SEE ALSO: 10 Reasons Why Communism Sucks
10 Moorish Sovereign Citizens
Though less physically violent than some of the other groups on this list, members of the Moorish sovereigns nevertheless have a hate-filled agenda they intend to force on the rest of society. Closely associated with the Afro-centric Moorish Science Temple of America, the group believes they are Moors, the historical group of black Muslims which occupied much of northwestern Africa and southwestern Europe for centuries. Moreover, they are staunchly anti-government, believing not only that Moors were the first settlers of America but that a fictitious 19th century treaty between the United States and Morocco shields them from the law. Today, their followers have begun to radicalize and turn to violence as a means to their ends. In 2016, Gavin Eugene Long, a man with connections to the Moorish sovereigns, shot and killed three police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.[1]
9 A Voice for Men
Though the men’s rights movement has seemingly popped up out of nowhere in the last few years, there have been smaller movements going on for at least a decade, and in some cases, much more than that. One of those groups is known as A Voice for Men; founded by Paul Elam, it’s a website which espouses a number of anti-feminist views, including calling for October to be renamed “Bash-A-Violent-Bitch Month”. One of the largest sites which caters to that worldview, A Voice for Men has featured articles such as “When Is It OK to Punch Your Wife” though Elam has dismissed criticism by calling such writing satire in response to a feminist website (Jezebel) article entitled: “Have You Ever Beat Up A Boyfriend? Cause, Uh, We Have”. In 2011, he launched a since-removed site known as Register-Her, a place to dox women who he believed should be in prison, including those he believed to have falsely accused men of rape.[2]
8 Atomwaffen Division
Translated from German as “atomic weapons”, Atomwaffen Division is a relatively new hate group based in the Southern United States. Celebrating such terrible men as Charles Manson and Adolf Hitler, the organization has been linked to a number of murders and planned terrorist incidents. One member, Brandon Russell, was recently sentenced to five years in jail after being caught with bomb-making materials. Other crimes include the murder of Blaze Bernstein, an openly gay Jewish man who was visiting his family in California in early 2018. He had been tricked by an old high school classmate of his who had been trying to bait gay men into meeting up with him, planning to kill anyone who responded to his messages. Hundreds of thousands of messages were leaked to the press later that year and many of the members were cheering on the murder.[3]
7 New Black Panther Party
Though not a descendant of the original Black Panther Party, this new group shares a number of beliefs; however, they believe in a much more violent form of protest. Fueled by anti-Semitism and anti-white beliefs, the NBPP has a number of radical ideas in their manifesto, including the creation of an all-black country or state within the US and reparations from the US, Europe and “the Jews”. The group came into the national conversation in 2016, when 14 Dallas police officers were either killed or wounded by a single shooter, a man named Micah Johnson who had been affiliated with them. He was quickly disavowed by the leadership of the local branch but it is widely believed the ideology of the NBPP influenced him. None of the national leaders have ever been convicted of violence but they often espouse such views, with men like Malik Zulu Shabazz shouting, “Kill every… Zionist in Israel!”[4]
6 Kingdom Identity Ministries
A relatively small town in northern Arkansas, Harrison is home to less than 15,000 citizens. Included among them is Mike Hallimore, the founder of something known as the Kingdom Identity Ministries. A proponent of a number of abhorrent views, such as the ethnic cleansing of all non-white residents of the US, he runs a group which believes the Christian Judgment Day is going to come in the form of a holy race war. Utilizing Biblical stories and Christian Identity screeds, KIM is also frequently anti-Semitic, as they believe Jewish people are the offspring of Eve and the snake in the Garden of Eden. Hallimore also funded the production and distribution of white-power rock music CDs which were handed out to teenagers at high schools across the country. In 2010, those beliefs turned into real violence when one of KIM’s followers murdered his friend because he had a Mexican girlfriend.[5]
5 Jewish Defense League
