Morning Briefing: Far Right Extremists Remain Obsessed With Targeting Critical Infrastructure
Morning Briefing: Far Right Extremists Remain Obsessed With Targeting Critical Infrastructure
In the wake of a pair of neo-Nazis arrested for a plot to target multiple electrical substations, far right extremists remain obsessed with targeting 'critical infrastructure across the country.'
Morning Briefing: In the wake of a thwarted plot by neo-Nazis to attack substations in Maryland, “federal officials fear more white supremacist groups may be plotting to target critical infrastructure across the country.”
Far right extremists have also reportedly “discussed attacking nuclear reactor sites in an attempt to generate a mass casualty incident that would also serve as a propaganda boost for the violent far-right movement.”
Timothy Zegar, who is allegedly associated with the White Supremacist antigovernment Boogaloo movement, was arrested after federal law enforcement reportedly “seized 11 guns, a silencer, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, body armor plates and several pounds of a binary explosive.”
Oregon lawmakers are considering House Bill 2572, which would “give the state some of the strongest laws in the country to combat paramilitary activity and violent extremism.”
Romana Didulo, the so-called QAnon Queen of Canada, has directed her followers to “take action in their own hands if they see migrants” entering Canada.
A new study has found that the activity of incels online is “evolving to become more extreme as some of the online spaces hosting its violent and misogynistic content are shut down and new ones emerge.”
Must Reads
Jordan Green writes about how Ali Alexander “became the nation’s most untouchable J6er — for now,” and how many questions regarding Alexander’s involvement in January 6th remain unanswered, including “whether he received assurances from any backers before launching Stop the Steal, whether he communicated with anyone at the White House or the Trump campaign before putting out a call for people to come to DC on Jan. 6, how he learned that the Trump campaign paid for digital ads to boost attendance on Jan. 6, and what he hoped to accomplish by leading a march to the Capitol. The January 6th Committee tried in vain to pin Alexander down after eight hours of testimony in December 2021. Citing a text from Wren on Jan. 6 telling him he should leave the Capitol, committee staff pressed Alexander on whether his provocative rhetoric had caused the violence that day.” [Raw Story]
Sian Norris reports that “the US-founded Alliance Defending Freedom is the second node in the network and one of numerous American legal organisations fighting against abortion rights globally. Other examples include the Liberty Counsel and the American Centre for Law and Justice. It has extended its operations into Europe over the past 10 years, spending $16.1 million across the region since 2015. It helped to fund anti-abortion law firms whereby legal minds authored the legal arguments that helped to overrule Roe versus Wade last June – the 1973 decision which allowed nationwide access to abortion in the US… The organisation has seen its influence increase in the UK, being quoted in a Government white paper on freedom of speech on campus, while also increasing its spend. It has taken the tactics and strategies learned in the US across numerous campaigns, including gay cakes and ‘cancel culture’, and applied them to Britain.” [Byline Times]
Alexandra Martinez writes that “the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) tracked over 120 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills that have already been filed in January. This includes more than two dozen bills targeting access to medically necessary health care for transgender people across 11 states—most of which are located in the South. According to Victoria Kirby York, the National Black Justice Coalition’s director of public policy and programs, these laws will disproportionately impact the Black trans community… Many of these laws aim to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth—and in some states, even adults. Bills proposed this year in South Carolina and Virginia bar state health care providers from recommending or administering puberty blockers, hormones, and gender-affirming surgeries to patients younger than 21.” [Prism]
This Week in Extremism: Far Right Narratives and Conspiracy Theories
Discussion with Amanda Moore about the various narratives and conspiracy theories that are animating the far right. Join the discussion on Twitter Spaces Friday, February 10th at 12:00pm EST (11:00am CST / 9:00am PST)
What to expect from Radical Reports: Morning Briefing provides a daily round-up of reporting on the Radical Right; Extremist Links offers a weekly round-up of extremists activities including the white supremacist and militia movements; Narratives of the Right delivers weekly analysis of the current narratives in far right online spaces and promoted by right-wing media; and Research Desk provides monthly highlights research and analysis from academia on the Radical Right.
