Identity Evropa / American Identity Movement

Introduction

Created in 2016, Identity Evropa was a white supremacist group that promoted white European identity and the preservation of white culture based on the concept of "identitarian politics." Identity Evropa claimed to represent a "generation of awakened Europeans" who "oppose those who would defame our history and rich cultural heritage."* In March 2019, Identity Evropa’s leaders announced the closure of the group. They simultaneously announced the formation of a new group called American Identity Movement (AIM), which they said would remain committed to Identity Evropa’s cause while promoting nationalism, identitarianism, non-interventionism, protectionism, and populism.* AIM disbanded in November 2020. *

Identity Evropa founder Nathan Damigo is a former Marine who was convicted of armed robbery after returning from two tours in Iraq. In prison, he read the works of former KKK leader David Duke and racial scientist J. Philippe Rushton.* Damigo has spoken publicly alongside white nationalist Richard Spencer. Identity Evropa largely targeted college students and viewed protests like the one in Charlottesville, Virginia, as recruitment drives.*

Eli Mosley, who took over Identity Evropa from Damigo in late August 2017, played a key role in organizing the Unite the Right rally earlier that month in Charlottesville. Encouraged by the perceived success of the rally, Mosley told the media that he planned to organize many more rallies for Identity Evropa.* In early December 2017, Mosley resigned and Patrick Casey, a.k.a. Reinhard Wolff, became the group's new CEO. Casey reportedly wanted to distance Identity Evropa from the negative coverage of the Charlottesville rally through more private, invitation-only events rather than large gatherings like Unite the Right. Casey called for more public banner displays and more demonstrations on college campuses, as well as at meet-ups, fitness clubs, and similar communal events.* Identity Evropa joined a November 2018 lawsuit against the city of Charlottesville claiming city officials violated their rights by not allowing the rally to go forward. Identity Evropa dropped out of the lawsuit the following month. The National Socialist Movement, Traditionalist Worker Party, and rally organizer Jason Kessler remained on the lawsuit.*

In March 2019, Identity Evropa’s leaders simultaneously announced the organization’s closure and the creation of AIM. Casey said in a press release that Identity Evropa was “held down by baggage accumulated before my tenure.”* This is likely a reference to Identity Evropa’s linkage with the Unite the Right rally, from which Casey had previously sought to distance the group. Further, a series of racist and antisemitic Identity Evropa private chat messages leaked from the online chat server Discord earlier that March.* Casey claimed on Twitter that the brand change had been planned for months and had nothing to do with the leaked messages. According to Casey, Identity Evropa focused solely on the promotion of white identity but AIM would expand its focus through a “holistic approach” that would include identitarianism, non-interventionism, nationalism, protectionism, and populism.* Casey and AIM have sought to disavow Identity Evropa and “the decisions of former leaders and members,” claiming that Casey had no leadership role in the organization during Charlottesville.*

AIM announced that it would phase out Identity Evropa’s web presence and create its own.* AIM claims to be “a growing, active movement defending our nation against mass immigration and the scourge of globalism.”* AIM further claims that it seeks “peaceful, visible action” and the “restoration of American identity.”* The group held an inaugural conference in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 9, 2019.* The following day, almost 100 AIM members rallied at the State Capitol in Nashville in the group’s inaugural protest.*

On November 2, 2020, Casey posted on AIM’s website that the group had disbanded as it had “reached the limit of what a dissident membership organization can realistically achieve in these turbulent, repressive times.” * Casey called the “dissident right” more necessary than ever, but a “membership organization model is simply not the vehicle that will take us across the finish line.” * He classified AIM’s disbandment as “a strategic reorientation, one that will allow the dissident right to network, host events, create content, and engage in activism in more fruitful ways.” *

Leadership

Nathan Damigo is the founder and former leader of Identity Evropa. On August 27, 2017, Damigo stepped down as Identity Evropa’s leader and named Eli Mosley as the new CEO.* In December 2017, Mosley resigned and Patrick Casey became the new CEO.* Casey was the founding president of AIM.*

