"A recent report by  Counter Extremism Project, published by The Independent, shows that extremist organizations with white supremacist ideologies are employing the guise of fitness and martial arts to attract and expand their ranks, effectively establishing a new network of militias across the United States, Canada, and Europe. ...

'I've never seen a network in right-wing extremism grow so fast. Usually, it takes years to build a transnational network. It's concerning,' said Alexander Ritzmann, the author of the report and an advisor to the Counter Extremism Project."

"At least 46 so-called 'active clubs' – which publicly promote 'brotherhood' and training in combat sports and fitness while covertly advancing fascist and neo-Nazi agendas and preparing for large-scale violence – have sprouted in 34 states between 2020 and 2023, according to the report from the Counter Extremism Project."

CEP Senior Advisor Ian Acheson writes: "Soldiers are trained in war fighting and they have no powers of arrest so it is likely that they could only be used in very limited circumstances, for example during a raid on suspected terrorists. It is plainly a necessary but insufficient stop gap to ensure that we are still able to respond to an attack by violent extremists, still judged by our security services to be ‘highly likely.’"

"The Active Club movement is growing exponentially. A new report by the nonprofit Counter Extremism Project, reveals that there are at least 46 active clubs across 34 states in the U.S. The 'transnational' network also has chapters in 15 countries, including Canada, and across Europe, with 23 chapters in France alone.  Alexander Ritzmann, who conducted the CEP research, describes the groups as 'trying to build a militia' in plain sight."

"The Land Cruiser is also a fantastic military transport vehicle, with the UN and many other countries’ armies and governments using the rugged Toyota for their own causes. Unfortunately, with the reputation the Land Cruiser gained, it is also among the favorites of militant groups and terrorists. The CEO of the Counter Extremism Project was even quoted as stating, ‘Regrettably, the Toyota Land Cruiser and Hilux have effectively almost become part of the terrorist brand.’"

"Data on the groups seen by Vice has been gathered by the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) which published a report that claims: 'Since the creation of the first Active Club in late 2020, at least 100 Active Clubs have been created in the U.S, Canada, and Europe.'"

Alexander Ritzmann, the report’s author and senior advisor to the CEP, told the outlet: 'This is an unprecedented growth. I've never seen a network in right-wing extremism grow so fast. Usually, it takes years to build a transnational network. It’s concerning.'"

"From Denmark, to France, and Canada, semi-autonomous white supremacist groups have been popping up across the globe and recruiting young white men to come train. According to a new report by the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) that was shared with VICE News, 'since the creation of the first Active Club in late 2020, at least 100 Active Clubs have been created in the U.S, Canada, and Europe.'

'This is an unprecedented growth. I've never seen a network in right-wing extremism grow so fast. Usually it takes years to build a transnational network,' Alexander Ritzmann, the report’s author and senior advisor to the CEP, told VICE News. 'It’s concerning.'"

"New research, presented Friday by the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), warns the past several months have seen a proliferation of small, loosely affiliated combat sports and fitness clubs — known as Active Clubs — that publicly advertise fitness, self-improvement and brotherhood...

'They are trying to build a militia undercover,' said Alexander Ritzmann, a CEP senior adviser and the author of the new report. 'The underlying assessment is there is no leadership in the U.S. for targeted violence, for a strong national event or leadership. But once such a thing occurs, you need soldiers.'"

CEP Executive Director David Ibsen writes: "Last week, the Danish government ignited a firestorm of controversy by unveiling a divisive plan to ban the burning of holy texts, wielding the threat of a two-year prison sentence. But will this approach risk fuelling the flames of extremism? By prohibiting such acts, we may inadvertently provide extremists with the incendiary belief that violence is the only way to be heard."

"The festivals — which are often declared political events, making them harder to ban and ensuring that any profit will be tax-exempt — typically feature a right-wing extremist speaker or seminar, according to Hans-Jakob Schindler, the Berlin-based senior director of the Counter Extremism Project. And while mixed martial arts tournaments in Europe typically feature fighters from different racial groups, these events allow only white fighters to take part. ...
But the message underpinning the events, said Alexander Ritzmann, a senior adviser at the Counter-Extremism Project, is clear: 'that whites are under threat on all kinds of levels.'"