(New York, N.Y.) — The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the methods used by extremists to exploit the Internet and social media platforms to recruit followers and incite violence. Last week, members of the extreme right and white supremacists commemorated the first anniversary of the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol on multiple Telegram and chan imageboards and in some cases voiced hope for future attacks.
CEP researchers also found a neo-Nazi podcast live-streamed on YouTube. It featured Australian Thomas Sewell, who promoted the great replacement conspiracy theory and stated that whites need to “take back living space.” Last week on the website “Buy Me A Coffee”, a neo-Nazi artist started a campaign that raised $880 within three days of launching. Neo-Nazis on Telegram also celebrated Lyndon McLeod, who killed five people in Denver and the surrounding areas on December 28. Additionally, on Telegram, CEP researchers found a channel belonging to an online neo-Nazi accelerationist group that had previously been removed from the communications app.
There was also a large amount of white supremacist propaganda and content that supported violence located on Mega.Nz, who removed the files after CEP reported them. Neo-Nazis also uploaded content including information on how to make explosives to the site Anonfiles, who also removed the content after it was reported. Additionally, a neo-Nazi Telegram channel advocated for using vehicles to commit terrorist attacks. Finally, CEP researchers found an Internet Archive account that posted 56 pieces of ISIS content on the site, and researchers also located a video made by the pro-ISIS group al-Ansar Foundation which was released on multiple websites.
Extreme Right, White Supremacists Commemorate One Year Anniversary of Capitol Attack
On January 6, multiple Telegram and chan imageboard users commemorated the one-year anniversary of the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Numerous posters on 4chan’s /pol board voiced their hopes that similar attacks in the future would be successful. Users on the main 8chan successor site falsely claimed that President Donald Trump’s supporters did not attack the Capitol, insinuating that either the members of the left or the government committed the actual assault. A Telegram channel affiliated with the group Nationalist Social Club reposted photos of an alleged stolen Capitol Police helmet from January 6 with the neo-Nazi group’s sticker on it. Other Telegram channels celebrated the anniversary as an “attack on Jewish power,” while many channels used the occasion to state their opposition to all political parties. Several Proud Boys affiliated Telegram channels sought to downplay or deny the violence on January 6, however one Proud Boys channel posted an image calling for “vengeance” for the death of Ashli Babbit.
Neo-Nazi Podcast Located on YouTube
CEP located a neo-Nazi podcast on YouTube live-streamed on the platform on December 27. The podcast primarily consisted of an interview with the Australian neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell, who promoted the great replacement conspiracy theory and stated that whites need to “take back living space,” claiming that “the system is absolutely evil, it is run by evil traitors, globalists, Jews, traitor whites, that are rotting the fabric of our being, our everything, our soul, or race, and these people are disgusting, evil, wicked people.” The host of the podcast stated the need to promote the “most radical faction(s)” to “rise up from the ashes and reclaim lands and territories from which we were cheated out of.”
The podcast had over 3,500 views on January 6, and comments included advice on creating local white supremacist propaganda groups. The podcast channel had 710 subscribers on January 6 and had been on YouTube since November 2020. The podcast was still online three days after CEP reported it.
Podcast featuring Australian neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell on YouTube.
Neo-Nazi Propagandist Crowdfunding on the Website “Buy Me A Coffee”
A prolific neo-Nazi digital artist opened a crowdfunding campaign on the “Buy Me A Coffee” (BMAC) website on January 2. The propagandist has made content promoting the white supremacist Rise Above Movement-linked “Active Club,” the white supremacist group Patriot Front, as well as additional neo-Nazi content. BMAC’s Terms of use prohibit users from using the site to do anything deemed “threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, libelous, tortious, obscene, (or) profane.” As of 12 pm on January 5, the campaign had raised $880 on the website. At least two other white supremacist fundraising efforts on BMAC in March and October 2021 raised money before the site shut them down. CEP contacted BMAC on January 7, but the fundraising page was still accessible three days later.
