HATE2 FAR RIGHT TERRORISM ON THE RISE - HOPE NOT HATE
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State of
2018
Hate
A HOPE not hate
special report
into extremism
in Britain and
Europe today
hopenothate.org.uk
Far right
terrorism
on the rise
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state of hate 2018
Subscribe to Executive Summary
HOPE not Headlines
hate at n B ritain is facing a changing and growing far right threat
n Far right terrorism and violent extremism is on the rise, a trend that is likely
hopenothate. to continue
n Organisationally, the British far right is crumbling. Membership and active
org.uk
support for far right groups is at its lowest for twenty-five years
n Online far right hate, on the other hand, is growing. Three of the five far right
activists with the biggest online reach in the world are British
n There is a new and younger generation of young far right activists emerging
who are very tech savvy, look normal and do not have the traditional nazi
baggage that has hampered the British far right in the past
Far right terrorism
n F ar right terrorism and violent extremism is on the rise, a trend that is likely
to continue
n 28 far-right sympathisers were arrested and/or convicted of terrorist
offences or violent offences during 2017
n Despite being banned in December 2016, National Action has continued
to operate in secret, whilst three front groups were set up during 2017 to
continue the group’s work
n Pro-Ukrainian extremists are actively recruiting for the nazi Azov Battalion in
the UK
An anti-fascist and n A third of referrals to Channel, one of the Government’s counter-extremism
anti-racist publication operations, are now suspected far right extremists and this figure is
expected to rise when new data is released this summer.
January-February 2018
Issue no. 35 Organisationally
n T he British National Party, Britain First and the English Defence League are
ISSN 2049-7806 mere shadows of their former selves
n Convictions have hit the more militant groups like the North West Infidels
very hard
Editor
n The more hardline extremists are now gravitating to the National Front but
NICK LOWLES
this, too, is torn with splits and personal feuds
nick@hopenothate.org.uk
n There is a new and younger generation of young far right activists emerging,
European Editor in groups like Generation Identity, who are very tech savvy, look normal and
GRAEME ATKINSON are not weighed down with the nazi baggage that has hampered the British
right-wing extremism in the past. These groups could strengthen in 2018
n UKIP is politically finished, ripped apart by internal splits and lacking
purpose since the EU referendum. The potential for a nationalist populist
party, however, is still considerable, with HOPE not hate polling indicating
that 14% of Britons think Nigel Farage is the political leader who best
represents their views
HOPE not hate is a bi-monthly
publication providing information Online hate
on hate groups and community n O nline far right hate is growing. Three of the five far right activists with the
initiatives to combat them. largest online reach in the world are British, all with over a million followers
on social media
© HOPE not hate 2018
n There is a growing number of British vloggers who are increasingly important
Write to us at: in the international Alternative Right scene
HOPE not hate n There was a spike in online support for anti-Muslim activists following the
PO Box 1084 2017 terrorist attacks
Wembley HA9 1HT n The authorities are failing to appreciate or deal with this growing far right
online threat and anti-Muslim hatred in general
t: 020 7952 1181
e: office@hopenothate.org.uk
State of the Nation
www.hopenothate.org.uk n B ritain is an increasingly polarised society with growing numbers of people
(39%) having open and tolerant views to immigration and multiculturalism
Join the conversation but a quarter of society bitterly opposed.
n Anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia are replacing immigration as the main
262,985 likes drivers of support for the far right
facebook.com/hope.n.hate
n The 2017 terrorist attacks have greatly increased suspicion towards Muslims
67,209 followers in Britain with 52% of people saying that Islam poses a threat to the West.
twitter.com/hopenothate
January-February 2018 // HOPE NOT HATE
page 4 // Contents
Contents
Overview Investigations
6 The State of Hate 20 Recruiting for
9 The State of the Nation the Ukraine
19 Map of demonstrations By Matthew Collins
22 Terrorist leads
anti-terror group
By Nick Lowles and
Matthew Collins
25 Changing names
Alex Davies
continues to run a
banned organisation
Essays
10 A Post
Organisational
54 Poles in the UK
Far Right?
By Matthew Collins
By Joe Mulhall
and Nick Lowles
12 Online hate:
The year in
84 Public enemy
numbers
No1: Anti-Soros
By Patrik smears have moved
Hermansson into the political
mainstream
By David Lawrence
15 Exploiting
deadly terror
attacks to spread
hate
Group Reviews
By Patrik 24-29 Nazi/Fascist groups
Hermansson 30-33 Radical right-wing political parties
34-35 Street-based groups
36-37 Counter-Jihad
16 Radical Right 38-39 Identitarians
Populism in the UK 40-41 Alt-Right
By David Lawrence 42-45 Alt-light
46-47 Holocaust Deniers
48-49 Discussion Groups
50-51 Conspiracy Theorists
52-53 Magazines/Publishers
HOPE NOT HATE // January-February 2018
state of hate 2018
European essays
56 The European
Far Right in 2017 ...
stop, start
By Cas Mudde
60 Crossing
Borders in 2017.
The Transatlantic
far right
By Joe Mulhall
62 Europe’s Young
Right: Generation
Identity
By Simon Murdoch
66 The nativist-
authoritarian axis:
Europe’s rancid
underbelly
By Bernard Rorke
Country reviews
70 Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland
72 Portugal, Spain, France, Italy
74 Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland
76 Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia
78 Germany, Austria, Czechia, Switzerland
80 Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Irish Republic
82 Croatia, Greece, Serbia, Slovenia, Cyprus
January-February 2018 // HOPE NOT HATE
page 6 // far right overview
Right-wing terror
threat as high as ever
By Nick Lowles and Matthew Collins
“The right-wing threat was not The threat is evolving. As traditional An evolving threat
previously organised,” declared Mark British far right groups collapse, far The growing threat of far right terrorism,
Rowley, outgoing assistant commissioner right-inspired terrorism is on the plus an evolving and increasingly
at the Metropolitan Police and head of rise. Replacing old-fashioned racial sophisticated online far right presence
counter-terror policing in the UK, at the nationalism is anti-Muslim hatred. online, is helping to drive anti-Muslim
end of February. Today’s key activists tend to be younger, propaganda and conspiracy theories
“Every now and then there’s been an operate online and have little of worldwide.
