The Alt-Observer Weekly Summary highlights activities from revolutionary communist, radical anarchist, fascist and other ‘alternative’ political groups that fulfill our intelligence requirements for both the Alt-Left and Alt-Right groups. This report is available for Intelligence subscribers.
In this Alt-Observer Weekly Summary…
- Socialist Rifle Association sells KKK targets
- Antifa International’s fascist violence timeline 2018
- North Shore Antifa: The Holocaust can happen here
- Pittsburgh Antifa plans “counterattack” following synagogue shooting
- Red Guards Charlotte’s social media policy
- Riot gear approved for usage against pipeline protestors
- RPC St. Louis calls for election boycott and revolution
- Red Guards Kansas City: Solidarity with Brazilian comrades
- Eugene Antifa campaigns to de-platform Patriot Prayer
- Mass shooting at Pittsburgh Synagogue
- Identity Evropa Rollup
Priority Intelligence Requirements
- PIR1: What indicators describe the Alt-Left movement’s strength, capabilities, sentiment, and capabilities?
- PIR2: What indicators describe the Alt-Right movement’s strength, capabilities, sentiment, and capabilities?
- PIR3: What are the new indicators of future politically related violence?
- PIR4: What is the current threat index score for the Alt-Left movement?
PIR1: What indicators describe the Alt-Left movement’s strength, capabilities, sentiment, initiatives, and infighting?
National
SRA: The Socialist Rifle Association (SRA) posted a picture on their Facebook page this week of a Ruger LC9s handgun and a target with a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) member on it riddled with bullet holes. The SRA’s post included the hashtag #Socialistrifleassociation and a link to their website where the targets are available for purchase.
[Source: https://www.facebook.com/SocialistRifle/photos/a.574325516278443/694389210938739/]
Antifa International: (Analyst comment: In 2017 Antifa International created a “Timeline of Fascist and Bigoted Extremist Violence,” which features hundreds of violent events and incidences believed to be attributed to racist, fascist, sexist, and other extremism. Following the conclusion of the year 2017, Antifa International created a new timeline for 2018, which they have continuously updated throughout the year.)
Antifa International has updated their “Timeline of Fascist and Bigoted Extremist Violence” by including the “MAGA Bomber” and Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting in the timeline. The updated timeline reads:
October 26, 2018: After sending a dozen mail bombs to targets linked to the Democrats, 56-year-old Cesar Sayoc – an ardent and vocal Trump supporter, is arrested as the MAGA bomber.
October 27, 2018: 46-year-old extreme-right anti-Semite and gun collector Robert Bowers walks into the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, screams “All Jews must die!,” and begins shooting. Eleven people are killed and six others injured before Bowers surrenders after making several anti-Semitic statements during his rampage.
[Source: https://antifainternational.tumblr.com/post/170388821654/2018-a-timeline-of-fascist-and-bigoted-extremist]
North East
Massachusetts: The Boston-based Antifa group North Shore Antifa shared a post on their Facebook page that included the following World War 2 poster:
The post was made in response to the Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting and included the following statement:
“Poster from 1942. As true now as then. There’s no coexistence with fascism. Support your local Antifa. Smash fascism wherever it oozes forth. No compromise. No tolerance. This shit is life and death. #PittsburghSynagogue”
[Source: https://www.facebook.com/northshoreantifa/posts/1033363633502616]
Pennsylvania: Following the Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting, Antifascist Pittsburgh condemned the shooting in a post on their Facebook page. In the post the Antifa group wrote that “Many of us are Jewish or have grown up in close proximity to the community,” and described how they and their community are being affected by the shooting,
“Some of our fathers and parents are rabbis or involved in the religious community, some of us work in Jewish cultural, educational and social service institutions – walking by and working in Tree of Life / L’Simcha congregation.”
“Some of us are still in shock that this ferocious act of malice could happen here, the names of where we grow up becoming nationally synonymous with death.”
“Now more than ever we need to build rapid response teams, reporting networks to collect intelligence on the movements of fascists, boycott the businesses of and force through the termination of Nazis employment here to deny them the material ability to organize around their reactionary agendas, and engage in action against them.”
“We will not just ‘check in’ to say that we are safe – we will plan our counterattack!”
[Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=167800984162264&id=151333379142358]
Pennsylvania: In a Facebook post, Red Guards Pittsburgh (RGP) stated that the Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting was an act of “bloody fascist terror,” and expressed their condolences for the victims of the synagogue shooting. RGP also stated in their post that the shooter is a “vile and barbaric man,” who is one of the “many fascist worms now coming out of the woodwork of the US imperialist machine.” [Source: https://www.facebook.com/redguardspittsburgh/posts/2007948872584275]
Massachusetts: The Facebook page Greater Boston Communists posted a speech given by Russian Communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin in 1919. In his speech titled “Anti-Jewish Pogroms,” Lenin denounces Anti-Semitism towards Jews and bashes Capitalism for being Anti-Semitic and the enemy of the working class. The following are a few notable quotes from the speech:
“Anti-Semitism means spreading enmity towards the Jews. When the accursed tsarist monarchy was living its last days it tried to incite ignorant workers and peasants against the Jews. The tsarist police, in alliance with the landowners and the capitalists, organised pogroms against the Jews.”
“We often see the capitalists fomenting hatred against the Jews in order to blind the workers, to divert their attention from the real enemy of the working people, capital. Hatred towards the Jews persists only in those countries where slavery to the landowners and capitalists has created abysmal ignorance among the workers and peasants. Only the most ignorant and downtrodden people can believe the lies and slander that are spread about the Jews.”
“It is not the Jews who are the enemies of the working people. The enemies of the workers are the capitalists of all countries.”
“Among the Jews there are working people, and they form the majority. They are our brothers, who, like us, are oppressed by capital; they are our comrades in the struggle for socialism.”
“Among the Jews there are kulaks, exploiters and capitalists, just as there are among the Russians, and among people of all nations…. Rich Jews, like rich Russians, and the rich in all countries, are in alliance to oppress, crush, rob and disunite the workers.”
“Long live the fraternal trust and fighting alliance of the workers of all nations in the struggle to overthrow capital.”
[Source: https://www.facebook.com/GreaterBostonCommunists/posts/2132103533499218]
South East
North Carolina: In solidarity with the election boycott campaign, Red Guards Charlotte shared the following image from the “Boycott the Election!” WordPress document that was originally published by Red Guards Austin:
[Source: https://www.facebook.com/redguardscharlotte1/posts/484305255389273:1]
North Carolina: Red Guards Charlotte provided insight into their social media policy in a Facebook post this week. The following are a few notable quotes from the post:
“None of our members currently use any social media sites or individual accounts. This has been our policy for quite some time now. Aside from obvious security problems associated with open Facebook use, constant use of social media sites lends users to see incorrect and populist ideas as “common sense” and engage in a behavior similar to what’s referred to as ‘groupthink’.”
“We encourage those who are serious about revolution to get involved in revolutionary organizations in real life and to also shift their focus away from social media, a place that can be useful on behalf of revolutionary *organizations* but for the most part is where movements come to die in the wretched reformism the rest of the “left” is used to.”
“The revolutionaries in Charlotte should discontinue use of real names on accounts they do political work using. It puts the person as well as their family and friends and the movement they are part of in front of fascists and the state in a way that is unnecessarily open. We fight fascists better when they don’t see us coming and don’t know who we are. We seek to confuse our enemy.”
“Reflect for a moment on the fact that the fascists already have the entire system on their side.”
“We encourage all who want to communicate directly to us to contact our protonmail, redguardscharlotte@protonmail.com –rather than messaging this page, as it is now managed by supporters who cannot reliably and quickly respond and who cannot answer as our organization.”
[Source: https://www.facebook.com/redguardscharlotte1/posts/484301928722939]
Louisiana: It’s Going Down published a report back from a joint “action of solidarity” by the Alt-Left environmental protest groups Anti-Colonial Land Defense and L’eau Est La Vie Camp. The action was a protest against one of the many banks who help fund the Bayou Bridge pipeline, Wells Fargo, who they claim funds “genocide, construction of deadly pipelines and man camps.” According to the report back the protest resulted in the bank being temporarily shut down while police attempted to arrest the protestors.
In the report back the protest groups stated that police are now able to purchase riot gear for usage against the pipeline protestors:
Duluth City Council approved the purchase of riot gear the night before (Oct. 22nd) this action despite the public disapproval and disruption of several groups/AG’s of water protectors and concerned citizens alike. The police are amping up and preparing for militant combat against indigenous peoples for peacefully protecting their ancestral homelands.
[Source: https://itsgoingdown.org/duluth-water-protectors-take-action-in-solidarity-with-nobayoubridge/]
Mid-West
Missouri: In a Facebook post, Red Path Collective St. Louis (RPC-STL) called for a women’s election boycott, claiming that revolution is required for the transformation of women in society,
“For Marxism, women, as much as men, are but a set of social relations, historically adapted and changing as a function of the changes of society in its development process. Woman then is a social product, and her transformation demands the transformation of society. Elections No! Revolution Yes!”
