Opening the event, German speaker Alexander Ritzmann (Counter Extremism Project, Germany) reconstructed the map of organized antisemitic networks, illustrating methods for identification and counteraction that combine open-source intelligence, flow analysis, and public-private cooperation. The goal: dismantling the architectures of hate by addressing the nodes, financing, and mechanisms of algorithmic amplification.

Gun raids in Germany and films of people shooting with AR-15s in Sweden. The Active Club movement has taken steps towards becoming even more radical and violent. German researcher Alexander Ritzmann, from the Counter Extremism Project, warns that the movement may be on the verge of arming itself. It is not a martial arts club, but an emerging shadow militia, he says.

Alexander Ritzmann from the Counter Extremism Project has been researching the phenomenon for years and believes there is a danger that shadow militias could emerge from some of the groups and strike on D-Day. Day X is supposed to be the assumption of power by a right-wing dictator. The historical model for part of the movement is the Sturmabteilung (SA) of the NSDAP. Also Julian M.'s men in Berlin. In October 2024, a DJV member wrote to his leader in a chat that he now wanted to set up his own "subgroup along the lines of the SA".

ARD Tagesschau podcast on Active Clubs with Alexander Ritzmann
Young men meet in trendy sports clubs for fitness training and boxing or practise jiu-jitsu martial arts. According to experts, the so-called "active clubs" are primarily about fun and camaraderie, while also introducing them to right-wing ideologies of violence. Apparently, well-known figures from the right-wing extremist scene are behind this. In this 11KM episode, SWR reporter Florian Barth talks about the new phenomenon of "Active Clubs", in which right-wing activists apparently train for street fighting and a "system overthrow", how right-wing networks are organized and recruited throughout Germany and how security authorities are looking at them.
 

"The Counter Extremism Project says the goal of Active Clubs is 'to build a shadow militia while evading law enforcement scrutiny'.
'Active Clubs pretend to have deradicalised and to only focus on sports and brotherhood,' the project's Alexander Ritzmann told a Senate hearing last week.
'They're often founded by members of established open extreme right neo-Nazi groups to attract members from mainstream society.'"

CEP and CEP Senior Advisor Alexander Ritzmann remarks to Australian Parliament quoted: "A counter-extremist group has warned a Senate committee a fast-growing, global far-right extremism group has infiltrated Australia. Known as 'Active Clubs', the hearing was told the group thrives on social media, and exists to build a "shadow militia" while evading law enforcement scrutiny."

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.”

"Active Club portrays itself as consisting of combat sports groups. Alexander Ritzmann, a senior adviser at the Counter Extremism Project in Berlin, said in a research paper that the Active Club’s real purpose is to create a 'standby militia' that can be activated to create violence on behalf of neo-Nazi causes."

"Alexander Ritzmann, a senior advisor of the Counter-Extremism Project, has been a leading expert on Active Clubs and their international spread. He told VICE News that in the United States, the Active Clubs appear to be building 'a militia that looks like a combat sports network.'"