individual motivated by that rhetoric the obvious “nazi” baggage of their In the past year, 22 people have been
who has committed a terrorist act but predecessors. arrested for alleged membership of the
we’ve not had an organised right-wing Our report offers the most outlawed-for-terrorism nazi National
threat like we do now.” comprehensive and accurate Action. Fifteen of these individuals
Rowley revealed that four extreme assessment of the state of Britain’s far now await trial with two being charged
rightwing-inspired plots were foiled last right that publicly exists. We profile with a plot to kill a Labour MP and a
year, emphasising that the far right terror every far right organisation currently policewoman.
threat was “significant and concerning” active in the UK, highlighting those that The far right’s online threat was
and that the public should be “gravely are on the rise and those in decline. brought into stark relief in the days
concerned” by the existence of National We measure the growing threat of immediately after the Westminster
Action, the white supremacist, nazi online hate and identify the figures to terrorist attack in March 2017. The most
group banned, in 2016, by the Home watch in 2018. mentioned person on Twitter in the UK
Secretary under terror legislation. Central to the 2018 report are several during the 24 hours that followed was
With 28 far right supporters convicted investigations. Paul Joseph Watson, the London-based
or arrested for terrorism or similarly n We uncover a National Action leader editor of the US conspiracy website
violent crimes over the last 12 months, who continues to agitate for white InfoWars, with a series of vehemently
Rowley is not wrong. As HOPE not hate revolution through a new, and so far anti-Muslim tweets.
can reveal in this 2018 State of Hate unbanned, group. A video shot at the scene of the attack
report, the threat from far right terrorism n We reveal how pro-Ukrainian by Stephen Lennon, alias “Tommy
is growing, a trend that is likely to extremists are recruiting for the Robinson” – the founder of the anti-
continue. nazi Azov Battalion here in the UK. Muslim street gang, the English Defence
And we reproduce a photograph of League (EDL) – was watched over three
The Paradox a National Action member in the million times in just 72 hours.
There is a paradox to the far right in group’s Ukrainian headquarters. These are not isolated events but
Britain today. Organisationally, the n We chart the mounting numbers reflect the evolving far right presence
movement is weaker than it has been and influence of Polish extremists in whose long-term trend is towards
for 25 years. Membership of far right the UK, naming their leaders. more confrontation, and even far right
groups is down to an estimated 600-700 n A nd, we expose the leader of one of terrorism, with anti-Muslim hatred
people. Traditional far right parties the newly emerging hooligan “anti- replacing immigration as the main driver
like the British National Party (BNP) terrorist” groups (that sprang up of recruitment to the far right.
and the National Front (NF) are now in response to the recent terrorist A younger generation of activists, using
almost extinct. attacks) as a convicted terrorist. social media and video (often vlogging),
Meanwhile, the nazi Blood & Honour With the far right becoming to mobilise supporters is also emerging.
hate music scene increasingly looks like increasingly transnational, we also Alarmingly, three of the world’s five
a badly attended 1980s nostalgia night. profile the main far right organisations most high-profile far right social media
Even UKIP, which as recently as 2015 across 27 countries in Europe. activists and online warriors are British.
took 14% of the General Election vote, We conclude the report by revealing
has virtually collapsed. how the Hungarian-born financial National Action
Yet, at the same time, the far right magnate and philanthropist George HOPE not hate cautiously welcomed the
poses a bigger threat – in terms of Soros has become the far right’s Public banning of National Action in December
violence and promotion of its vile views Enemy Number One, mainly as part 2016 but warned that the ban was only as
(particularly anti-Muslim views) – than it of thinly veiled anti-Jewish conspiracy good as its enforcement.
has in many years. theories. We had seen the way that Islamist-
HOPE NOT HATE // January-February 2018
state of hate 2018
inspired hate preacher Anjem Choudary
and his al-Muhajiroun network avoided
similar government bans for many years
2017 far right terror list
by simply reinventing themselves under Sean Creighton National Front member Sean Creighton
different names. was sentenced to five years in February 2017 for “collecting information
And so it proved to be. A core of which could be useful to someone committing or preparing an act of
National Action supporters simply terrorism”.
ignored the ban and continued as before, Darren Osborne With a history of violence and drug abuse, Osborne
moving their organisation underground was radicalised online after the Manchester terror attack in a journey
and communicating clandestinely using that took a mere three weeks. He launched a murderous attack on
a wide array of secure methods. Others Muslim worshippers in North London in June 2017, killing one and
decided to set up front organisations injuring dozens.
to continue the group’s work but
Ethan Stables A 20-year-old self-confessed nazi sympathiser hiding
circumventing the law.
a secret about his own identity was convicted of preparing a terrorist
It was only in July 2017, when HOPE
attack against a Barrow-in-Furness pub hosting a gay pride night.
not hate notified the police of an
Awaiting sentencing.
alleged plot to kill a Labour MP, that
the authorities finally woke up to the Liam Seabrook Nazi obsessive who threatened to bomb mosques
continuing threat and began arresting after the Manchester Arena attack. Jailed for 8 years in February 2018.
alleged members. Marek Zakrocki A Polish national, Zakrocki was jailed for 33 weeks in
But the far right terrorist threat extends January 2018 after admitting making threats to kill Muslims and driving
well beyond National Action. Last year, his car at the owner of an Indian restaurant in retaliation for recent
another seven far right enthusiasts were Islamist terrorist attacks.
convicted, or are currently on trial, One man is currently on trial in Scotland for plotting acts of terrorism
under terrorism legislation or for similar and another is awaiting trial for possessing a document likely to be
offences. They include Darren Osborne, useful to a person committing terrorism.
who self-radicalised online in just three
A further 15 people are awaiting trial for membership of National Action,
weeks, before driving a van into a crowd
with two on specific charges relating to a plot to murder a Labour MP
leaving a mosque in Finsbury Park, north
and a policewoman.