[Source: https://www.facebook.com/RedPathCollective/posts/725742121092691]
Missouri: Following the election of Brazilian far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, Red Guards Kansas City (RGKC) announced their solidarity with Brazilian Antifascists,
“We are in solidarity with our comrades in Brazil as they resist a fascist extremist just as we are in resistance to a fascist extremist by the name of Donald Trump.”
[Source: https://www.facebook.com/itisrighttorebel/posts/496869510830603]
Missouri: Red Guards Kansas City (RGKC) shared a WordPress document by the Communist Party of Peru, who they claim are the “ideological founders and the model for all Red Guards.” RGKC states that they are sharing the document to share what they have learned about election boycotts the “struggle against the bourgeoisie and social-fascists.” According to RGKC, the Communist Party of Peru outlined four notable campaigns for anti-electoral boycotting that they have learned from:
- Opening of political space through de-platforming and destruction of bourgeois propaganda encouraging electoralism.
- To disrupt and destabilize the general elections and impede it whenever possible.
- To come against the ascension of the Social-Fascists
- To to undermine the Social-Fascists.
[Source: https://www.facebook.com/itisrighttorebel/posts/494811204369767]
South West
Texas: Red Guards Austin (RGA) condemned the “disappearance” of Mexican lawyer and law professor Dr. Ernesto Sernas García, who RGA claims was a Communist revolutionary and has been missing since May 2018. In a Facebook post RGA stated that Dr. García was “one of the many revolutionaries and servants of the people disappeared by the reactionary Mexican state.” RGA’s condemnation of Dr. García’s “disappearance” was made in solidarity with the other “Communist and progressive organizations of the world” who are “demanding the presentation of Dr Sernas alive to the masses, poor peasants, and workers of Mexico and the world.” [Source: https://www.facebook.com/redguardsaustin/posts/1922915437794601]
Texas: On Facebook Red Guards Austin (RGA) posted three pictures of a vandilzed mural of Texas democratic U.S. Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke, which they claim displays support for their election boycott. Pictures of the mural show that boycotters wrote “El Paso Gentrifier, supports Israel, no hero” and “imperialist pig. Don’t vote, revolt!” in red graffiti over the painted image of Beto. RGA described the “redecorated” mural in the post:
“Mural of gentrifier and imperialist pig “Beto” AKA Bolillo O’Rourke has been targeted for redecoration. Reactionaries of the Democratic Party think they can hide the people’s messages under a banner but they do not have a banner big enough to hide O’Rourk’s crimes.”
[Source: https://www.facebook.com/redguardsaustin/posts/1921756964577115]
(Analyst Comment: “Bolillo” is colloquial for ‘white bread’ in Spanish. “Bolillo O’Rourke” refers to ‘Beto’ as white and not Hispanic. – S.C.)
West Coast
Oregon: Eugene Antifa requested in a post on Facebook that people help them to “deplatform hate by standing against the fascist group – Patriot Prayer.” To achieve this, Eugene Antifa requests that antifascists call in to Patriot Prayer’s fundraising platform and tell them to take down Patriot Prayer’s fundraiser. (Analyst comment: According to Eugene Antifa, Patriot Prayer’s donation page is hosted by GivingFuel) [Source: https://www.facebook.com/eugeneantifa/posts/2213308955607870]
Oregon: Eugene Antifa is attempting to pressure the owner of a building in Cottage Grove, Oregon to stop renting to tactical gear store Wolfclan Armory. According to Eugene Antifa, Wolfclan Armory funds Neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups. The following are a series tweets by Eugene Antifa in which they call for antifascists to pressure the owner into no longer renting to the company:
“The continued presence of the Laskeys and Wolfclan Armory in the small town of Cottage Grove poses an increased and ongoing danger especially to non-White and non-cisgendered peoples.”
“The Laskey family has a long history of being active in and funding White supremacist and neo-Nazi groups. The tolerant left of Cottage Grove has been unsuccessful in removing this hive from their community.”
“Pressure must be made directly onto the building’s Eugene based owner so that it becomes unprofitable and undesirable for Mormar Properties to rent out that location to the Laskeys.”
“Economic pressure could be the best tactic in this case. We encourage everyone to stop contributing to the rental profits of Mormar Properties by boycotting every business in the building managed by Mormar Properties until they terminate their lease with Wolfclan Armory.”
“Urge every resident renter of Mormar Properties to put in notice and move locations. Applaud antifascists who impose property destruction so that it becomes not only an inconvenience, but also an expense for the Laskeys to sell their wares so comfortably.”
