Posted on Sep 26, 2023
How white supremacist fight clubs are building covert far-right militias
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White supremacist groups using the guise of fitness and martial arts to attract and grow their numbers are effectively creating a new militia network, with dozens of chapters forming in the US, Canada and across Europe within just three years, according to a newly published report from extremism researchers.
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.
That relatively rapid growth is alarming researchers who have closely tracked the explosion in far-right extremism and white supremacist movements in recent years, parallel to a surge in threats of political violence and violences towards marginalised groups.
“I’ve never seen a network in right-wing extremism grow so fast. Usually it takes years to build a transnational network,” report author and CEP adviser Alexander Ritzmann told VICE News, which first reported the research. “It’s concerning.”
While the groups outwardly promote group fitness events like boxing, jiu jitsu and other martial arts, the narratives surrounding their creation typically rely on white grievances and victimhood and empowerment through white supremacy, according to the report.
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.
That relatively rapid growth is alarming researchers who have closely tracked the explosion in far-right extremism and white supremacist movements in recent years, parallel to a surge in threats of political violence and violences towards marginalised groups.
“I’ve never seen a network in right-wing extremism grow so fast. Usually it takes years to build a transnational network,” report author and CEP adviser Alexander Ritzmann told VICE News, which first reported the research. “It’s concerning.”
While the groups outwardly promote group fitness events like boxing, jiu jitsu and other martial arts, the narratives surrounding their creation typically rely on white grievances and victimhood and empowerment through white supremacy, according to the report.
How white supremacist fight clubs are building covert far-right militias
Posted from the-independent.com
Fitness
Martial Arts
Racism
Nationalism
Fascism
Posted 7 mo ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Putting a so-called “friendly face” on far-right violence “not only allows … actors to further train the existing pool of extremists, it could also significantly foster the recruitment of newcomers” into such groups, according to the report, and prepare a “network of violence-ready individuals to serve as a shadow or stand-by army for when the need for coordinated violent action on a larger scale arises.”
The report follows growing concerns among federal law enforcement agencies, civil rights groups and extremism watchdogs as Americans’ growing tolerance for political violence intersects with a growing number of threats towards LGBT+ people and minority groups, careening towards a volatile election calendar with a leading candidate for the Republican nomination who has unleashed a constant stream of threatening statements endorsed by his supporters.
A failure to grasp active clubs’ “hiding in plain sight” approach “can lead to a dangerous misunderstanding of the scope of the threat” in the US and abroad, according to the report."
..."Putting a so-called “friendly face” on far-right violence “not only allows … actors to further train the existing pool of extremists, it could also significantly foster the recruitment of newcomers” into such groups, according to the report, and prepare a “network of violence-ready individuals to serve as a shadow or stand-by army for when the need for coordinated violent action on a larger scale arises.”
The report follows growing concerns among federal law enforcement agencies, civil rights groups and extremism watchdogs as Americans’ growing tolerance for political violence intersects with a growing number of threats towards LGBT+ people and minority groups, careening towards a volatile election calendar with a leading candidate for the Republican nomination who has unleashed a constant stream of threatening statements endorsed by his supporters.
A failure to grasp active clubs’ “hiding in plain sight” approach “can lead to a dangerous misunderstanding of the scope of the threat” in the US and abroad, according to the report."
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Clothing Line Designs Merch For White Supremacists In Preparation For Race War
The clothing line Will2Rise is designing sportswear geared toward white supremacists. Dr. Rashad Richey and Sharon Reed discuss on Indisputable. Tell us what...
V1 : https://youtu.be/xwe04oXZcQQ?si=1BVJlGLyrg7NatXc
1.) This Activewear Brand Wants to Be Lululemon for Fascists
Will2Rise is marketing “militant active wear” to white nationalist Active Clubs, which train members for street combat
* TIM DICKINSON
* SEPTEMBER 24, 2023 10:00AM EDT
Conservatives opposed to shopping at “woke” corporations have launched their own lines of pillows, piss beer, and mobile phone service.
Now, unabashed white supremacists are setting up shop in this so-called parallel economy.