London, last June, killing one man and
injuring a dozen others.
Another is Ethan Stables, a self-
admitted nazi sympathiser, convicted in
February this year of preparing a terrorist
attack on a pub hosting a gay pride night
in Barrow-in-Furness.
While Assistant Commissioner Rowley
is right in describing the sustained threat
of far right terrorism as “new”, it is a
phenomenon that has been building
up for a while and should, frankly, have
been picked up earlier by the authorities.
This rising threat is the consequence (left to right) Sean Creighton, Darren Osborne, Liam Seabrook and Marek Zakrocki
of the increasingly confrontational tone
of far right rhetoric, combined with the
almost universal extreme right belief that Rowley mentioned both Lennon/ and more bitter at the scum and
a civil war between Islam and the West is Robinson and Britain First (whose criminals ruining my country than ever
coming as well as the growing influence deputy leader, Jayda Fransen, was before” and added that “every lie, every
of hard-line European nazis living in the infamously retweeted by US President act of treachery will be revisited on you
UK. This is coupled with the collapse of Donald Trump) as voices from the far ten fold”.
the British National Party (which helped right that stir up tensions. Given all this violent rhetoric, we
close off the option of a parliamentary Columnist and former “Apprentice” should not be surprised that some
route for hard-line fascist activists). star Katie Hopkins, with almost 900,000 people are “inspired” to carry out acts
Two weeks before Darren Osborne followers on social media, was sacked of violence – whether as a follower of
drove murderously into worshippers from her LBC show after scandalously a particular group or floating between
outside a mosque in Finsbury Park, EDL calling for “a final solution” following organisations or a sad loner like Darren
founder Stephen Lennon (aka Tommy the Manchester Arena bombing, merely Osborne.
Robinson), with 1.1m followers on social the latest in a long line of incendiary, At the same time, there is something
media, threatened that “militias will bigoted, tweets she has put out. more fundamental going on. For
be set up”, citing Northern Ireland as Britain First leader Paul Golding has several years there has been a universal
an example, to “clean out this Islamic been equally voluble. On release from acceptance by far right extremists and
problem.” prison at the beginning of 2017, he anti-Muslim zealots that a war with
Osborne was an avid follower of produced his most nasty video to date, Islam is looming. For many, this has been
Lennon/Robinson online as he was of threatening “journalists and politicians” a “resigned acceptance” while for others
Britain First, described in his trial as a who have committed “crimes against our it has been something to prepare for.
“far right, ultra nationalist group”, which nation”. For a minority, this idea of a clash
made its name by invading mosques and He said that his stint behind bars left with Islam is something that is
intimidating worshippers. him “even more angry, more determined both welcomed as well as actively >>
January-February 2018 // HOPE NOT HATE
page 8 // Fear & HOPE summary
A threat for 2018?
encouraged as (in their view) it is only
through a civil war that Islam will
be defeated and Muslims ultimately
expelled from Europe.
Each Islamist terrorist incident
confirms and underlines this view in the
extremists’ mindset. Political correctness
and liberalism have “betrayed” the
nation, the extremists think, through
immigration and multiculturalism.
The state, and its agencies – so their
theory goes – are too soft and unwilling
to do what is necessary. The answer
lies in the hands of the true believers,
those who can see through the lies and
indoctrination and see the threat of
Islam for what it is.
This worldview is prevalent across
the far right. And we agree with Rowley
that it is clear that the far right as well
as Islamist extremism share many
attributes in common. In fact, both need
each other and the idea that the “other” (left to right) George Llewelyn-John, Stephen Lennon, Lauren Southern,
is out to destroy (their) society. Brittany Pettibone, Lucy Brown, Caolan Robertson
Whether it is the Islamophobes of
UKIP or the violent nazis of Combat Stephen Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) has officially left Rebel Media
18 and National Action, anti-Muslim and appears to be joining forces with other former-Rebel employees
activists like Stephen Lennon and For Lauren Southern, George Llewelyn-John and Caolan Robertson.
Britain leader Anne Marie Waters or Worryingly, also present at a recent meeting was Brittany Pettibone,
former BNP leader Nick Griffin, almost partner of Generation Identity’s de facto leader Martin Sellner, possibly
everyone on the extreme right believes a resulting in some of the far right’s major social media personalities
conflict lies ahead and this is reflected in joining forces with Europe’s expanding far-right youth movement.
their rhetoric and social media ravings.
Waters, who tried and failed to
become UKIP leader in 2017, repeatedly Looking back at 2017 during 2017 his videos were watched
describes Islam as “evil” and predicts 2017 proved that Islamist extremism was over 100 million times – a larger audience
that unless action is taken, Britain will be a key factor in generating support for the than most traditional media outlets.
under “Islamic control” within 50 years. far right. Three people who carried out, or Our report also scrutinises an emerging
UKIP’s interim leader Gerard Batten, attempted to carry out, far right inspired younger generation of far right activists,
meanwhile, has described Islam as a acts of terrorism last year did so in direct among which is the European movement
“death cult” while former Liberty GB response to Islamist terrorist attacks. Generation Identity, that has resprayed
leader Paul Weston has predicted civil Far right leaders all saw a spike in their traditional racism as “cultural politics”
war will engulf Europe by 2025 and has online followings after each terrorist and has both a British and Irish arm.
asked people which side they will be on attack and the Football Lads Alliance In the language of these movements,
when it happens. (FLA), a football-hooligan street army immigration is rephrased as “the great
The Gates of the Vienna website, one of that brought as many as 50,000 people displacement” and segregation re-styled
the world’s leading fervently anti-Muslim onto the streets of London in October, as “ethno pluralism”. Support for these
online forums, run by Briton Edward was established as a direct response to groups will rise in 2018 and we expect
S. May, has gone further, publishing Islamist extremist-inspired attacks. them to become increasingly active on
essays that say that not only is civil war Worse, these outrages increased campuses.
