Category: Exposed

  • Nephew of Tennessee Candidate for US Senate is “Patriot Front” Racist Militant in Georgia

    Nephew of Tennessee Candidate for US Senate is “Patriot Front” Racist Militant in Georgia

    Update, November 2020: Bill Hagerty won the Tennessee election for US Senate.

    Summary: Twenty-year-old Michael Patrick Hagerty, II is a member of two racist organizations, Patriot Front and Revolt Through Tradition. This year, he placed stickers for those organizations throughout Atlanta. Hagerty even wears clothes designating himself as a “National Socialist” – in other words, a neo-Nazi. His uncle, Bill Hagerty, is a Trump loyalist campaigning as the Republican candidate in Tennessee’s US Senate race, which he will likely win. Bill Hagerty vilifies Black Lives Matter and anti-fascists. Meanwhile, his nephew works with white supremacists to build a climate of intimidation against people of color, Jewish people, Muslims, leftists and LGBTQ communities.

    Introduction

    Michael Patrick Hagerty, II is a twenty-year-old white nationalist who belongs to two different fascist organizations, Patriot Front (PF) and Revolt Through Tradition (RTT). Over the last year, he has covered Atlanta with stickers for these organizations, trying to give the impression that they have a strong presence in our city. Hagerty has also traveled to meet with other PF and RTT members and posed in photos as they trained together for fighting. Hagerty even wears a t-shirt identifying himself as a “National Socialist”: in other words, a neo-Nazi. One of Hagerty’s associates in Patriot Front is “John GA” (alias), who targeted synagogues in Columbus, Georgia, last year with another PF member, Chris Brooks. 

    William F. Hagerty campaign video

    Hagerty’s uncle, William F. Hagerty, is currently campaigning in Tennessee as the Republican candidate in that state’s election for the US Senate, which he will likely win. As a candidate, Bill Hagerty has repeatedly attacked Black Lives Matter and anti-fascists. He characterized Black Lives Matter as aiming to “overthrow the government and usher in Marxism” and echoed Donald Trump’s characterization of anti-fascists as “domestic terrorists”, stating that they “must be stopped”. Through his aggressive public stance against anti-racist movements, Bill Hagerty shelters and emboldens white nationalists like his nephew while they prepare for violence.

    Family Background

    Michael Hagerty, II has a clear family connection to the Trump regime and the Republican establishment through his uncle. Bill Hagerty was director of presidential appointments for Trump’s transition team. At the end of July 2017, Bill Hagerty was sworn in as US Ambassador to Japan, a position he held for two years until Trump endorsed his run for US Senate. A few days after Bill Hagerty’s 2017 swearing-in ceremony, Michael Patrick Hagerty, II posted to Instagram about his recent “weekend at the White House.” It is unknown whether Michael Hagerty, II had embraced white nationalism at that time, however by 2019 he had signed up with Patriot Front.

    Michael Patrick Hagerty, II with family by Eisenhower Executive Office Building, 2017.

    Michael Hagerty, II grew up with wealth and privilege. The young neo-Nazi’s family home in Buckhead is valued at 1.2 million dollars. He graduated in 2019 from the Howard School, an independent school for students with language-based learning differences that charges a yearly tuition of more than $30,000. His parents are listed as donors to the school. Hagerty’s mother is a partner at HR consulting firm Mercer, while his father is a Vice President of Safety and Security at Flower Foods. 

    Overview of White Nationalist Projects

    Michael Hagerty, II belongs to two racist and fascist groups, Patriot Front and Revolt Through Tradition. He also supports the Rise Above Movement, a white nationalist fight club, and has promoted Our Fight Clothing, a distributor of far-Right clothes. Since these four different projects may be unfamiliar, we are providing brief notes on each one.

    Our Fight Clothing: Our Fight was a far-Right clothing company which sold designs by Patriot Front leader Thomas Rousseau, Rise Above Movement leader Rob Rundo’s “The Right Brand”, and other labels. At the end of September, Our Fight shut down its website. The operation has now been folded into Will2Rise, a new Rise Above Movement-affiliated brand.