An extremist group dedicated to “protecting Jews from antisemitism by whatever means necessary”, the Jewish Defense League has long been seen as a terrorist organization within the US. First founded in the late 1960s by a New York rabbi named Meir Kahane, the JDL had been in a decline since the 90s, when Kahane and his son were both murdered. Before that, they were known for a number of violent attacks, including bombings and assassinations. Anything was on the table if it helped further their goals, chief among them preventing a two-states solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, those working to revive the group today now claim that it bears no resemblance to the old version. Evidence suggest otherwise though, as example after example has shown members assaulting people at protests across the world. To quote its founder: “To turn the other cheek is not a Jewish concept.”[6]
4 ACT for America
Founded in response to the 9/11 attacks, ACT for America is the brainchild of a woman named Brigitte Gabriel. Staunchly anti-Muslim, the group has attracted a membership of as many as 80,000 people. (Gabriel claims there are actually as many as 750,000 members.) Utilizing claims about law-abiding citizens and relying on people’s fears, ACT for America tries to get anti-Muslim legislation enacted throughout the country. They also perform surveillance on any places where they believe Muslims or pro-Muslim people might congregate, especially mosques and universities. Fearful that the United States is under invasion by those wishing to institute Sharia law, Gabriel and her group have even gone out of their way to dox prominent Muslims in the form of a website called the Thin Blue Line, which was allegedly shared with law enforcement.[7]
3 Institute for Historical Review
Based in California, the IHR was, at one time, one of the most prominent Holocaust denial groups in the world; since 2004, they have been unable to do virtually anything, though they still maintain a website through which they sell extremist writings. Starting in the late 1970s, Willis Carto, himself the founder of another anti-Semitic group, decided to try and introduce some of the most virulent white supremacists of America to Holocaust denial. For years, they would publish their own writings espousing their radical beliefs, as well as holding a number of high-profile conferences, attended by notorious men, such as David Duke, the national leader of the KKK. One of the most infamous cases involving the IHR occurred right as they first popped up when they offered a $50,000 prize to anyone that could prove gas chambers were located within Auschwitz. Faced with a man who quickly brought forth evidence, they quickly retreated, refusing to honor their word. It wasn’t until 1995 that a court finally awarded the prize to the man, including additional damages.[8]
2 League of the South
Headquartered in northern Alabama, the League of the South (LoS) is part of what is known as the Nationalist Front, essentially the name which covers a number of neo-Nazi and white supremacist organizations in the United States. Founded in 1994, it was created to advocate for a new secession for the southern states and the advancement of what they called “Anglo-Centric” culture. Various members have been convicted of a number of crimes, including the head of the Florida chapter, a man named Michael Tubbs. He had spent five years in prison for the theft of a number of weapons and explosives, armaments he intended to use on businesses owned by black and Jewish people. Though it initially tried to distance itself from being labeled a hate group, the LoS has since become much more explicitly racist in their leanings. In addition, they’ve widely embraced the violent tendencies of other “survivalist” groups.[9]
1 Antifa
An extremist left-wing movement which has gained prominence in the last few years, antifa, or “anti-fascist”, is a loose collection of a number of different groups or individuals. Some of the oldest groups were started in the early 20th century, acting as a counterweight to the rise of European fascism. Though their name claims to be anti-fascism, they have proven themselves to be anything but peaceful; there have been a rising number of reported incidents of violence, especially in encounters where they are protesting various groups on the right of the political spectrum. Some of the extreme antifa proponents will hide their face behind masks, carrying weapons with them as well. They also participate in various online activities, ranging from surveilling the social media activities of prominent right-wing politicians and activists to doxxing those who they disagree with, an action which often culminates in violence against the person who was identified. The irony of the group’s name is somewhat obvious given their use of fear to suppress the free speech of their political opponents. The Department of Homeland Security, in communication with the FBI, has referred to the group as domestic terrorists.[10] As a final word, let’s set a good example to the groups above by having a dignified and reasoned discussion about them in the comments below!