inevitable but actually desirable as only negative attitudes towards Muslims in More fluid and looser online and
through war, it appears, will Muslims Britain. Just over half (52%) of those we offline networks are also replacing far
be expelled from Europe. To assist its polled in England for our 2017 Fear & right organisations, with supporters
readers, some essays give details of how HOPE report said Islam poses some sort less-strongly affiliated to any one
a civil war can be ignited, techniques to of threat to the West while 42% said their particular movement. Activists flit easily
survive police interrogation and – for distrust of Muslims had grown after the between groups, depending on issues
those who are really keen to take action – London Bridge and Westminster attacks. and online profiles.
rudimentary bomb making designs. With increasingly negative views 2017 was a significant year for the
With US far right alternative media towards British Muslims – and Islam British far right. Organisationally
outlet Breitbart, and even US President more generally – there is a growing weaker and politically more
Donald Trump, to some extent, pumping pool of possible recruits for the far right marginalised, it does, however, pose a
out variations of these anti-Muslim fairy and, with some now having huge social significant threat to the social fabric.
tales and Steve Bannon, Trump’s ex- media platforms, they now have ways to A trend towards terrorism and its
chief of staff and ex-Breitbart head, also reach people that were unimaginable in ever-increasing capacity to engage and
propagating the view that the West is at the past. incite large numbers of people online
war with Islam, far right violence and Lennon gained over 200,000 followers with its belligerent and violent rhetoric
terrorism is likely to be with us for the on Facebook in the week he was banned means we will have problems for some
foreseeable future. from Twitter while Watson boasts that time to come. n
HOPE NOT HATE // January-February 2018
Fear & HOPE summary // page 9
The state of the nation
HOPE not hate’s Fear and immigration is essential but Brexit
HOPE report has charted that economic need should Brexit will dominate politics
attitudes towards race, faith, determine its future level. over the next few years and
immigration and belonging The divisions in the is set to trigger feelings of
in England since 2011. Our way each segment sees betrayal and resentment.
fourth report looked at immigration are stark – just Only 6% of people are very
economic pessimism, the 4% of the active enmity group confident that Theresa May
effects of the Brexit vote, believe immigration has will secure a good deal for
the reaction to the terrorist been good for the country Britain in negotiations with
attacks in Manchester and while 96% of the confident the EU and Fear and HOPE
London and responses to the multicultural group agree 2017 reveals little prospect
Grenfell Tower fire. with this statement. that a deal can be secured
As with our previous Fear Economic concerns about without angering and further
and HOPE surveys, we divide immigration are at the alienating either side of this
the nation into six identities forefront of minds in the “identity divide”.
“tribes”: more hostile groups whereas The more hostile groups
Two very positive about confident multiculturals and feel relief at the prospect of a English nationalist groups,
immigration – confident mainstream liberals focus hard Brexit while this angers a pattern that fell to 52% in
multiculturals and more on the positive effects of those on the liberal side of the 2017.
mainstream liberals. cultural diversity. spectrum. Integration has also risen
up the political agenda
Race, faith, belonging
91% 52%
and our poll shows the
Attitudes towards race, faith issue has become a greater
and belonging have become public concern. There are
increasingly polarised. some clear concerns that
Our two more ‘liberal’ multiculturalism is not
say some immigration tribes have grown in say Islam poses some working well in Britain,
is essential size (39%), becoming
increasingly confident as
threat to the West particularly among the
hostile tribes.
Remain voters disassociate 91% of the active enmity
And two strongly opposed themselves from “Brexit Terror, Security and Islam group feel that new
– active enmity and latent Britain”. They are champions The vast majority of people immigrants do not want
hostiles. of multiculturalism and (77%) stand firmly against to integrate and there is a
Of the two “middle diversity. the conflation of extremists’ consensus across the identity
ground” tribes, one – This liberal shift has actions with an entire religion tribes that British values are
culturally concerned – is resulted in a reduced middle and 80% are encouraged by in decline.
economically secure but space, leaving behind a the way British people came Political events of the last
culturally concerned about persistent hostile section of together in unity following years have dramatically split
changes in society and the attacks.
77% 42%
the other – immigrant There has, however,
ambivalents – is driven by clearly been a hardening
economic insecurity, but of Islamophobic attitudes
more ambivalent toward among those more sceptical
immigration. about modern society.
As a whole, there is much say it is wrong to 42% of English people say are increasingly
to be positive about. A sense
of cautious optimism has
blame an entire their suspicion of Muslims
has increased following the
suspicious of
survived the Referendum. religion for the actions 2017 terror attacks. Muslims following the
Sixty-one (61%) percent of
people feel that things are
of an extremist few Meanwhile, a quarter of
the English believe that Islam
terrorist attacks
better in their own lives now is “a dangerous religion that
compared with 10 years ago. society (23%) whose views incites violence”. Among the the country. While in many
England is also becoming have not moderated since active enmity ‘tribe’, seven out ways we are more hopeful,
an increasingly tolerant and 2011. of 10 agree. fears have become more
more open society. Britain is looking at ingrained and tensions
a tough period of Nationalism, Integration are high. Faith, integration
Immigration economic downturn after At the same time, sympathy and terrorism will all be
55% believe that immigration it leaves the EU that could for English nationalists has important challenges for the
has been good for the trigger increased fears and fallen. In 2011, 67% of the coming years, while Brexit
country, up from 40% in 2011, hostility towards immigrants active enmity “tribe” stated will determine the country’s
and 88% of Britons believe and minorities. that their sympathies lay with future. n
January-February 2018 // HOPE NOT HATE
page 10 // A post-organisational far right?
A Post Organisational
Far Right?
By Joe Mulhall
T hroughout the post-war
period, the British far right’s
ability to exert influence
beyond the confines of the
political fringe depended
on its cohesiveness and size.
