Research Desk: How Fight Culture is Uniting Far-Right Extremists
Research on the Radical Right: Far right fight clubs 'represent an escalation of the far right’s preparations for what they view as inevitable and coming violence between races.'
Highlights from recently published research and studies of the Radical Right: Far right fight clubs ‘represent an escalation of the far right’s preparations for what they view as inevitable and coming violence between races.’
Organizational Research
How Fight Culture is Uniting Far-Right Extremists, Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE)
“The ‘Forest Fights’ are organized by a white supremacist group and attract members of neo-Nazi and racist networks. The events are modeled after hooligan football firms in Europe which have developed a tradition of using secluded locations for unsanctioned fights against their rivals. The fight is just one of the latest in a series of events held by white supremacists that seek to bring separate and sometimes divided parts of far right extremists together. With a focus on employing martial arts training to prepare for real-world combat, the Forest Fights and other events represent an escalation of the far right’s preparations for what they view as inevitable and coming violence between races.”
Mapping the Communication Network Inside Patriot Front, Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), by Jeff Tischauser
“Using internal communications previously leaked to the public by an activist and an online journalist collective, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has created a network map revealing the internal structure of Patriot Front — a secretive and violent white nationalist group that is one of the largest in the United States. The Patriot Front network map provides a detailed picture of the group’s structure as its leaders coordinated a racist and bigoted campaign of vandalism, leading to the destruction of dozens of works of public art that celebrated Black culture, LGBTQ+ pride, or commemorated victims of police murder and racially charged violence in the fall of 2021.” (View the Interactive Map)
Killer Apps: How mainstream AI chatbots assist users planning violent attacks, Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH)
“When asked to plan violent attacks including a school shooting, an antisemitic bombing, and a political assassination, the world’s most popular chatbots become willing accomplices. These technology companies market AI tools as benign tutors and companions, but research from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) reveals a darker reality. Our testing of ten leading consumer AI platforms found that 8 in 10 regularly assisted users seeking help with violent attacks. Just one—Anthropic’s Claude—would reliably discourage the user. This shows that the tools to embed safety exist, but the will to implement them is absent.”
Beyond Extremism: Platform Responses to Online Subcultures of Nihilistic Violence, Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) and Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET)
“Networks such as the Com and 764, alongside fandom‑driven spaces like TCC, operate across multiple platforms and employ sophisticated ban‑evasion tactics. Their activities span sexual exploitation, cyber harms and real‑world violence, often blurring the line between victim and perpetrator. While most harms fall within existing community guidelines, the resilience of these networks shows that enforcement remains fragmented and reactive. Platforms must move beyond siloed ‘whack‑a‑mole’ moderation towards coordinated, cross‑platform strategies that integrate child safety, cyber crime and violence prevention policies. Prevention‑based approaches should centre on a public‑health model that prioritises resilience‑building, early intervention and safeguarding support for victims.”
