(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. Last week, CEP located five pro-al-Qaeda and ten pro-ISIS accounts in a search on Instagram. Most reported accounts were still on the platform on October 27. On October 22, in a specific online communications platform, an online German-language pro-ISIS group called for violence against Jews. Also on October 22, a pro-ISIS Telegram channel noted the Syrian transitional government had clashed with a foreign fighter faction. Between October 19 and 25, ISIS claimed credit for 17 attacks in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.

CEP researchers located a propaganda video on X advertising UK-based white supremacist Active Club chapters that received over 300,000 views. The Telegram user who made the video encouraged others to give the X video a signal boost. Active Club movement founder Robert Rundo appeared in a video with a prominent member of one of the movement’s Texas chapters, discussing concepts of brotherhood and camaraderie. Finally, a white supremacist publisher announced that they would be accepting Bitcoin at the end of October, following the loss of a payment processor.

Pro-Al-Qaeda and Pro-ISIS Content Located on Instagram

CEP researchers found five pro-al-Qaeda and 10 pro-ISIS accounts in a search of Instagram on October 22. The five pro-al-Qaeda accounts had an average of 116 followers, ranging from 11 to 252. Content included posts from the az-Zallaqa Foundation, linked to the West African al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM); statements and a video clip from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP); propaganda from AQAP-linked al-Malahem Media; and video clips from al-Qaeda as-Sahab media. Several clips celebrated the recent 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. 

The 10 pro-ISIS accounts that were found on the platform posted clips from ISIS propaganda videos, pages from the group’s al-Naba weekly newsletter, Nashir claims of responsibility, and content from the pro-ISIS tech group Electronic Horizons Foundation (EHF). Two accounts posted content that specifically advocated terrorist attacks, including a pro-ISIS video posted on October 19 that had over 225 views four days later, which included footage from ISIS or ISIS-inspired attacks in the UK, Russia, Israel, and others. The same video had almost 350 views on October 27. The 10 accounts had an average of 476 followers, ranging from 29 to 2,675. 

CEP researchers reported all 15 accounts on October 22. As of October 27, two of the five pro-al-Qaeda accounts had been removed, and only one of the pro-ISIS accounts had been removed.

ISIS claims of responsibility posted on Instagram using the “stories” feature. Screenshot taken on October 22.

German Language Online Pro-ISIS Group Calls for Murder of Jews

On October 22, the German-language online pro-ISIS group al-Saif Media released a poster on RocketChat calling for the murder of Jews. The image showed a man wearing clothing associated with Orthodox Judaism reflected in the blade of a knife, with text calling for anti-Jewish violence, and a hashtag that the group has previously used when celebrating or advocating for acts of terrorism. 

Al-Saif Media has little online reach outside of pro-ISIS spaces on RocketChat. There is no evidence that the poster released on October 22 was shared on major social media platforms. It is likely that, in addition to encouraging acts of violence, the pro-ISIS group is also seeking increased media attention.

Al-Saif Media announced its existence on January 21, 2025, and posts content infrequently. The group released a pamphlet encouraging acts of violence in January, and in mid-February, it released images celebrating the Villach, Austria, knife attack and encouraging vehicular attacks. The far-right political party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has previously highlighted al-Saif propaganda while calling for mass deportations before the 2025 German federal election.

Pro-ISIS Telegram Channel Notes Syrian Government Crackdown on Foreign Fighters

On October 22, a pro-ISIS Telegram channel noted that the Syrian transitional government under President Ahmad al-Sharaa had clashed with the French foreign fighter group Firqatul Ghuraba in Idlib. Posts claimed that French fighters had the support of Uzbek and Russian groups, who traveled from other parts of Idlib to the French camp. 

Telegram posts alleged that al-Sharaa was beginning a crackdown on foreign jihadist fighters at the behest of the West, and would expel, arrest, or kill members of foreign jihadist groups. On October 23, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Uzbek fighters and members of the Turkestan Islamic Party negotiated a temporary end to the fighting, noting that French authorities wanted the arrest of the leader of Firqatul Ghuraba.