While it is unwise to measure the
importance or danger of the far right
purely in terms of electoral strength or
This is especially true for the far
right with social media and an array of
emerging technologies and platforms
offering new ways for it to engage
in activism outside the confines of
traditional, organisational structures.
While the currently fragmented UK
far right scene is likely to “unite” again
at some point, we should no longer
leadership of the notorious pre-war
British fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley.
Though officially lasting into the 1990s
the UM, which encountered fierce
opposition, remained noteworthy for
just a few years before fading back into
obscurity.
1967 saw a second period of
coalescence, with the formation of
number of feet on the street – it only measure the strength or likely influence National Front (NF) following the merger
takes one right-wing extremist to bomb of the movement solely by how cohesive of the League of Empire Loyalists with
a pub or murder an MP – its ability to it is. The link between unity and impact the then-British National Party and
influence mainstream political debate, is no longer as clear as it once was. elements of both the Greater Britain
especially on issues like immigration and Movement and the Racial Preservation
integration has generally been tied to the Unity and Influence Society. Though never achieving
relative importance and scale of political Since 1945, there have been cycles of mainstream support, the NF became a
parties and street movements. unity and division that correspond to household name during the 1970s and
However, just as it has reshaped periods of relative influence, decline and was a fixture on the political landscape,
our social, economic and cultural obscurity. peaking in 1979 when it stood 303
lives, the internet and the explosion In 1948, fifty-one far right and fascist candidates at the General Election,
of social media in the past decade has organisations merged at a meeting only to have the rug pulled from under
also created momentous shifts in the at Farringdon Hall, London, forming it by Margaret Thatcher’s infamous
political world. the Union Movement (UM) under the “swamped” comments and the intensity
HOPE NOT HATE // January-February 2018state of hate 2018
of campaigning by the Anti-Nazi League. a contributor to the far right Canadian on mainstream social media platforms
A period of splintering and decline in the outlet Rebel Media – claimed that in a like Twitter and Facebook.
1980s followed as a result. four week period his tweets reached 193 The fact that this can all be done
Next came the emergence of John million people and his Facebook videos anonymously hugely lowers the social
Tyndall’s British National Party (BNP) were viewed 49 million times. Similarly, cost of activism. There is now a veritable
under Nick Griffin which, in the first Paul Joseph Watson of InfoWars has online army of far right activists acting
decade of this century, dominated the far claimed over 1.1 million subscribers completely anonymously without the
right of the political spectrum, leaving to his YouTube channel with each danger and risk of being ostracised
little space for all but the most extreme of his videos receiving hundreds of for doing so. It is why the dread of
and violent alternatives. However, thousands of views and some well into “doxing” (having one’s identity revealed)
despite becoming the most electorally the millions. is so acute for much of this “fearless”
successful far right party in British It has to be recognised that these movement.
history – racking up representation on players are reaching a global audience It is perhaps no surprise then that the
the London Assembly in 2008 and nearly so much of their viewership will be most recent major far right movement to
1 million votes and two MEPs in 2009 – outside the UK. The alt-right vlogger emerge, the alt-right, has taken the form
it, too, went into rapid decline following Colin Robertson (aka Millennial Woes), it has.
its failed attempt at a parliamentary for example, claims that just 20% of his While it contains traditional
breakthrough in 2010. audience resides in the UK. organisations such as Richard Spencer’s
The past seven years have been However, estimates of the UK web National Policy Institute, generally
typified by infighting and splintering, traffic to extreme far right sites (albeit speaking it remains a decentralised
leaving an extremely divided far right an inexact science provided by websites collective of anonymous people
scene composed of dozens of small such as SimilarWeb and Alexa) suggests working in broadly the same direction
and generally insignificant grouplets. that there are thousands of people and towards similar goals. This
Attempts to reunify the nationalist actively engaged in far right politics, relatively new means of engaging in
movement have been stultified and just semi-autonomously, outside political activism also facilitates a more
unsuccessful and unity looks as distant formalised organisational structures international outlook.
as ever since the BNP’s decline. and sitting behind computer screens This many-headed hydra approach
Be they parties – such as the BNP, a and keyboards. makes it harder to combat in a
pale shadow of its former self – or street While there have been numerous traditional sense as it cannot be
movements from the nazi extremes attempts to organise explicitly “alt-right” decapitated like a political party or
of the banned National Action to now gatherings in the UK, none have managed traditional far right organisation. If one
marginal anti-Muslim street protest to attract more than a few dozen people. prominent activist or leader falls from
groups like the English Defence League After the US, the UK provides the most grace, it is no longer a fatal hammer
(EDL), conventional organisations can traffic to almost every major alt-right blow. Others will simply emerge and the
no longer fill the streets or be considered website in the world. Counter-Currents. besmirched are discarded.
an electoral challenge. Indeed, even the com, the website of American white Perhaps most significant, though, is
populist radical right, in the shape of nationalist Greg Johnson, received the diminished ability to cause dramatic
UKIP, has lost its impetus. 206,887 unique visitors in November 2017 social change outside the confines of
It is hard to think of a time when with 6.41% (13,000) of the traffic coming traditional organisational structures.
the UK scene lacked any party or from the UK. The BNP’s short-lived ability to shift the
organisation of note. All of this is, of When it comes to one of the largest centre ground of political debate to the
course, good news but it is certainly not white supremacist websites in the world, right during the 2010 election or Farage
the whole picture of the state of hate in Stormfront, Similarweb estimates visitor and UKIP’s effect during Brexit were
the UK and beyond. numbers at 1 million before the domain much more direct and detectable than
was terminated, with 11% of that coming the much-exaggerated effect of the alt-
Beyond Organisations from the UK. right on the rise of Donald Trump.