    Shared by Patriot Front in May: Patriot Front and Revolt Through Tradition stickers placed together in Atlanta

    Patriot Front (PF): Patriot Front was founded in the aftermath of 2017’s “Unite the Right” in Charlottesville, Virginia, as a splinter from and rebranding of an earlier fascist group, Vanguard America. At “Unite the Right”, James Alex Fields, Jr. who murdered Heather Heyer and wounded dozens more in a vehicular attack, stood with Vanguard America earlier in the day. Now, Patriot Front attempts to rebrand European fascism with American red, white and blue imagery. PF has a few hundred members across the US and is known for its incessant placement of stickers and its occasional, masked flash rallies. Leaked PF internal communications show that underneath the Americanized branding, Patriot Front holds all the typical neo-Nazi positions. In both Georgia and Vermont, Patriot Front has targeted synagogues with propaganda material in attempts at harassment.

    Revolt Through Tradition propaganda image including Hagerty (2nd from left)

    Revolt Through Tradition (RTT): Established last year, Revolt Through Tradition is a “metapolitical” fascist organization. As RTT understands it, metapolitical activism means changing culture and values in a way that is amenable to fascist politics. RTT’s primary activities are building a visual presence in areas – from stickers to banners and graffiti – as well as combat sports training. RTT foster fascist subculture through far-Right clothing labels and activities such as group hikes. RTT’s focus on culture rather than direct political organizing does not make them less dangerous, since RTT has close ties to Rise Above Movement and other violent white supremacists.

    T-shirt by The Right Brand, a Rise Above Movement clothing label distributed by Our Fight. 

    Rise Above Movement (RAM): Originally formed as the “DIY Division” in Southern California, Rise Above Movement is a white power group focused on training for and enacting violence against its political enemies. In 2017, RAM members took the lead in attacks on leftists and anti-racists in Huntington Beach and then later Berkeley, California. Members also traveled to take part in the bloody “Unite the Right” in Charlottesville, Virginia later that year. During the second half of 2018, RAM faced several high-profile arrests from these earlier events. Some RAM members who had been charged under the Anti-Riot Act – including founder Robert Rundo – beat their cases on appeal. Others, in a different jurisdiction and with different underlying facts, had convictions upheld. This year, RAM founder Robert Rundo relocated to Eastern Europe, where he networked within far-Right and combat sports scenes, produced media, and promoted the cause of the RAM prisoners to other white nationalists. With federal authorities now seeking to reinstate charges, Rundo returned to the US.

    Identification of Michael P Hagerty, II as Patriot Front and Revolt Through Tradition Member

    ­Michael Patrick Hagerty, II’s personal account on Instagram followed the personal account for Ryan Saxer AKA “Sean Battle”. Saxer is Revolt Through Tradition’s main organizer in Florida. Saxer is also a prospect for full membership in the Vinlanders Social Club, a notorious white supremacist crew with a history of extreme violence. Another Instagram account operated by Ryan Saxer until recently was an explicitly fascist networking account featuring a RTT logo. Saxer deleted that RTT-branded Instagram account on Monday, October 19, after he was exposed as a fascist organizer. Hagerty also followed the obvious fascist account until it was deleted.

    Before Florida RTT organizer Saxer used his most recent, explicitly fascist Instagram account, he had an Instagram with a near-identical name that was also deleted. On that account, Saxer shared an image of gym training “with the boys” and tagged two others. Although Saxer blurred the face in the accompanying image, the figure in the photograph wears a Euro 2016 soccer jersey for the Russian team, and what appears to be an Apple watch. Michael Hagerty, II has been photographed wearing this same jersey and watch. Hagerty has the same build as the figure in Saxer’s photograph. The “fightingback_14” Instagram account tagged by Ryan Saxer does not resemble Hagerty, so by elimination Hagerty would have been the other account, “InItForGlory” (now also deleted).

    Revolt Through Tradition group photo posted June 2020: Hagerty is second from left, Saxer is fifth.

    In June, Revolt Through Tradition posted a group photo to its social media. The second figure from the left wears a black t-shirt with red vertical lines. Hagerty has been photographed wearing this same shirt. The accompanying text states: “this past weekend in Florida […] an RTT activist from Georgia was greeted by his brothers with open arms”. Hagerty’s associate, Florida RTT organizer Saxer, is also in the photo.