Base of Operations

Leesburg, Virginia*

Website

www.identityevropa.com (deleted), www.americanidentitymovement.com (deleted)

Membership Size and Relevance

Identity Evropa allegedly had a nationwide membership of 300 as of February 2017, but the group had an increasingly visible presence at national white-supremacy rallies and in the media.*

Identity Evropa had more than 29,000 followers on Twitter as of April 2018.* Damigo had 19,000 Twitter followers as of April 2, 2018.* His Twitter account has since been discontinued.* Patrick Casey had more than 14,000 Twitter followers as of March 15, 2019, an increase of 6,000 over the course of the previous year.* The Identity Evropa YouTube account had 7,085 subscribers as of March 11, 2019. The account’s 12 videos had collectively received more than 117,000 views as of April 2018 but had been deleted by March 2019 as AIM closed Identity Evropa’s accounts.* AIM’s Twitter account had 2,887 followers as of March 19, 2019.* Its Facebook page had 165 followers as of the same date.* Its YouTube page had received 1,101 views in the six days following its launch on March 13, 2019.* AIM’s Twitter and YouTube accounts had been deleted as of April 2020. AIM’s Telegram account had more than 2,400 followers as of July 14, 2020.* AIM’s BitChute account had 571 subscribers as of the same date.*

AIM claimed it drew almost 100 people to its inaugural rally at the State Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 10, 2019.*

Recruitment and Propaganda

Identity Evropa focused its propaganda and recruitment efforts primarily on university campuses, where it sought to start student groups. In 2017, Identity Evropa propaganda appeared on more than 30 college campuses.* The group's membership form invites those U.S. residents "of European, non-Semitic heritage" to join its ranks. Applicants "ready to make a real difference for the future of our people" are interviewed over video conference call.* The group used as its logo an old European design of a dragon's eye with a "Y" inside, which it claims represents the choice between good and evil.*

AIM portrayed itself as a patriotic American organization that sought to protect the American cultural identity. The group’s language in its propaganda specifically promoted American nationalism and referenced ideas such as “the preservation of America’s historical demographics in the face of mass immigration” and protecting “American industry and workers, rather than benefit globalist interests.”* AIM adopted patriotic colors and symbolism in its propaganda. Its logo featured a bald eagle and shield decorated with stars colored in red, white, and blue. AIM created flyers and shirts with its logo and other imagery reminiscent of U.S. propaganda during World War II.* AIM’s language was couched in patriotism. It used slogans such as “Defend America!” to promote its anti-immigration positions. The group proudly displayed American flags to give the illusion that they were supporting the country rather than xenophobia.* AIM claimed to reject extremism, political violence, and all forms of supremacy in favor of “peacefully and lawfully” effecting change through activism and popular protest.* Despite its claims of rejecting supremacy, AIM’s rhetoric firmly supported the preservation of what it considers to be the white identity of America.*

AIM accepted donations through various cryptocurrencies as well as checks and money orders sent to its Virginia headquarters.* AIM created a merchandise section on its website selling flags, shirts, mugs, and literature. Like AIM’s donations page, the shop prefers cash, check, or money orders.*

AIM also allegedly attempted to use fake Twitter accounts to promote hate toward the group’s ideological opponents. Following the death of black man George Floyd by a white police officer in Minnesota in May 2020, protests spread across the United States and often devolved into violent riots. In late May, a Twitter account called @ANTIFA_US called for further violence. The account claimed to belong to a national organization representing the far left antifa movement, which U.S. President Donald Trump declared should be designated as a terrorist organization for instigating violence during the protests. The Twitter account released tweets such as “Tonight we say ‘F--- The City’ and we move into the residential areas... the white hoods.... and we take what’s ours…” Twitter suspended the account after it called for violence, but an investigation by Twitter found that the account was actually linked to AIM, not antifa, in an attempt to sow further public division and opposition to antifa. Though Identity Evropa transitioned to AIM in 2019, Twitter specifically linked the fraudulent account was affiliated with Identity Evropa. According to Twitter, the account violated the platform’s policy against platform manipulation and spam. * Twitter had previously suspended both AIM and Identity Evropa’s accounts. AIM denied the allegations and called the individual in question an Internet troll who never belonged to Identity Evropa or AIM.*

Violent Activities

Identity Evropa members have been involved in violent confrontations during several far-right rallies across the country. AIM officially rejected violence and its members were not involved in violent activities.