In recent years, we have seen the rise of That means there have been 110,000 The tangible existence of a party of
far right social media personalities who, visits from the UK to an explicitly nazi voters to the far right of the centre scares
despite not being part of traditional website. “Stormfront Britain” is the site’s the mainstream more than a collective of
activist organisations or parties, now second largest section after “Newslinks anonymous online activists.
have the ability to reach unprecedented and Articles” with over 111,746 threads However, Society does not necessarily
numbers of people. as of December 2017. This is before one have to change with seismic jolts but
A right-wing alternative media even considers the Daily Stormer which rather can be shaped slowly and in tiny
has emerged, stretching from the is superseding Stormfront to become increments as political agendas are
edges of the mainstream (such as the most prominent nazi bolthole on the radicalised. In fact, this is very nature
former Trump advisor Steve Bannon’s web. of the approach employed by this new
Breitbart News Network), to scores of For most of the post-war period, online far right army.
YouTube vloggers, Twitter accounts and “getting active” required finding a party, We would be foolish to be complacent
professional media outlets like Rebel joining, canvassing, knocking on doors, despite facing what appears, in terms of
Media and InfoWars. This framework dishing out leaflets and attending the traditional far right, to be a fractured
allows activists to propagate their meetings. and splintered movement.
views without the need for traditional Now, from the comfort and safety If we wait for a period of far right unity
structures such as a party. of their own homes, these keyboard so that we can once again mobilise en
In November, appearing on an warriors can engage in far right politics masse against this enemy, we risk society
episode of InfoWars’ The Alex Jones by watching YouTube videos, visiting far being changed by thousands of people
Show, former English Defence League right websites, networking on forums, gnawing away at it and propagating the
(EDL) leader Stephen Lennon (aka speaking on voice chat services like whole package of far right ideas in the
Tommy Robinson) – who now works as Discord and trying to convert “normies” meantime. n
January-February 2018 // HOPE NOT HATEpage 12 // The far right online
Online hate
The year in numbers
By Patrik Hermansson
Donald Trump’s entry into Alex Jones Milo Yiannopoulos
the White House has helped
focus media attention on the
Alternative Right and the broader
international far right.
Seemingly emboldened by
his victory, far right groups have
organised rallies and campaigns
across the US and Europe,
events like the “Unite the Right”
rally in Charlottesville and the
“Defend Europe” mission in the
Mediterranean being just two
examples.
A significant reason for their
success in attracting attention is
their use of social media. Based
on data from Facebook, Twitter 763,280 1,679,955 2,216,073 0 2,379,458 725,668
and YouTube, HOPE not Hate has
compiled a list of the top haters on
Stefan Molyneux Lauren Southern
social media to estimate the reach
of far right accounts on these
platforms.
Comparing audience size does
not allow us fully to measure
impact but, based on data on
followers of over a thousand
accounts from a wide spectrum of
the far right across three different
social media platforms, it provides
a high-level overview of the
potential reach of these accounts’
messages.
In the UK, the anti-Muslim far
right was quick to exploit public
fear after the Islamist terror
attacks during the spring and 282,458 49,000 713,211 323,808 179,807 413,172
HOPE NOT HATE // January-February 2018state of hate 2018
summer. A direct measure of the audience on Twitter to over Gab.ai: Twitter for the far right
tactic’s effectiveness can be seen in 16 times what she had at the After Twitter took a harsher stance on far right
the sharp increase in followers on beginning of the year. Fransen’s accounts on its platform, many, including
Twitter for anti-Muslim activists and Lennon’s rapid audience Britain First, turned to Gab.ai, site with
like Stephen Lennon (aka Tommy growth is an indication of the almost the same functionality as Twitter
Robinson) who, after each attack, worsening attitudes towards that “champions free speech and individual
sharply increased his Twitter Muslims in the UK that we liberty”.
following, ending the year at highlighted in our 2017 Fear and The site was launched in August 2016 but
more than double the number of Hope report. was only opened to the public in May 2017.
followers he had in January 2017. The far right also met resistance Since then it has gained more than 310,000
This made him the fifth most in 2017. After Charlottesville, users, according to its founder.
important online hater in the several internet companies
world, along with the three other slashed the number of far right
Britons on the list. users they serviced. This was
Not on the list, but one of the primarily payment services such
fastest climbers, is Britain First as card providers Paypal and
deputy leader Jayda Fransen. Patreon and online advertisers,
Britain First is best known for forcing far right activists to find putting an abrupt end to Fransen’s
its extreme anti-Muslim stance other funding routes. For some rapid rise.
expressed via confrontational of the most extreme sites, such The accounts with the largest
actions like street protests and as the nazi Stormfront and The following are not the most
mosque invasions. Daily Stormer, this also led to extreme, however, and these
In November, Fransen was suspension of their domain names accounts remain active on Twitter
retweeted three times by US and hosting. as well as Facebook and YouTube,
President Trump, gaining her Fransen and Britain First were arguably the more important
international recognition and among a relatively small group of platforms in terms of reach.
exponentially increasing her accounts removed from Twitter, Our list is ranked by the total
Ann Coulter Paul Joseph Watson Tommy Robinson
1,836,414 690,492 0 780,025 565,191 1,133,717 394,398 633,349 61,148
Katie Hopkins Mike Cernovich Gavin McInnes
832,610 36,391 0 390,447 381,252 64,722 242,867 72,699 181,371 >>
January-February 2018 // HOPE NOT HATEpage 14 // The far right online
Britain First: Blocked from Twitter, Stormfront Britain
huge on Facebook Stormfront had its domain seized after in August 2017, in the
While Britain First was banned from Twitter in wake of the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, USA.