Consider the fascist fashion house Will2Rise.
Will2Rise makes sports gear for white nationalists — including muscle-tees, track jackets, “militant active wear pants,” boxing gloves, and hoodies emblazoned with “Cultured Thug.”
Leaving no doubt about its politics, the company’s gear is branded with stylized silhouette of a fasces — the ancient Roman symbol (consisting of a bundle of wood with a protruding ax head) later embraced by far-right Italian militants, spawning the term “fascist.”
The company specifically markets to members of Active Clubs, a global network of white supremacists who “tribe and train.” The members of these tight-knit local chapters pursue street-fighter fitness in advance of an anticipated race war, or other violent confrontation. Rather than the Hawaiian shirts and AK-47s that characterize extremists like the Boogaloo Bois, the Active Club aesthetic is gym-wear and mixed martial arts prowess. Will2Rise sells training hoodies and tight-fitting ringer tees labeled, “ACTIVE CLUB.”
Will2Rise is also playing the role of a corporate sponsor for white supremacy events. The company staged a second-annual MMA tournament this August, in a Huntington Beach warehouse decorated with white-power flags. Hosted by the SoCal Active Club, the contests featured fighter representatives from the Tennessee Active Club, Big Sky Active Club, Great Lakes Active Club, Evergreen Active Club, as well as from Patriot Front, another high-profile, white-nationalist group. Many of the fighters sported Will2Rise boxing gloves and other apparel.
Think of the brand as Lululemon for white-power bros. The company touts its commitment to “bringing high-quality goods to Our guys.” Its white-power symbols are often coded. Many items for sale carry the Roman numeral XIV, or 14. For the neo-Nazi set, that’s a reference to the “14 words,” a dark oath about securing “the existence of our people and a future for white children.” A video montage on the slick Will2Rise homepage is more explicit. It flashes the words “white youth revolt,” “white unity,” and the slogan “action today, victory tomorrow.”
SOURCE : https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/active-clubs-will2rise-activewear-fascist [login to see] /amp/
2.) The Far Right’s Secret Weapon: Fascist Fashion
Europe's flourishing niche industry is spreading to the U.S., offering shirts and paraphernalia featuring neo-Nazi symbols in less overt forms.
February 26, 2019
At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be much out of the ordinary about them. A t-shirt showing a mountain and deer and the slogan “Respect Nature.” A black polo shirt with black, white, and red piping and a small circular logo. A sweater showing a child on a parent’s shoulders at a soccer match, holding up a supporter’s scarf, with “Keep the Tradition” underneath.
But look a bit closer. That symbol behind the deer? It’s a black sun, a common neo-Nazi symbol adapted from a floor mosaic in Heinrich Himmler’s SS Generals’ Hall. That logo on the polo shirt? It looks like a broken sun cross-style swastika. And the child on his parent’s back? He’s got the number 88 on their back—neo-Nazi code for “Heil Hitler.”
And there’s more where these came from. Far-right fashion in Europe has become a niche industry over the past decade. Brands big and small have given everyone from hardened neo-Nazis to young men flirting with the far-right subcultures a way to express themselves that doesn’t fit neatly into what many think a far-right extremist is supposed to look like.
But it’s hardly just about looking cool or tough, or playing coy little games with adults who aren’t well-versed in the subtleties of fascist symbolism; far-right fashion can help extremist devotees, especially young men, build a stronger sense of belonging and brotherhood, and even act as a gateway to radicalization. And those who have their eyes on the far-right fashion scene in Europe think the U.S. is next.
SOURCE : https://newrepublic.com/article/153161/far-rights-secret-weapon-fascist-fashion
3.) 'Lululemon for white-power bros': Clothing line targets fascists seeking 'streetfighter fitness' for race war
CLOTHING COMPANY WITH RACIST TIES BANNED BY MMA LEAGUES
After sponsoring several fighters, a California clothing firm with ties to racist skinheads is banned by mixed martial arts leagues
Three major Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) leagues have banned a "street wear" clothing company with ties to the racist skinhead movement. But the California-based company, Hoelzer Reich, continues to make inroads into mainstream youth culture by providing money and free garments to at least some professional MMA fighters and motorcycle racers.
