(New York, N.Y.) — The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports on the methods used by extremists and terrorist groups on the Internet to spread propaganda and incite violence. In this week’s issue:

• Neo-Nazi and White Supremacist Propagandists Cheer Belfast Anti-Immigrant Riots, Claim that Violence Works
• White Supremacists Celebrate Attempted Arson of Bolton, England Imam’s Home
• ISIS Al-Naba Editorial Calls for Patience
• Roundup of Claimed ISIS Attacks
• Pro-ISIS Online Chat User Offers Virtual Phone Numbers
• Neo-Nazi Accelerationist Essay Calls for Preparation for Eventual Race War

Neo-Nazi and White Supremacist Propagandists Cheer Belfast Anti-Immigrant Riots, Claim that Violence Works

In multiple Telegram posts from June 9 to 13, white supremacist and neo-Nazi propagandists cheered anti-immigrant unrest in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Riots erupted following the Monday, June 8, knife attack reportedly committed by a Sudanese asylum seeker, identified as Hadi Alodid, against a man identified as Stephen Ogilvie, who was severely wounded before bystanders intervened. Footage of the attack was widely shared on social media, and anti-immigrant activists called for protests. On Tuesday, masked rioters set fire to immigrants’ homes in Belfast and burned multiple vehicles, including a bus.

Dozens of extreme right Telegram channels posted anti-immigrant messages and noted their support for anti-immigrant violence. A Northern Ireland chapter of the under-18 Youth Club movement noted that, if attending protests, individuals should seek to conceal their identities and leave their cell phones at home. The channel also shared a message from one of the main Youth Club channels stating that activists in the UK should make their perceived opponents “terrified they are trapped on an island with you.” On June 9, a channel connected to individuals in Texas noted approvingly that homes “belonging to invaders” had been burnt. On June 10, a channel connected to the Active Club movement, which has over 14,000 subscribers, posted an image of a burning Police Service of Northern Ireland vehicle with the caption “white boy summer is starting off hot this year.” The main Active Club channel, with over 5,400 subscribers, shared a video that included footage of the June 8 knife attack followed by various marches, and mixed martial arts and propaganda events by white supremacist groups in the U.S., Europe, and Australia. Other channels associated with the Active Club movement encouraged people to join local chapters or offered advice regarding operational security.

Several channels also specifically claimed that anti-immigrant violence was effective. A white supremacist Telegram channel allegedly linked to individuals in Ohio posted a section from a BBC news article regarding South Asian immigrants leaving Northern Ireland due to rioting and intimidation, with text underneath stating “violence works and I’m tired of pretending it doesn’t.”

On Substack, an individual affiliated with the English Active Club chapter posted in support of anti-immigrant and anti-government violence. The author claimed that anti-immigrant attacks were, in fact, the fault of politicians and elites who allegedly “lied” to the victims “about promised social cohesion.” The Substack also shared tips for maintaining anonymity during civil unrest and claimed that journalists had been threatened to prevent the disclosure of rioters’ identities. The Active Club Substack also posted videos of anti-immigrant demonstrations in Northern Ireland and Scotland. It stated with approval that Scottish protestors attacked individuals in Glasgow whom they claimed were immigrants.

Many of the channels commenting on the Belfast riots also made posts the previous week seeking to recruit following the sentencing of the killer of Henry Nowak in Southampton, England.

White Supremacists Celebrate Attempted Arson of Bolton, England Imam’s Home

On Telegram, white supremacist channels cheered the June 10 attempted arson of the Bolton, England, home of an Imam and his wife and children. Surveillance footage showed an individual wearing a helmet and black clothing lighting a fire, smashing a window, and then spraying an accelerant inside the home, leading to the blaze spreading, before running away. The seven adults and children at the residence were physically unharmed.

Over a dozen white supremacist channels posted about the attack and shared the surveillance footage. A Swedish Active Club-affiliated Telegram channel with almost 6,000 subscribers shared the attack video and posted a disingenuous message claiming they do not encourage illegal activity, but noting “how dangerous it is to play with fire.” Users of a neo-fascist accelerationist forum celebrated the attack, with one forum member noting that the Imam’s children were in the house and calling the perpetrator an “Aryan legend.” A user of an imageboard accessible using the Tor browser and dedicated to white supremacist terrorism also shared footage of the attack and encouraged similar acts of violence.
 

An Active Club-affiliated Telegram channel post on June 11 dishonestly claimed they shared a clip of the attempted arson of an English Imam’s home to show “how dangerous it is to play with fire.” Screenshot taken on June 11.

ISIS Al-Naba Editorial Calls for Patience

The editorial in issue 551 of ISIS’s al-Naba weekly newsletter stressed the importance of patience. The article warned readers not to abandon what was described as the true path and claimed that the capacity for patience correlates with faith. The editorial noted that patience would lead to victory.

Editorial in ISIS al-Naba issue 551. Screenshot taken on June 11.

Roundup of Claimed ISIS Attacks

Between June 7 and 13, ISIS claimed credit for 11 attacks. Seven attacks occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, three in Nigeria, and one in Niger. In statements made on June 7, 10, and 13, ISIS claimed to have killed 16 civilians and destroyed approximately 20 homes in four attacks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The attacks occurred in the Beni region in North Kivu province, in the northeast of the country, near the border with Uganda. 
 

Pro-ISIS Online Chat User Offers Virtual Phone Numbers

On June 9, a user in a pro-ISIS chatroom on the RocketChat platform offered virtual phone numbers for use. The post noted that phone numbers could enhance online security. ISIS online supporters have previously sought virtual phone numbers to create accounts on social media platforms or communications apps.

Neo-Nazi Accelerationist Essay Calls for Preparation for Eventual Race War

On June 11, a neo-Nazi Telegram channel run by an individual affiliated with the group Injekt Division posted a two-page essay noting that the collapse of society and resulting race war would be a violent and protracted conflict. The author stated that this was unfortunately “the only viable solution to our problems,” and advised readers to accept that deaths would occur and that they would have to make sacrifices. The text noted that it was necessary to prepare “physically, mentally, and spiritually.” The essay included a photo of two armed members of The Base at a protest in Bad Axe, Michigan, in June 2020.

An essay released by the same individual, dated March 31, encouraged waiting until a state of government and societal collapse before engaging in violence.