Rhetoric

  • Patrick Casey, blog post, November 2, 2020: “Make no mistake, the dissident right is as necessary as ever. The events of 2020 have proven us correct in our assessment that globalism, leftism, and establishment ‘conservatism’ constitute existential threats to America and her people. Mass riots have caused widespread ruin throughout the country; tech companies, serving the interests of our ruling class, have ramped up their censorship efforts; the mainstream media continues to promulgate falsity and manufacture outrage; Trump supporters are increasingly targeted, doxed, and attacked; the social cost for taking a stand against the madness has only increased; statues and memorials honoring our nation’s past continue to be toppled and defaced; and, perhaps worst of all, establishment conservatives have proven themselves utterly toothless in the face of such an unrelenting and unprecedented attack on our nation.”*
  • Patrick Casey, blog post, March 20, 2020: “The Republican Party, while occasionally – and perhaps miraculously – boasting sincere patriots among its elected officials, is best understood as controlled opposition. While the Democratic Party at this point explicitly supports open borders, transgender ideology, and anti-white hatred, the GOP exists to ensure that opposition thereto never goes anywhere. And given the cultural shift leftward, the Republican Party must only buy time, knowing that eventually conservatives will begrudgingly adopt positions previously considered liberal.”*
  • Patrick Casey, American Renaissance conference, May 2019: “We’re looking at America’s white majority becoming a minority around 2040 or 2050, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when it’s going to happen, but it’s important to point out that no one voted for this and most white people in this country do not want that.”*
  • Patrick Casey, American Renaissance conference, May 2019: “There’s a lot of historical and sociological evidence that indicates that mass immigration – diversity in particular – reduce levels of trust.”*
  • AIM website, accessed March 18, 2019: “We acknowledge that identity plays a central role in human affairs. Identity comes in many forms and is often the source of much social conflict. Like it or not, identity politics are the norm in multicultural societies. We staunchly defend the preservation of America’s historical demographics in the face of mass immigration, and are opposed to the demonization of and discrimination against America’s white majority.”*
  • AIM website, accessed March 18, 2019: “We see America’s currently ruling elites as hostile to the historical people, culture, and identity of America. Our ultimate goal is thus a shift in the American power structure. So long as we’re ruled by hostile individuals and institutions, America will not be made great again.”*
  • AIM poster in Richmond, Virginia, March 14, 2019: “Diversity destroys nations.”*
  • Patrick Casey tweet, March 14, 2019: “The irony, of course, is that the opposite is true—the only institutional discrimination in America is against white people.”*
  • AIM press release, March 12, 2019: “Americans of European heritage are being demographically replaced as a result of mass immigration.”*
  • Nathan Damigo, August 27, 2017: “We have lit a beautiful fire that is engulfing the Western world. The existence of our people is not negotiable, and a new order is now emerging as the old paradigm spasms and flails under the weight of its own contradictions.”*
  • Identity Evropa graphic advertising the Unite the Right rally, July 28, 2017: “You will not replace us”*
  • Identity Evropa Twitter account, July 15, 2017: “The #WarOnWhites is an imminent threat to the security of our nations and the future of our people. Fight back!”*

Daily Dose

Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.

Fact:

On October 7, 2023, Hamas invaded southern Israel where, in the space of eight hours, hundreds of armed terrorists perpetrated mass crimes of brutality, rape, and torture against men, women and children. In the biggest attack on Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust, 1,200 were killed, and 251 were taken hostage into Gaza—where 101 remain. One year on, antisemitic incidents have increased by record numbers. 

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