    An Instagram account that was active this Spring and Summer, “Revocato_Gloria”, shared a photo of fight training from this same RTT gathering in Florida. “Revocato_Gloria” also mentioned activity around Atlanta, such as a “sticker run” that placed propaganda by the CNN Center. This Instagram account followed sequentially from the “InItForGlory” account, already linked to Hagerty. Like “InItForGlory”, “Revocato_Gloria” was eventually deleted. After “Revocato_Gloria” vanished, we were tipped off that Michael P. Hagerty’s personal Instagram followed accounts for Ryan Saxer.

    Hagerty’s “Revocato_Gloria” account revealed his membership in Patriot Front as well as in RTT. In one picture shared by “Revocato_Gloria” of him and Ryan Saxer, Hagerty wears the exact same outfit as in a photo from Florida that was shared to PF’s social media in December. Therefore, Hagerty must have been a PF member since at least late 2019. Another group photo shared by “Revocato_Gloria” shows an out-of-state gathering, likely also in Florida. The figure on the right of the group photo wears a hat with a Patriot Front patch, signaling his membership in the organization. This person’s wrist area – where Hagerty wears his distinctive watch – was blurred to obscure the item. 

    To recap: by matching social media accounts and photographs, we established that Michael Patrick Hagerty, II, is the “RTT activist from Georgia” discussed by that organization. We also determined that Hagerty was behind “Revocato_Gloria” on Instagram. That account revealed that Hagerty was a member of Patriot Front as well as RTT. Patterns of fascist propaganda in metro Atlanta this year further corroborate our identification.

    2020 Activity

    On the night of January 1st this year, Patriot Front shared photos of propaganda stickers it had placed in Atlanta. Since its founding ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­in 2017, PF has gone through several cycles of activity in our state. PF distributed large amounts of propaganda in metro Atlanta during early 2018 until we exposed its main Georgia organizer, bringing that round of activity to a halt. During 2019, Columbus, Georgia became a new hotspot for PF, which culminated in the organization targeting synagogues in that city. We exposed one of those responsible earlier this year. In the beginning of 2020, Atlanta again emerged as a hub of PF activity through Michael Hagerty, II’s efforts.   

    Our Fight Clothing sticker in Ansley Park neighborhood of Atlanta, where Patriot Front stickers were also found.

    Within a few days of Patriot Front’s January 1st brag on social media, we located the organization’s stickers in Atlanta’s Ansley Park neighborhood and removed them. We found a sticker for Our Fight Clothing in the same area. Patriot Front posted on the 2nd that it had also placed materials in Tyrone, Georgia, a town in Fayette County. Over the next two months, Patriot Front would target other communities south of Atlanta along I-85 with propaganda, as well as repeatedly hitting areas in Atlanta. When our organization removed Patriot Front stickers in Tyrone, we found a “Rise Street Team” sticker for RAM in the same park. During January and February, Patriot Front also stickered in Peachtree City, Newnan, Grantville and Hogansville. All these locations are along I-85 and are part of the route from Columbus, Georgia to Atlanta. These locations could have been hit during drives to Columbus from Atlanta, or vice versa. They are also approximate midway points, if people from the two cities wished to meet and place propaganda. 

    Revolt Through Tradition boasts of propaganda in Atlanta.

    Also in early January, a member of Patriot Front unexpectedly showed up at an anti-war demonstration in Little Five Points in Atlanta, handing out flyers to the crowd opposing the threat of war with Iran. Little Five Points was then repeatedly hit with Patriot Front stickers, with the propaganda typically being removed quickly. We cannot prove that Michael Hagerty, II was responsible for every instance of Patriot Front propaganda that we have outlined so far. However, as time went on it became evident that a single person – a supporter of RAM, a patron of Our Fight Clothing, and a member of Patriot Front – was behind the overwhelming majority of this year’s street propaganda in metro Atlanta.