These athletes then wear the clothes, much of which displays Nazi imagery, in public appearances and in merchandise such as posters and screen savers.
Hoelzer Reich's enlistment of fighters is troubling because of MMA's skyrocketing popularity with young men aged 18-34 — a prized demographic not only for advertisers, but also for white supremacist recruiters. Televised MMA events since 2007 have routinely drawn 3 million to 6 million viewers, beating out NASCAR, Major League Baseball and National Hockey League sporting events in both the 18-34 and 18-49 male categories, according to Nielsen ratings.
In addition to the athletes, Hoelzer Reich also supports longtime white power musician Ed Wolbank, the former leader of the Northern Hammerskins, a notorious skinhead group.
SOURCE : https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2010/clothing-company-racist-ties-banned-mma-leagues
1.) This Activewear Brand Wants to Be Lululemon for Fascists
Will2Rise is marketing “militant active wear” to white nationalist Active Clubs, which train members for street combat
* TIM DICKINSON
* SEPTEMBER 24, 2023 10:00AM EDT
Conservatives opposed to shopping at “woke” corporations have launched their own lines of pillows, piss beer, and mobile phone service.
Now, unabashed white supremacists are setting up shop in this so-called parallel economy.
Consider the fascist fashion house Will2Rise.
Will2Rise makes sports gear for white nationalists — including muscle-tees, track jackets, “militant active wear pants,” boxing gloves, and hoodies emblazoned with “Cultured Thug.”
Leaving no doubt about its politics, the company’s gear is branded with stylized silhouette of a fasces — the ancient Roman symbol (consisting of a bundle of wood with a protruding ax head) later embraced by far-right Italian militants, spawning the term “fascist.”
The company specifically markets to members of Active Clubs, a global network of white supremacists who “tribe and train.” The members of these tight-knit local chapters pursue street-fighter fitness in advance of an anticipated race war, or other violent confrontation. Rather than the Hawaiian shirts and AK-47s that characterize extremists like the Boogaloo Bois, the Active Club aesthetic is gym-wear and mixed martial arts prowess. Will2Rise sells training hoodies and tight-fitting ringer tees labeled, “ACTIVE CLUB.”
Will2Rise is also playing the role of a corporate sponsor for white supremacy events. The company staged a second-annual MMA tournament this August, in a Huntington Beach warehouse decorated with white-power flags. Hosted by the SoCal Active Club, the contests featured fighter representatives from the Tennessee Active Club, Big Sky Active Club, Great Lakes Active Club, Evergreen Active Club, as well as from Patriot Front, another high-profile, white-nationalist group. Many of the fighters sported Will2Rise boxing gloves and other apparel.
Think of the brand as Lululemon for white-power bros. The company touts its commitment to “bringing high-quality goods to Our guys.” Its white-power symbols are often coded. Many items for sale carry the Roman numeral XIV, or 14. For the neo-Nazi set, that’s a reference to the “14 words,” a dark oath about securing “the existence of our people and a future for white children.” A video montage on the slick Will2Rise homepage is more explicit. It flashes the words “white youth revolt,” “white unity,” and the slogan “action today, victory tomorrow.”
SOURCE : https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/active-clubs-will2rise-activewear-fascist [login to see] /amp/
2.) The Far Right’s Secret Weapon: Fascist Fashion
Europe's flourishing niche industry is spreading to the U.S., offering shirts and paraphernalia featuring neo-Nazi symbols in less overt forms.
February 26, 2019
At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be much out of the ordinary about them. A t-shirt showing a mountain and deer and the slogan “Respect Nature.” A black polo shirt with black, white, and red piping and a small circular logo. A sweater showing a child on a parent’s shoulders at a soccer match, holding up a supporter’s scarf, with “Keep the Tradition” underneath.
But look a bit closer. That symbol behind the deer? It’s a black sun, a common neo-Nazi symbol adapted from a floor mosaic in Heinrich Himmler’s SS Generals’ Hall. That logo on the polo shirt? It looks like a broken sun cross-style swastika. And the child on his parent’s back? He’s got the number 88 on their back—neo-Nazi code for “Heil Hitler.”