February 2017 and continues to draw next to However, it remains active and accessible, is the second
no people to its demonstrations, it remains largest section after “Newslinks & Articles” with 111,746 threads
successful on Facebook. As of December 2017, as of December 2017 and is the by far largest regional section
it was the second most liked Facebook page of the forum.
in the politics and society category in the UK Similar Web estimated Stormfront’s visitor numbers at about
after the Royal Family. 1 million per month before their domain was terminated. 11% or
In December 2017, Jayda Fransen’s page was 110,000 visitors are estimated to come from the UK.
also the second fastest growing in the UK,
after the Queen. She gained 37,582 likes in
December alone. Britain
Italia
BRITAIN FIRST: 1,948,000 Spain /
Portugal
Croatia
LABOUR: 1,014,000 Canada
Down under
French
CONSERVATIVES: 652,000 Ireland
Netherland
& Flanders
Scandinavia
UKIP: 588,000
/ Baltics
Serbia and
S.e. Europe
South Africa
LIB DEMS: 186,000 Hungary
Europe
0.0m 0.2m 0.4m 0.6m 0.8m 1m
number of followers over the In December 2017, we aim to shine a light on the clear antisemitism and outright
Jayda Fransen’s
three networks. There is no doubt Facebook page was informal influence afforded to discussion of race has paid off in
overlap in the followers between the second fastest private individuals afforded by terms of number of followers. The
the different networks but the sum growing in the UK social media platforms. millions of followers indicate that
after the Queen’s.
represents a reasonable measure Notably, the full list included a their rhetoric is more publicly
of reach because of the network wide range of accounts, including palatable.
structure of these platforms. established nazis as well as In our report on the
A post does not simply reach mainstream personalities like International Alternative Right we
the followers of the original user Katie Hopkins. But, in the top ten, called the alt-light “less extreme,
but also the followers of those we find a relatively homogenous more dangerous” because of its
followers. Since users often have group of alt-light and anti- potential to normalise far right
different networks on different Muslim activists. It excludes ideas and to act as a gateway to
platforms, this overlap still any of the most extreme, more extreme ideas.
contributes to the reach of racially-motivated far right, The list presents that idea
the accounts and should the largest of whom reach in more clarity. Some of these
therefore be taken into only a fraction compared people profess deeply hateful
consideration. with the top ten. ideas but often in a way that
Notwithstanding The further down the list cannot clearly be labelled hate
that, repetition itself we go, the more extreme speech, giving them access to
increases reach and accounts we find. The platforms and audiences that
the likelihood that accounts at the top traditional far right activists never
a message gets are clearly hate had. It is symbiotic relationship
shared. The accounts because of whereby the existence of a
list excludes their rhetoric about racially motivated far right helps
people who minorities and individuals like Katie Hopkins to
hold political women but their establish themselves as the centre
office as distance from ground. n
HOPE NOT HATE // January-February 2018The far right online // page 15
Exploiting deadly terror
attacks to spread hate
By Patrik Hermansson
The UK suffered a series of
terrorist attacks in 2017. One of these
was the Manchester Arena attack
that claimed 22 lives, the deadliest
onslaught in the UK since the 7/7
London bombings.
These attacks justifiably caused
public anger but, worryingly, the as many as 40,042 followers just accounts on Twitter is easily seen in
British and international far right in the week after the Manchester the case of the London Bridge attack.
exploited them for its own benefit. attack. Out of the top 100 most shared
As part of HOPE not hate’s The same pattern can be seen tweets about the attack, 32 showed
Islamophobia report, we conducted among other anti-Muslim accounts clearly negative sentiments about
an investigation into the responses on Twitter. Terror attacks were Muslims.
to these attacks on social media. We followed by outbursts of anti-Muslim Notable among these were
looked at social media accounts of sentiment on Twitter and the activity tweets shared by the largest anti-
prominent anti-Muslim and far right of far right accounts spiked along Muslim accounts such as those
activists in the UK as well as abroad with their number of followers. The run by Paul Joseph Watson of the
and observed that most of them effect is easily observable in the Infowars conspiracy site, alt-right
grew significantly during the whole graph below. commentator Brittany Pettibone,
year. A graphic example of how activists Raheem Kassam of Breitbart London,
This is possibly a reflection of like Lennon have perfected the tactic Rebel Media and the Voice of Europe.
increasingly polarised debate in the of exploiting people’s fear in the The effect of this impact is not to
wake of the US presidential election wake of attacks is the tweet below, be taken lightly. With each increase
and Brexit, both campaigns having one of his most retweeted posts of in Twitter followers comes a larger
relied heavily on anti-Muslim and the year, published just hours after reach for every single tweet and
xenophobic rhetoric. the Manchester Arena attack. therefore a potential influence on
More notably, these raised profiles The influence of the big far right public debate. n
did not grow at a steady pace
throughout the year but in short
bursts to gain new followers and
increased resonance in the hours and Tommy Robinson twitter followers (1 April 2017 - 1 December 2017)
days after the terror attacks. They Westminster Manchester London Finsbury Parsons
attack attack Bridge Park Green
were also consistently among the
most mentioned and shared social 400k
media users on these topics. 375k
Stephen Lennon (aka Tommy
350k
Robinson), the former EDL leader
and the most prominent anti-Muslim 325k
activist in the UK, almost tripled
300k
his number of followers during
the year. Part of the reason for his 275k
increased exposure can be attributed 250k
to his move to Canadian far right
225k
alternative media outlet Rebel
Media and his distancing himself 200k
from earlier street activism which 175k
inevitably increased his respectability
150k
and exposure. But the career shift 1 Apr 1 May 1 Jun 1 Jul 1 Aug 1 Sep 1 Oct 1 Nov 1 Dec
itself does not explain how he added