“The Laskeys and Wolfclan Armory are a danger to our larger community because the storefront also serves as a meeting place for neo-Nazis traveling nation-wide.”
“The continued operating presence of Wolfclan Armory funds and supports White supremacist activity and guarantees its ongoing growth so long as their doors remain open.”
(Analyst comment: The “Laskeys” being referred to in the tweets are the owners of Wolfclan Armory.) [Source: https://twitter.com/_eugeneantifa/status/1054889759796006912]
PIR2: What indicators describe the Alt-Right movement’s strength, capabilities, sentiment, initiatives, and infighting?
Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting
On Saturday, 27 October 2018, 46-year-old Robert Bowers surrendered and was taken into police custody after killing eleven people and injuring another six at a Jewish Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Bowers reportedly entered the synagogue with an AR-15 and three handguns, which he then used to go on a killing spree for approximately twenty minutes. Following the arrival of police, Bowers engaged the officers in a shootout before surrendering. According to CBSNews, Bowers shouted “They’re committing genocide to my people. I just want to kill Jews” as he shot at the officers. (Analyst comment: Bowers is a Neo-Nazi who hated President Trump for not hating Jews and for being a “globalist, not a nationalist.” According to The Daily Beast, Bowers wrote on the social media site Gab that “There is no #MAGA as long as there is a kike infestation.”) [Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/live-news/pittsburgh-shooting-synagogue-today-suspect-robert-bowers-squirrel-hill-live-updates-2018-10-29/] [Source: https://www.thedailybeast.com/robert-bowers-is-neo-nazi-who-posted-about-killing-jews-on-gab]
Identity Evropa Rollup
IE activists posted propaganda flyers in 17 cities across 12 states this week:
Clark County, NV: Visited Red Rock Canyon [19-21 Oct]
Helen, GA: Hiked Raven Cliff Falls and “enjoyed the little German town and its culture” [22 Oct]
Middletown, NY: Distributed propaganda flyers at Middletown Public Library [22 Oct]
Oceanside, CA: Posted propaganda flyers [23 Oct]
New Paltz, NY: Posted propaganda flyers at the State University of New York [23 Oct]
Tulsa, OK: Posted propaganda flyers at Riverside Trail [24 Oct]
Anchorage, AK: Distributed propaganda flyers at the J.Z. Loussac Public Library [24 Oct]
New York City, NY: Spent the evening watching Italian composer Giacomo Puccini’s opera The Girl of the Golden West at the Metropolitan Opera House [25 Oct]
Denver, CO: Posted propaganda flyers [25 Oct]
Billings, MT: Posted propaganda flyers at Montana State University [25 Oct]
Rochester, NY: Posted propaganda flyers at the University of Rochester [26 Oct]
New Haven, CT: Visited the grave of American Revolution hero Nathaniel Hale [26 Oct]
Helena, MT: Posted propaganda flyers at Carroll College [27 Oct]
Bowling Green, KY: Hiked and posted propaganda flyers at Low Hollow Trail [27 Oct]
Helena, MT: Posted propaganda flyers in downtown Helena [27 Oct]
Helena, MT: Posted propaganda flyers at Helena College University of Montana [28 Oct]
Redding, CA: Thanked firefighters and American heroes by hanging a banner at Sundial Bridge [28 Oct]
Redding, CA: Visited the grave of a fallen firefighter [28 Oct]
Middletown, VA: Posted propaganda flyers at Lord Fairfax Community College [28 Oct]
Phoenix, AZ: Posted propaganda flyers at Arizona State University [28 Oct]
[Source: https://twitter.com/IdentityEvropa?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor]
PIR3: What are the new indicators of future politically related violence?
04 NOV: Rally Against Nazism hosted by Antifascist Pittsburgh [Source: https://www.facebook.com/events/259805168016541/]
(Analyst comment: Following the midterm elections on 06 November, we can expect to see an increase in nation-wide rallies/protests/riots.)
11 NOV: Me Too Survivor’s March — Hollywood, California [Source: http://www.rallylist.com/browse-protest-and-rallies/]
17 NOV: We The People Rally — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [Source: https://www.facebook.com/events/419562875241231/]
17 NOV: #PUSHBACK Stand Against the Proud Boys — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [Source: https://www.facebook.com/events/171281213803986/]
PIR4: What is the current threat index score for the Alt-Left movement?
Indicators of Revolutionary Activity
Strong Indications: 6
Weak Indications: 7
No/Negligible Indications: 6
We remain at 13 total indicators, and there’s been no change in the last week.
// END REPORT