    “Revocato_Gloria” celebrates “a sticker run I did” being featured on NS [National Socialist] Action, a neo-Nazi Telegram channel

    At the end of March, the fascist “metapolitical organization” Revolt Through Tradition announced its presence in Atlanta with a post about propaganda placed in the city. In the months that followed, PF, RAM, RTT, or Our Fight stickers consistently appeared together along the same routes. By May, our group learned of the “Revocato_Gloria” account on Instagram. This account indicated that he was responsible for sticker campaigns around Atlanta. For example, he noted his pleasure that a photo from a “sticker run I did” – of a RAM sticker near CNN Center in Atlanta – had been shared on a neo-Nazi Telegram channel. When antifascists removed the sticker near CNN, Hagerty or a close associate returned to the spot and left a RTT one there instead.

    “Patriot Front April Activism” video: “John GA” (alias) punches while Hagerty holds focus mitts

    In our discussion of how we identified Hagerty, we already discussed Hagerty’s trips to Florida, to network and train with Ryan Saxer’s RTT crew. However, that travel was not the extent of Hagerty’s face-to-face networking with fascists and white supremacists. A video released online by PF documenting its “activism” during April, contained a scene labeled “Georgia” showing fight training. Once we identified Hagerty as “Revocato_Gloria” and a PF member, this allowed us to look at the PF video with fresh eyes. Hagerty is one of the two figures in the clip, wearing a “NationalSocialist Hardcore” t-shirt broadcasting his neo-Nazism and wearing a Patriot Front patch on his hat. Hagerty wears focus mitts while the other figure weaves and punches. This other person is Columbus, Georgia, Patriot Front member “John GA” (alias), whose real identity we are still seeking. Last year, “John” targeted Columbus’ synagogues on behalf of Patriot Front, with help from another PF member named Christopher Brooks. 

    Same shirt in Patriot Front “April Activism” video and “John GA” 2019 visit to Panama City Beach, FL.

    We know that “John GA” is the figure with Hagerty in the PF “April Activism” video for several reasons. Since “John GA” was highly active in Columbus last year and Columbus was also hit with PF propaganda twice this year, the fact that communities located between Atlanta and Columbus were regularly marked with PF stickers already suggests an Atlanta – Columbus PF connection. The individual in the “April Activism” video matches a profile image on Gab that we had linked to “John GA”, as well as the blurry surveillance footage released by Columbus Police after synagogues were targeted. Finally, the individual training with Hagerty wears a long sleeve t-shirt with a triangular logo on its left arm. Last year, “John GA” traveled from Georgia to Panama City Beach, Florida, where he helped other PF members give out flyers at a Trump rally. In a photograph posted to PF social media from the Panama City Beach event, the figure matching “John GA” wears the same distinctive shirt as in this year’s fight training video.

    Image shared by Hagerty/“Revocato_Gloria”: RAM flag displayed at same location as April PF fight training.

    Interestingly, a photo from Hagerty’s “Revocato_Gloria” Instagram was taken at the same location as the PF fight training. In that Instagram image, Hagerty, “John GA” and a third individual pose with a flag for RAM. It is not surprising that Hagerty’s friend “John GA” would pose in a RAM support photo, since in leaked internal communications for PF, “John GA” shared a RAM video and asked how he could write to RAM leader Rob Rundo while Rundo was still in jail (“John GA” post of May 3, 2019 in PF leak). What is noteworthy is that regional fascists seem to use support for RAM interchangeably with PF when they signal their affiliations. This highlights the two white power groups drawing closer together.

    Shared by Patriot Front in August: PF and RAM stickers placed together in Atlanta

    Our narrative has focused on events earlier this year, but street propaganda around Atlanta has continued to the present. Propaganda campaigns like those done by Hagerty serve multiple purposes for white power organizations. They mark territory for the groups and encourage other racists in the area. The materials also send a message of intimidation to people of color, Jewish people, Muslims, LGBTQ communities, and so on. For example, when Patriot Front placed materials in Clarkston, east of Atlanta, this February, this was almost certainly because of that community’s sizable immigrant and refugee population. Finally, images from these street-level propaganda campaigns are used by white nationalist groups in their online recruitment efforts, as evidence that they are on the ground and doing something.

