried out in the St. Petersburg metro, killing 15 people and injuring 64. An al-Qaeda affiliate, Imam Shamil Battalion, claimed responsibility. 

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