far-right extremism

Tuesday, Jun 20, 2023

Transnational linkages between violence-oriented right-wing extremism/terrorism and organized crime: challenges and opportunities for multilateral and institutional cooperation (2023 Counter-Terrorism Week Side-Event)

"During this side event, which is co-hosted by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, the Department of State of the United States of America and CEP, the major findings of this research will be presented and the incidents and patterns of cooperation of XRIRB networks with organized crime in Austria and the United States of America will be highlighted to illustrate these findings. Given the increasingly transnational nature of both XRIRB as well as organized crime, awareness of the challenges and opportunities for disruption emanating from such cooperation is crucial and requires increased multilateral cooperation

The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Week is a biennial gathering of Member States and international counter-terrorism partners. The Third Counter-Terrorism Week (CT Week) is scheduled to take place from 19 to 23 June 2023 at the UN Headquarters in New York."

https://media.un.org/en/asset/k18/k18mtq4qa6
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"'The pro-abortion group Jane’s Revenge has “claimed responsibility for acts of vandalism and fire bombings of anti-abortion offices and clinic,' according to the Counter Extremism Project.

'On May 8, [2022], the Madison, Wisconsin, office of the anti-abortion Wisconsin Family Action was set on fire after a Molotov cocktail thrown through a window failed to ignite,' Counter Extremism wrote. 'Police also found graffiti that read, “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either.'"

Date
June 8, 2023
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[Translated from Polish] "The international phenomenon of the Independence March is the subject of the new report The Polish Independence March as a Contact Hub and a Model for European Extremism by Dr. Przemysław Witkowski, Jakub Woroncow and Dominik Puchała, published as part of the Counter Extremism Project initiative."

Date
May 1, 2023
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Monday, Apr 24, 2023

CEP Webinar: The Polish Independence March as a Contact Hub and Model for European Extremism | Michael Duffin

On April 24, 2023, CEP hosted a webinar presenting the report, "The Polish Independence March as a Contact Hub and Model for European Extremism"

Michael Duffin, Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Counterterrorism, made remarks about the U.S. Department of State's approach on countering Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremism (REMVE).

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Accounts for White Supremacist Active Clubs Allowed to Remain on Instagram

Meta-owned Instagram has failed to remove accounts promoting white supremacy, including those affiliated with Rise Above Movement -inspired active clubs in Europe. The continued existence of these accounts is concerning, especially because the...

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"'Violence is the underlying feature of all of this,' said Joshua Fisher-Birch, an analyst for the Counter Extremism Project, a non-profit that combats extremist groups. 'If you're training people in combat sports in this capacity, it seems like a matter of time before someone is going to use that against someone else.'"

Date
April 11, 2023
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"The leaders of these active clubs also maintain connections with several pre-existing far-right groups, some of whom have perpetrated hate crimes. 'Violence is the underlying feature of all of this,' said Joshua Fisher-Birch, an analyst for the Counter Extremism Project, a non-profit that combats extremist groups. 'If you're training people in combat sports in this capacity, it seems like a matter of time before someone is going to use that against someone else.'"

Date
April 11, 2023
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Thursday, Mar 30, 2023

CEP Webinar: The Transnational Nexus of Right-Wing Extremism and Organized Crime | A. Ritzmann

On March 29, 2023, Mr. Alexander Ritzmann (Lead author & Germany chapter author; CEP Senior Advisor), gave a presentation on, "The Transnational Nexus of Violence-Oriented Right-Wing Extremism, Terrorism, and Organized Crime"

The new CEP study can be accessed here:
https://bit.ly/3ZPt9k1

About the study:
Existing studies on the extremism/terrorism-crime nexus in recent years have focused on Islamist extremism and terrorism, while the transnational nexus between right-wing extremism/terrorism and organized crime groups remains under-researched. This gap in knowledge can lead to a misunderstanding of the strategies of right-wing extremists as well as of the risks those actors pose to potential victims and society as a whole. 

A new CEP study, commissioned by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, shows that several violence-oriented right-wing extremist individuals and groups in Europe and the U.S. engage in or maintain ties with organized crime. Many of the identified cases have a transnational dimension, be it through cross-border activities like the acquisition of illegal drugs for distribution or through supposedly legal activities such as co-organizing hate music concerts, including events with a transnational character. As the study demonstrates, Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, VRWE-affiliated football hooligan groups, prison gangs, and a range of VRWE individuals and groups are part of transnational networks. Such connections are particularly visible in Austria, Germany, Poland, Sweden, and the U.S. 

The study aims at informing policymakers working on the prevention and countering of violent extremism or terrorism and organized crime with the goal of fostering a better understanding of the phenomena and to encourage further cooperation between relevant government agencies and civil society organizations.

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"European Eye on Radicalization (EER) was pleased to host a joint event with the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) recently about how Western states have handled domestic extremists and terrorists, the far-Right and Islamists."

Date
February 16, 2023
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"'Harris’ arrest shows the international nature of the violent online extreme right, especially the subset of individuals who glorify attackers such as the Christchurch terrorist,' Joshua Fisher-Birch, an analyst on the far-right at the Counter-Extremism Project, told VICE News. 'While many of these individuals are concerned with committing attacks in their area, they are also part of this online community that seeks to encourage violence in other locations in the name of white supremacism.'

Fisher-Birch told VICE News there have been similar cases of online propagandists being arrested and charged for their work trying to inspire far-right extremists worldwide. For example, in November 2022, a Slovakian man was sentenced to six years for his involvement in terrorism and was, as Fisher-Birch puts it, 'an important player within the international neo-Nazi accelerationist online community and spread information helpful in committing terrorist attacks.' Neo-Nazi terror groups like The Base and Atomwaffen have had members belonging to cells located in North America, Europe, Scandinavia, and Australia.    

'The issue is that around the globe, there are individuals who subscribe to the same or similar conspiracy theories and ideologies and feel they have the same group of enemies and either want to take violent action against them or encourage or facilitate others to do so,' said Fisher-Birch."

Date
January 31, 2023
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Daily Dose

Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.

Fact:

On May 8, 2019, Taliban insurgents detonated an explosive-laden vehicle and then broke into American NGO Counterpart International’s offices in Kabul. At least seven people were killed and 24 were injured.

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