Extremist Content Online: White Supremacist Active Clubs Spread Propaganda on Meta-Owned Instagram
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:
- ISIS Activity Roundup
- ISIS Al-Naba Editorial Affirms Fight as Religious, Condemns Nationalist Struggles
- JNIM Linked Propaganda Group Releases Interview with Leader in Burkina Faso
- 14 Active Club Accounts Created in Summer 2026 Located on Instagram
- Active Club England Announces Creation of Women’s Group
- Users of Neo-Nazi Telegram Chat Encourage Violence Against Politicians
- Accelerationist Essay Rejects Atomwaffen Division Copycats, Encourages New Aesthetics
- Active Club-Affiliated Substack Condemns Ceuta Migrants, Encourages Violence
- Robert Rundo Proclaims Active Clubs as Vanguard of the White Supremacist Movement, Promotes Anti-Arab Racism
ISIS Activity Roundup
Between August 2 and 8, ISIS claimed credit for 17 attacks. The terrorist group claimed responsibility for eight attacks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, five in Nigeria, two in Mozambique, and two in Pakistan. Six of the eight attacks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo specifically mentioned attacks on civilians or villages.
ISIS Al-Naba Editorial Affirms Fight as Religious, Condemns Nationalist Struggles
The editorial in issue 559 of ISIS’s weekly al-Naba newsletter, released on August 6, noted that the terrorist organization’s fight was based on believers fighting unbelievers and was not based on ethnicity, nationalism, or the concepts of liberation or materialism. The article accused the U.S. of fighting against ISIS as part of a religious and ideological war, charging the U.S. with seeking to change the fundamental principles of Islam. The editorial asserted that fighting in the name of religion would bring success. In contrast, those who have abandoned the religious struggle and embraced a fight based on nationalism have allegedly been defeated, according to the authors. The editorial noted ISIS is engaged in a fight with all they claim are unbelievers, and that there is no possibility for a truce or negotiation.
Image from ISIS al-Naba editorial in issue 559. Screenshot taken on August 6.
JNIM Linked Propaganda Group Releases Interview with Leader in Burkina Faso
On August 1, Az-Zallaqa Foundation, the propaganda arm of Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), released the text of an interview with Sheik Abu Mahmoud, JNIM’s leader in Burkina Faso. Sheik Abu Mahmoud claimed that JNIM was acting in response to violence from the governments of Burkina Faso and Mali, encouraged fighting against regional governments, and noted that the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), consisting of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, has committed atrocities against civilians in the course of fighting. He also stated that while JNIM is not opposed to receiving aid from states, they do not, and asserted that the group is united by faith and common purposes and not ethnic or tribal identity. Abu Mahmoud accused the government of Burkina Faso of closing mosques and intimidating and imprisoning Muslims, including religious scholars. He noted that JNIM was fighting to overthrow the current government and institute religious law. In addition to encouraging continued fighting and steadfastness, Abu Mahmoud dismissed the accusation that this was a tribal conflict, calling for religious unity in fighting against AES forces. He criticized non-governmental organizations, stating that they only provide aid in government-held areas and claiming that, as a result, these NGOs were not truly neutral.
Az-Zallaqa interview with JNIM leader Sheik Abu Mahmoud, posted on Chirpwire. Screenshot taken on August 6.
14 Active Club Accounts Created in Summer 2026 Located on Instagram
In a search of Meta-owned Instagram on August 5, CEP researchers located 14 accounts connected to the white supremacist Active Club movement that were created in June, July, or August 2026. Five accounts were linked to clubs in France, two in Germany, two in Belgium, and one each in Brazil, Switzerland, England, Italy, and Poland. The 14 accounts had an average of 213 followers, ranging from 44 to 792.
The accounts posted Active Club propaganda and links to Telegram channels. Two French accounts obscured part of their Active Club logo used in their profile photo and in posts, likely in an attempt to avoid removal. A German account advised potential members to message them directly on Instagram to request to join the group.