Neo-Nazi Telegram Channels Celebrate Denver Shooter
Neo-Nazi Telegram propagandists celebrated Lyndon McLeod, who killed five people in shootings in Denver and the surrounding area on December 28. The gunman was allegedly a member of an online male supremacist extreme right subculture and had previously written about his desire to kill two of his victims. Approximately 18 white supremacist channels posted images and statements glorifying McLeod within three days of the attack, referring to him as a “saint.” One notorious neo-Nazi channel stated that their role was to promote the gunman and spread his message to lead to more violence and a feeling of lost safety among “elites.” An infamous white supremacist podcaster who maintains multiple Telegram channels and chats and sells sunglasses, t-shirts, and other merchandise, called for his followers to “find inspiration” in the gunman.
Telegram Channel Allegedly Belonging to Neo-Nazi Accelerationist Group Located on Telegram
CEP located a Telegram channel purportedly belonging to an online neo-Nazi accelerationist group, a member was arrested on May 27 for allegedly planning a mass shooting at a Walmart. The group claims to be a white supremacist alternative substance abuse recovery program. The channel has called for attacks on electrical infrastructure and the murder of Jews, law enforcement officers, and others.
A Telegram channel previously linked to the group that glorified their member arrested in May was deleted from Telegram on June 11 for violating the communication app’s Terms of Service. The current channel was created on December 17. The group has previously claimed that they were allied with the online neo-Nazi accelerationist group Feuerkrieg Division.
Mega.Nz Removes Large Quantity of White Supremacist Propaganda, Manifestos, and Bomb Making Guides
On January 3, CEP located and reported a large quantity of white supremacist propaganda and content supporting violence to Mega.Nz, which promptly removed it. The content, which was posted by the admin of a white supremacist Telegram channel, included the Christchurch attack video and the terrorist’s manifesto, texts made for the neo-Nazi forum Iron March, antisemitic and esoteric Nazi texts, guerrilla warfare manuals, information on the homemade production of a wide variety of bombs and explosives, and combat videos originally released as propaganda by groups including al-Qaeda.
Neo-Nazi Content Including Explosives Guides Removed from Anonfiles
On December 29, CEP reported over 8 gigabytes of content, including information on making explosives, to the download site Anonfiles, which removed the content. The files were uploaded to the website by a Russian-language neo-Nazi Telegram channel on December 28. A previous version of the Telegram channel was removed for violating the platform’s Terms of Service on September 10, 2021, however, the replacement channel has not been taken down.
Neo-Nazi Telegram Channel Advocates for Vehicular Attacks
On January 3, a prominent neo-Nazi Telegram channel advocated for committing terrorist attacks using vehicles. The channel stated that personal vehicles could be used in lieu of firearms. The channel had over 385 subscribers on January 6 and routinely celebrates white supremacist terrorists and mass murders.
Pro-ISIS User Located on the Internet Archive
CEP researchers located an Internet Archive account that posted 56 pieces of ISIS content on the website between late December and early January. Content included ISIS propaganda photos, issues of the al-Naba newsletter, Amaq videos, and Amaq news statements. The user had only uploaded ISIS content and had several pro-ISIS websites and channels on the communications platform Matrix in their profile description. 50 out of the 56 pieces of content were geo-restricted in France by the Internet Archive and required a log-in to view. The user was not removed from the Internet Archive after CEP reported the account.
Pro-ISIS Video Located on Multiple Websites
CEP researchers located a video made by the pro-ISIS group al-Ansar Foundation, released on January 4, titled “Africa is Coming Back.” The video, over 15 minutes in length, contained combat and propaganda footage allegedly from the group’s self-proclaimed West Africa and Central Africa provinces.
The video was spread on Element and was uploaded to at least 13 other websites. In approximately 48 hours, the video was still available on seven websites: Top4top, the Internet Archive, File.Cm, Fromsmash, the distributed site IPFS, JawCloud, and PeerTube.Co.Uk. The Internet Archive made the video only viewable to logged in members and geo restricted it after CEP reported it.