And there’s more where these came from. Far-right fashion in Europe has become a niche industry over the past decade. Brands big and small have given everyone from hardened neo-Nazis to young men flirting with the far-right subcultures a way to express themselves that doesn’t fit neatly into what many think a far-right extremist is supposed to look like.
But it’s hardly just about looking cool or tough, or playing coy little games with adults who aren’t well-versed in the subtleties of fascist symbolism; far-right fashion can help extremist devotees, especially young men, build a stronger sense of belonging and brotherhood, and even act as a gateway to radicalization. And those who have their eyes on the far-right fashion scene in Europe think the U.S. is next.
SOURCE : https://newrepublic.com/article/153161/far-rights-secret-weapon-fascist-fashion
3.) 'Lululemon for white-power bros': Clothing line targets fascists seeking 'streetfighter fitness' for race war
CLOTHING COMPANY WITH RACIST TIES BANNED BY MMA LEAGUES
After sponsoring several fighters, a California clothing firm with ties to racist skinheads is banned by mixed martial arts leagues
Three major Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) leagues have banned a "street wear" clothing company with ties to the racist skinhead movement. But the California-based company, Hoelzer Reich, continues to make inroads into mainstream youth culture by providing money and free garments to at least some professional MMA fighters and motorcycle racers.
These athletes then wear the clothes, much of which displays Nazi imagery, in public appearances and in merchandise such as posters and screen savers.
Hoelzer Reich's enlistment of fighters is troubling because of MMA's skyrocketing popularity with young men aged 18-34 — a prized demographic not only for advertisers, but also for white supremacist recruiters. Televised MMA events since 2007 have routinely drawn 3 million to 6 million viewers, beating out NASCAR, Major League Baseball and National Hockey League sporting events in both the 18-34 and 18-49 male categories, according to Nielsen ratings.
In addition to the athletes, Hoelzer Reich also supports longtime white power musician Ed Wolbank, the former leader of the Northern Hammerskins, a notorious skinhead group.
SOURCE : https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2010/clothing-company-racist-ties-banned-mma-leagues
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
CPL LaForest Gray I Heard, Pretty Troubling to Hear that Lulumon is Catering to Fascist
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CPL LaForest Gray
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
It’s been ongoing under the radar … it’s the new kkk hood to conceal their identity but communicate community via what seems like ordinary, not out the place symbols … most don’t think about or take a second look.
Decoding the hate symbols seen at the Capitol insurrection
From Viking hammers to flags of fictional countries, many rioters shared an inside visual handshake to acknowledge their white nationalist identity. Here’s where it came from
“The Confederate flag, first swung on the country’s battlefields by secessionist states who saw their future in the enslavement of others; the gallows and noose, shorthand for the terrorization of African-Americans under Jim Crow as well as quick and dirty frontier justice.”
SOURCE : https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/decoding-hate-symbols-seen-at-capitol-insurrection
It’s been ongoing under the radar … it’s the new kkk hood to conceal their identity but communicate community via what seems like ordinary, not out the place symbols … most don’t think about or take a second look.
Decoding the hate symbols seen at the Capitol insurrection
From Viking hammers to flags of fictional countries, many rioters shared an inside visual handshake to acknowledge their white nationalist identity. Here’s where it came from
“The Confederate flag, first swung on the country’s battlefields by secessionist states who saw their future in the enslavement of others; the gallows and noose, shorthand for the terrorization of African-Americans under Jim Crow as well as quick and dirty frontier justice.”
SOURCE : https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/decoding-hate-symbols-seen-at-capitol-insurrection
Decoding the hate symbols seen at the Capitol insurrection
From Viking hammers to flags of fictional countries, many rioters shared an inside visual handshake to acknowledge their white nationalist identity. Here’s where it came from.
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(0)
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
CPL LaForest Gray - 21 Years in Cryptology. Not Much Decoding Necessary in their Fascist White Christian Nationalism Symbology. They're Not that Bright or Original.
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