    In recent months, we have continued to remove Our Fight, PF, RAM and RTT materials in areas such as Midtown and around the Jackson Street Bridge in Old Fourth Ward. In retrospect, some patterns of propaganda activity in Atlanta also offered clues to the identity of “Revocato_Gloria”/Hagerty. In Midtown, one route frequently marked with white power propaganda began (or ended) at the corner of Huff Road and Foster Street in Midtown. Less than a block away on Foster Street is the driveway to the Howard School, which Michael Patrick Hagerty, II graduated in 2019. In early August, we received a tip about an Our Fight sticker placed near the Publix supermarket at West Paces Ferry, which is just over a five-minute drive from the Hagerty family home. Driving a further ten minutes north from that spot leads to Cumberland/Vinings, which Patriot Front boasted of stickering in September. Ten minutes in the opposite direction from the Hagerty family home is the corner of Chattahoochee Ave. and Howell Mill Road, where we found a sticker for The Right Brand (RAM clothing label) in July.

    Conclusion

    Michael Hagerty, II wears “European Brotherhood” shirt in profile pic for the now-deleted “Revocato_Gloria” Instagram account.

    As his Republican uncle campaigns to represent Tennessee in the US Senate, Michael Patrick Hagerty, II has been very politically active in his own crude way. Michael Hagerty, II is an unambiguous fascist and white nationalist, even wearing a t-shirt declaring himself to be a “National Socialist” (i.e. a neo-Nazi). The younger Hagerty is a member of two fascist organizations, Patriot Front and the “metapolitical” Revolt Through Tradition. He also supports the Rise Above Movement, a white power group that made a name for itself through violence. Hagerty has blanketed Atlanta with stickers for PF, RAM, RTT and Our Fight Clothing, a far-Right clothing distributor linked to all three other projects.

    Republican Bill Hagerty believes anti-fascists are the problem

    Michael Hagerty, II’s white power associates include Ryan Saxer, Florida RTT leader and prospective member for the notoriously violent Vinlanders Social Club, and “John GA”, the PF member who targeted synagogues in Columbus, Georgia last year. Hagerty has been pictured training for violence with both of these individuals. Meanwhile, his Trump loyalist uncle insists that anti-fascists are the true “domestic terrorists”, to distract from the white nationalist movement’s murderous track record. While the young Hagerty organizes in the white supremacist underground, he has a friend in high places.

    If you have further information on Michael Hagerty, II, his associates, or any of the white power groups mentioned in this article, please get in touch. 

    Thanks to Corvallis Antifa for help on this article.

  • Nephew of Tennessee Candidate for US Senate is “Patriot Front” Racist Militant in Georgia

    Nephew of Tennessee Candidate for US Senate is “Patriot Front” Racist Militant in Georgia

    Update, November 2020: Bill Hagerty won the Tennessee election for US Senate.

    Summary: Twenty-year-old Michael Patrick Hagerty, II is a member of two racist organizations, Patriot Front and Revolt Through Tradition. This year, he placed stickers for those organizations throughout Atlanta. Hagerty even wears clothes designating himself as a “National Socialist” – in other words, a neo-Nazi. His uncle, Bill Hagerty, is a Trump loyalist campaigning as the Republican candidate in Tennessee’s US Senate race, which he will likely win. Bill Hagerty vilifies Black Lives Matter and anti-fascists. Meanwhile, his nephew works with white supremacists to build a climate of intimidation against people of color, Jewish people, Muslims, leftists and LGBTQ communities.

    Introduction

    Michael Patrick Hagerty, II is a twenty-year-old white nationalist who belongs to two different fascist organizations, Patriot Front (PF) and Revolt Through Tradition (RTT). Over the last year, he has covered Atlanta with stickers for these organizations, trying to give the impression that they have a strong presence in our city. Hagerty has also traveled to meet with other PF and RTT members and posed in photos as they trained together for fighting. Hagerty even wears a t-shirt identifying himself as a “National Socialist”: in other words, a neo-Nazi. One of Hagerty’s associates in Patriot Front is “John GA” (alias), who targeted synagogues in Columbus, Georgia, last year with another PF member, Chris Brooks. 