CEP reported the 14 accounts to Instagram on August 5. All 14 accounts were still online on August 10.
Videos from an Active Club Instagram account. Screenshot taken on August 6.
Active Club England Announces Creation of Women’s Group
On August 1, Active Club England announced the creation of an affiliated network for women. An associated Telegram channel, which first posted in June, announced the organization for women above the age of 18, promoting motherhood “and healthy femininity.” The channel, based on its name and content, focused on concepts of motherhood and raising children.
On August 3, a channel affiliated with the under-18 United Youth Club movement noted that women were important to the development and promotion of white power politics. The post noted that women make up half of the population and are important for family and society, and encouraged the rejection of “incel culture.”
Users of Neo-Nazi Telegram Chat Encourage Violence Against Politicians
On August 1, two users of a Telegram chat connected to a neo-Nazi channel that focuses on issues related to operations security advocated using violence against elected officials. Posts were made in response to a video regarding efforts in New York State’s FY 2027 budget to integrate technology into 3D printers, CNC machines, and similar technology to prevent the creation of illegal firearm components. A chat user noted that politicians’ addresses are often public. The two users did not mention a specific elected official or region.
Accelerationist Essay Rejects Atomwaffen Division Copycats, Encourages New Aesthetics
On August 4, a post on a neo-Nazi accelerationist website operated by former members of the Atomwaffen Division (AWD) and successor organizations rejected the ongoing creation of AWD copycat groups. The post noted that these AWD copies are usually small groups of teenagers under the age of 18 who copy AWD propaganda and aesthetics. The post noted the long-term legacy of AWD over six years after the group disbanded, but encouraged new organizations to learn from AWD’s mistakes, create new messages and employ new types of propaganda, arguing that AWD made a lasting impression because of its originality.
Multiple small neo-Nazi accelerationist groups have emerged in the past six years that recycle AWD propaganda, wear German military camouflage, and copy key elements of AWD messaging.
Active Club-Affiliated Substack Condemns Ceuta Migrants, Encourages Violence
In an August 4 post on an Active Club-affiliated Substack, an individual using a pseudonym tied to the British wing of the movement advocated violence in response to the migrant surge in the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta. The post specifically called for “the law of the fist” in response to individuals the author called “violent savages” seeking to enter Europe or European territory. The Substack also praised neo-fascist groups and right-wing ultras who are “on the offensive trying to protect their streets.” The post invoked the great replacement conspiracy theory and accused Israel of responsibility for the surge of migrants.
The author also accused Spain’s government of abandoning their citizens, and remarked that Spain should have deployed the military to the area, either with non-lethal or lethal weapons, and attacked individuals crossing the border, or distributed non-lethal weapons to the Spanish citizens of Ceuta. The post also noted that the Spanish government should have attacked Morocco in response to the surge in migrant crossings. The author invoked the European Convention on Human Rights, claiming that Spanish citizens had the authority to use force to defend themselves. The post also called for the use of “moral force” against the European political system.
Robert Rundo Proclaims Active Clubs as Vanguard of the White Supremacist Movement, Promotes Anti-Arab Racism
In a podcast episode released on Substack on August 5, Robert Rundo, co-founder of the Active Club movement, argued that Active Clubs should serve as “the vanguard of the pro-white scene,” comparing them to the elite World War I Italian assault troops, the Arditi. In what has become a common theme, he argued that strong aesthetics and the concepts of risk, adventure, and glory were important for building a counter-cultural movement that would be attractive to young men seeking authenticity.
In the second half of the episode, Rundo condemned migrants entering the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa, and promoted anti-Arab racism, blaming Arabs and North Africans for sexual violence and calling them the enemies of “Christendom and civilization.” Rundo went on to praise the Spanish fascist group Núcleo Nacional and the concept of the Reconquista, the retaking of the Iberian Peninsula by Christian states from Muslim rulers from the early 8th century to 1492.