January-February 2018 // HOPE NOT HATEpage 16 // 2017 The Year of Right Populism? Radical Right Populism in the UK By David Lawrence As 2016 – the year of Brexit and Trump widespread hostility to “liberalism” and to back Remain – appeared the perfect – drew to a close, some looked gloomily racial/religious unease into votes and is opportunity for UKIP. Despite this, towards approaching elections in Europe challenging the consensus in elections in Nuttall was able to achieve just 24.7% of in 2017, fearing a tide of victories for the Europe. 2018 will see ballots in Finland, the vote, coming second. populist radical right. Italy, Hungary and Sweden, where Facing local elections in May and a Despite polls indicating the contrary, populist radical right parties could make surprise snap election in June, Nuttall alarmist news media articles were strong showings. resorted to an array of anti-Islam published predicting victories for the far policies, bringing in an “integration right in France, Holland and Germany. The UK agenda” including a burka ban and By the end of the year, however, some While radical right groups on the mandatory annual female genital in the media had done a volte face, continent has seen disturbing growth, mutilation checks. declaring right-wing populism all but the UK has missed the bus somewhat Such crudity repelled both party dead. The truth is more complex. with 2017 proving a bruising year for moderates and, apparently, the British While not the seismic sea-change such parties in the wake of Brexit. public. UKIP was wiped out in the local predicted, 2017 witnessed significant Since achieving its founding goal in the elections, losing all but one council interventions by far-right parties in June 2016 European Union Referendum, seat. In the General Election, the party several countries. Marine Le Pen of the UKIP has suffered 18 months of plummeted to less than 2%, a shocking Front National failed to win the French catastrophe, lurching from crisis to crisis collapse from 13% in 2015, prompting presidency but achieved second place and leader to leader and losing money, Nuttall to stand down and disappear with the support of a third of voters. The members and morale along the way. At from social media. Islamophobic politician, Geert Wilders time of writing, the party stands on the of the Party for Freedom (PVV), achieved verge of oblivion. Bolton’s UKIP second place in the Dutch General The abdication of party leader and The subsequent UKIP leadership Election with 13% of the vote and, in the talisman Nigel Farage soon after the election that came to a head on 29 Czech Republic, the far right Freedom referendum has left a void at the centre September was the most bitterly and Direct Democracy – Tomio Okamura of the party which has, since then, been fought in the party’s turbulent history, (SPD) sucked up 10.6% of the vote. mired in bitter factional fighting and dominated by rows over the candidacy The Austrian chancellor Sebastian collectively incapable of demonstrating of Islamophobic activist Anne Marie Kurz’s conservative Austrian People’s any good reason for its continued Waters, who finished second with 21.3% Party, meanwhile, has formed a existence. of the vote to Henry Bolton’s 29.9%. coalition with the anti-immigrant, The post-Brexit situation has arguably Bolton, a former Lib Dem and far right Freedom Party (FPÖ) and, in seen a normalisation of some of UKIP’s virtual unknown, was able to present Germany, Angela Merkel, seen by many politics and an absorption of its policies himself as a respectable and dully as the embodiment of European centrist by Theresa May’s Tory party, stealing the uncontroversial moderate in the politics, has held onto her post, the wind from UKIP’s sails. campaign. Bolton addressed fears Islamophobic Alternative für Deutschland As 2017 approached, Farage’s heir- about Waters directly, warning grimly coming in third with 94 seats. apparent Paul Nuttall staked his that UKIP could become a “UK Nazi While many have entertained hope leadership on overtaking Labour as the party” if it elected the wrong candidate. that the right-wing surge may have “patriotic voice of the working people”. The majority of the party’s MEPs peaked, the collective sigh of relief However, his hopes of reinventing the threatened to walk if she won. breathed by Europe’s centrists says much party evaporated early in the year when However Bolton’s reputation has been about how far the terrain of politics has he failed in the February parliamentary trashed after it was revealed that he had shifted in recent years. by-election in Stoke-on-Trent Central. left his wife for a party member less After decades in the electoral The constituency, a Labour seat than half his age, who was subsequently wilderness, the far right is patchily, that recorded a 70% Leave vote in the revealed to have made appalling racist but fairly successfully, converting Referendum – despite Labour’s policy comments. Despite UKIP’s National HOPE NOT HATE // January-February 2018
state of hate 2018
Nigel Farage with eccentric Tory backbencher
Jacob Rees-Mogg. Photo Twitter
Executive Committee adopting a vote of Waters, an associate of former English it has suffered a series of setbacks. For
no confidence against Bolton, he refused Defence League (EDL) leader Stephen Britain’s launch on 15 October was largely
to step down and was duly removed at Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson), has ignored by the media and technical
an Extraordinary General Meeting in inspired anti-Islam elements within issues delayed the launch of the group’s
mid-February. The Islamophobe Gerard UKIP by portraying herself as a kind new website and membership signup by
Batten currently sits as interim leader of martyr in the leadership campaign. more than two weeks. Embarrassingly, a
until the penniless party can hold yet Unsurprisingly, her party’s platform is November ITV documentary on the UK
another leadership election. focused on Islam and immigration with far right titled Undercover: Inside Britain’s
This fiasco has prompted a multitude policies that include an “end to police New Far Right heavily featured both
of members to quit the party, including prioritisation of so-called ‘hate crime’”. Buckby and Waters. Facebook also pulled
all 17 councillors in Thurrock, once Waters’ habit of making extreme the group’s page, allegedly for using “hate
considered UKIP’s most successful statements and her history of engagement speech”, and several meetings early in
branch, who have left the party to start with the far right means her ability to 2018 have been cancelled due to venues
their own local group. attract mainstream support is severely pulling the booking.
curtailed. It is worth remembering that The May 2018 local elections will prove
For Britain Liberty GB, of which Buckby was a central the first real test of the group, which is
Waters has attempted to capitalise on figure, received a massive 418 votes expected to pour its limited resources
the energy of leadership campaign by nationwide in the 2015 General Election. into a handful of carefully chosen areas
launching her own anti-Islam outfit “For For Britain seems destined to serve as and wind up local tensions. At the time
Britain”. Waters’ campaign aide Jack little more than a vehicle for the most of writing, though, For Britain is still
Buckby, formerly of the Islamophobic extreme and disgruntled UKIP exiles and struggling to register as a political party
Liberty GB and the British National ex-BNP members. with the Electoral Commission and
Party (BNP), has been a key in the While the would-be party is focussing Waters has stated that her candidates
group’s formation. on setting up branches across the country, may have to stand as independents.
January-February 2018 // HOPE NOT HATEYou can also read