    William F. Hagerty campaign video

    Hagerty’s uncle, William F. Hagerty, is currently campaigning in Tennessee as the Republican candidate in that state’s election for the US Senate, which he will likely win. As a candidate, Bill Hagerty has repeatedly attacked Black Lives Matter and anti-fascists. He characterized Black Lives Matter as aiming to “overthrow the government and usher in Marxism” and echoed Donald Trump’s characterization of anti-fascists as “domestic terrorists”, stating that they “must be stopped”. Through his aggressive public stance against anti-racist movements, Bill Hagerty shelters and emboldens white nationalists like his nephew while they prepare for violence.

    Family Background

    Michael Hagerty, II has a clear family connection to the Trump regime and the Republican establishment through his uncle. Bill Hagerty was director of presidential appointments for Trump’s transition team. At the end of July 2017, Bill Hagerty was sworn in as US Ambassador to Japan, a position he held for two years until Trump endorsed his run for US Senate. A few days after Bill Hagerty’s 2017 swearing-in ceremony, Michael Patrick Hagerty, II posted to Instagram about his recent “weekend at the White House.” It is unknown whether Michael Hagerty, II had embraced white nationalism at that time, however by 2019 he had signed up with Patriot Front.

    Michael Patrick Hagerty, II with family by Eisenhower Executive Office Building, 2017.

    Michael Hagerty, II grew up with wealth and privilege. The young neo-Nazi’s family home in Buckhead is valued at 1.2 million dollars. He graduated in 2019 from the Howard School, an independent school for students with language-based learning differences that charges a yearly tuition of more than $30,000. His parents are listed as donors to the school. Hagerty’s mother is a partner at HR consulting firm Mercer, while his father is a Vice President of Safety and Security at Flower Foods. 

    Overview of White Nationalist Projects

    Michael Hagerty, II belongs to two racist and fascist groups, Patriot Front and Revolt Through Tradition. He also supports the Rise Above Movement, a white nationalist fight club, and has promoted Our Fight Clothing, a distributor of far-Right clothes. Since these four different projects may be unfamiliar, we are providing brief notes on each one.

    Our Fight Clothing: Our Fight was a far-Right clothing company which sold designs by Patriot Front leader Thomas Rousseau, Rise Above Movement leader Rob Rundo’s “The Right Brand”, and other labels. At the end of September, Our Fight shut down its website. The operation has now been folded into Will2Rise, a new Rise Above Movement-affiliated brand.

    Shared by Patriot Front in May: Patriot Front and Revolt Through Tradition stickers placed together in Atlanta

    Patriot Front (PF): Patriot Front was founded in the aftermath of 2017’s “Unite the Right” in Charlottesville, Virginia, as a splinter from and rebranding of an earlier fascist group, Vanguard America. At “Unite the Right”, James Alex Fields, Jr. who murdered Heather Heyer and wounded dozens more in a vehicular attack, stood with Vanguard America earlier in the day. Now, Patriot Front attempts to rebrand European fascism with American red, white and blue imagery. PF has a few hundred members across the US and is known for its incessant placement of stickers and its occasional, masked flash rallies. Leaked PF internal communications show that underneath the Americanized branding, Patriot Front holds all the typical neo-Nazi positions. In both Georgia and Vermont, Patriot Front has targeted synagogues with propaganda material in attempts at harassment.

    Revolt Through Tradition propaganda image including Hagerty (2nd from left)

    Revolt Through Tradition (RTT): Established last year, Revolt Through Tradition is a “metapolitical” fascist organization. As RTT understands it, metapolitical activism means changing culture and values in a way that is amenable to fascist politics. RTT’s primary activities are building a visual presence in areas – from stickers to banners and graffiti – as well as combat sports training. RTT foster fascist subculture through far-Right clothing labels and activities such as group hikes. RTT’s focus on culture rather than direct political organizing does not make them less dangerous, since RTT has close ties to Rise Above Movement and other violent white supremacists.

    T-shirt by The Right Brand, a Rise Above Movement clothing label distributed by Our Fight. 