Roundup of Claimed ISIS Attacks

Between October 19 and October 25, ISIS claimed credit for 17 attacks globally. The group claimed responsibility for six attacks in Mozambique, five attacks in Nigeria, three attacks in Syria, and one attack in either Pakistan, Congo, or Niger.

Active Club England Propaganda Video Receives Over 300,000 Views on X

A 35-second video promoting Active Club England and seven regional UK clubs received over 315,000 views on X within a week of its October 18 posting. The post, made by a blue-check verified X user, also received over 5,300 likes and was shared over 615 times. The post was made by an American account, but was shared by the central Active Club England account on X. The video featured footage of Active Club members boxing, training, and hiking, and included links to the group’s website, X, and Telegram accounts, as well as a specific Telegram contact for recruitment. The original X account that posted the video also posted videos endorsing Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler, and racist and antisemitic AI-generated videos. 

On Telegram, a channel with almost 2,000 subscribers, allegedly belonging to the video’s creator, requested that followers comment, like, and repost the video on X. The Telegram channel posts video edits of white supremacist groups in the U.S. and Europe, and has directed followers to material on X to signal boost.

CEP reported the video to X on October 23. As of October 27, it was still online.

On October 11, via Substack, a member of a UK Active Club promoted the movement and encouraged racial hatred.

Active Club England video on X, with over 315,000 views five days after it was posted. Screenshot taken on October 23.

Robert Rundo and Avery Ross Ruiz Promote Active Clubs and Associated Counter-Culture

In a video posted on an Active Club-affiliated Odysee channel on October 21, Active Club founder Robert Rundo and Lone Star Active Club (LSAC) member Avery Ross Ruiz, who goes by Ross and fights under the name Panzzer, promoted the white supremacist movement. Ross recounted how he became involved with LSAC following his involvement with a one-percenter motorcycle club and his work in an addiction treatment facility, noting that he reached out to LSAC on Telegram. Rundo spoke about his personal history, promoted the “3.0” white supremacist counter-culture, and emphasized the importance of street activism. Both individuals stressed the camaraderie and brotherhood of Active Clubs. Ross claimed that while traveling to the movement’s Frontier tournament, his flight was delayed, and a member of an Active Club he had never met before purchased him a new ticket. Rundo noted that Active Club members picked him up when he was released from prison. Rundo also stressed the importance of Active Club propaganda, noting that while other groups posted essays and rules and promoted podcasts, Active Clubs recruited through short videos showcasing risk-taking, combat sports, training, and brotherhood.

Ross also runs the American chapter of Streets Fight Club, and the movement has promoted underground boxing matches in which he has participated. On October 21, Rundo noted that he had coached Ross in his first MMA fight. The competition, the Texas Street Fighting Championship, was held at a bar in Austin, Texas, on October 18.

White Supremacist Press Announces They Will Accept Bitcoin

A white supremacist publisher announced that they would start accepting the cryptocurrency Bitcoin on October 31. On September 6, the publisher, whose logo is a half swastika and shares the same name as a term used by the Ku Klux Klan, noted that its payment processor had cut ties. The post stated that this was the 5th time such an event had occurred in their 2.5 years of existence. 

The publisher has released versions of the notorious antisemitic texts The International Jew and The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, as well as The Hitler Youth Handbook, and books from Nazi Germany on the Third Reich’s racial and economic policies. Members of a Telegram chat affiliated with the publisher have promoted neo-Nazi groups and promoted antisemitism and racism.

In June, the publisher announced that it was launching a monthly subscription service to access its catalog, future translations, and early access to upcoming releases. The publisher previously released a magazine in April 2022, with part of the proceeds benefiting the Nordic Resistance Movement (NRM), which the U.S. declared as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in June 2024. The publisher announced on September 2, 2022, that they had transferred $1,000 to the NRM, approximately two years before the SDGT designation.