    Rise Above Movement (RAM): Originally formed as the “DIY Division” in Southern California, Rise Above Movement is a white power group focused on training for and enacting violence against its political enemies. In 2017, RAM members took the lead in attacks on leftists and anti-racists in Huntington Beach and then later Berkeley, California. Members also traveled to take part in the bloody “Unite the Right” in Charlottesville, Virginia later that year. During the second half of 2018, RAM faced several high-profile arrests from these earlier events. Some RAM members who had been charged under the Anti-Riot Act – including founder Robert Rundo – beat their cases on appeal. Others, in a different jurisdiction and with different underlying facts, had convictions upheld. This year, RAM founder Robert Rundo relocated to Eastern Europe, where he networked within far-Right and combat sports scenes, produced media, and promoted the cause of the RAM prisoners to other white nationalists. With federal authorities now seeking to reinstate charges, Rundo returned to the US.

    Identification of Michael P Hagerty, II as Patriot Front and Revolt Through Tradition Member

    ­Michael Patrick Hagerty, II’s personal account on Instagram followed the personal account for Ryan Saxer AKA “Sean Battle”. Saxer is Revolt Through Tradition’s main organizer in Florida. Saxer is also a prospect for full membership in the Vinlanders Social Club, a notorious white supremacist crew with a history of extreme violence. Another Instagram account operated by Ryan Saxer until recently was an explicitly fascist networking account featuring a RTT logo. Saxer deleted that RTT-branded Instagram account on Monday, October 19, after he was exposed as a fascist organizer. Hagerty also followed the obvious fascist account until it was deleted.

    Before Florida RTT organizer Saxer used his most recent, explicitly fascist Instagram account, he had an Instagram with a near-identical name that was also deleted. On that account, Saxer shared an image of gym training “with the boys” and tagged two others. Although Saxer blurred the face in the accompanying image, the figure in the photograph wears a Euro 2016 soccer jersey for the Russian team, and what appears to be an Apple watch. Michael Hagerty, II has been photographed wearing this same jersey and watch. Hagerty has the same build as the figure in Saxer’s photograph. The “fightingback_14” Instagram account tagged by Ryan Saxer does not resemble Hagerty, so by elimination Hagerty would have been the other account, “InItForGlory” (now also deleted).

    Revolt Through Tradition group photo posted June 2020: Hagerty is second from left, Saxer is fifth.

    In June, Revolt Through Tradition posted a group photo to its social media. The second figure from the left wears a black t-shirt with red vertical lines. Hagerty has been photographed wearing this same shirt. The accompanying text states: “this past weekend in Florida […] an RTT activist from Georgia was greeted by his brothers with open arms”. Hagerty’s associate, Florida RTT organizer Saxer, is also in the photo.

    An Instagram account that was active this Spring and Summer, “Revocato_Gloria”, shared a photo of fight training from this same RTT gathering in Florida. “Revocato_Gloria” also mentioned activity around Atlanta, such as a “sticker run” that placed propaganda by the CNN Center. This Instagram account followed sequentially from the “InItForGlory” account, already linked to Hagerty. Like “InItForGlory”, “Revocato_Gloria” was eventually deleted. After “Revocato_Gloria” vanished, we were tipped off that Michael P. Hagerty’s personal Instagram followed accounts for Ryan Saxer.

    Hagerty’s “Revocato_Gloria” account revealed his membership in Patriot Front as well as in RTT. In one picture shared by “Revocato_Gloria” of him and Ryan Saxer, Hagerty wears the exact same outfit as in a photo from Florida that was shared to PF’s social media in December. Therefore, Hagerty must have been a PF member since at least late 2019. Another group photo shared by “Revocato_Gloria” shows an out-of-state gathering, likely also in Florida. The figure on the right of the group photo wears a hat with a Patriot Front patch, signaling his membership in the organization. This person’s wrist area – where Hagerty wears his distinctive watch – was blurred to obscure the item. 

    To recap: by matching social media accounts and photographs, we established that Michael Patrick Hagerty, II, is the “RTT activist from Georgia” discussed by that organization. We also determined that Hagerty was behind “Revocato_Gloria” on Instagram. That account revealed that Hagerty was a member of Patriot Front as well as RTT. Patterns of fascist propaganda in metro Atlanta this year further corroborate our identification.

    2020 Activity

    On the night of January 1st this year, Patriot Front shared photos of propaganda stickers it had placed in Atlanta. Since its founding ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­in 2017, PF has gone through several cycles of activity in our state. PF distributed large amounts of propaganda in metro Atlanta during early 2018 until we exposed its main Georgia organizer, bringing that round of activity to a halt. During 2019, Columbus, Georgia became a new hotspot for PF, which culminated in the organization targeting synagogues in that city. We exposed one of those responsible earlier this year. In the beginning of 2020, Atlanta again emerged as a hub of PF activity through Michael Hagerty, II’s efforts.   

    Our Fight Clothing sticker in Ansley Park neighborhood of Atlanta, where Patriot Front stickers were also found.

    Within a few days of Patriot Front’s January 1st brag on social media, we located the organization’s stickers in Atlanta’s Ansley Park neighborhood and removed them. We found a sticker for Our Fight Clothing in the same area. Patriot Front posted on the 2nd that it had also placed materials in Tyrone, Georgia, a town in Fayette County. Over the next two months, Patriot Front would target other communities south of Atlanta along I-85 with propaganda, as well as repeatedly hitting areas in Atlanta. When our organization removed Patriot Front stickers in Tyrone, we found a “Rise Street Team” sticker for RAM in the same park. During January and February, Patriot Front also stickered in Peachtree City, Newnan, Grantville and Hogansville. All these locations are along I-85 and are part of the route from Columbus, Georgia to Atlanta. These locations could have been hit during drives to Columbus from Atlanta, or vice versa. They are also approximate midway points, if people from the two cities wished to meet and place propaganda. 

    Revolt Through Tradition boasts of propaganda in Atlanta.

    Also in early January, a member of Patriot Front unexpectedly showed up at an anti-war demonstration in Little Five Points in Atlanta, handing out flyers to the crowd opposing the threat of war with Iran. Little Five Points was then repeatedly hit with Patriot Front stickers, with the propaganda typically being removed quickly. We cannot prove that Michael Hagerty, II was responsible for every instance of Patriot Front propaganda that we have outlined so far. However, as time went on it became evident that a single person – a supporter of RAM, a patron of Our Fight Clothing, and a member of Patriot Front – was behind the overwhelming majority of this year’s street propaganda in metro Atlanta.

    “Revocato_Gloria” celebrates “a sticker run I did” being featured on NS [National Socialist] Action, a neo-Nazi Telegram channel

    At the end of March, the fascist “metapolitical organization” Revolt Through Tradition announced its presence in Atlanta with a post about propaganda placed in the city. In the months that followed, PF, RAM, RTT, or Our Fight stickers consistently appeared together along the same routes. By May, our group learned of the “Revocato_Gloria” account on Instagram. This account indicated that he was responsible for sticker campaigns around Atlanta. For example, he noted his pleasure that a photo from a “sticker run I did” – of a RAM sticker near CNN Center in Atlanta – had been shared on a neo-Nazi Telegram channel. When antifascists removed the sticker near CNN, Hagerty or a close associate returned to the spot and left a RTT one there instead.

    “Patriot Front April Activism” video: “John GA” (alias) punches while Hagerty holds focus mitts

    In our discussion of how we identified Hagerty, we already discussed Hagerty’s trips to Florida, to network and train with Ryan Saxer’s RTT crew. However, that travel was not the extent of Hagerty’s face-to-face networking with fascists and white supremacists. A video released online by PF documenting its “activism” during April, contained a scene labeled “Georgia” showing fight training. Once we identified Hagerty as “Revocato_Gloria” and a PF member, this allowed us to look at the PF video with fresh eyes. Hagerty is one of the two figures in the clip, wearing a “NationalSocialist Hardcore” t-shirt broadcasting his neo-Nazism and wearing a Patriot Front patch on his hat. Hagerty wears focus mitts while the other figure weaves and punches. This other person is Columbus, Georgia, Patriot Front member “John GA” (alias), whose real identity we are still seeking. Last year, “John” targeted Columbus’ synagogues on behalf of Patriot Front, with help from another PF member named Christopher Brooks. 

    Same shirt in Patriot Front “April Activism” video and “John GA” 2019 visit to Panama City Beach, FL.

    We know that “John GA” is the figure with Hagerty in the PF “April Activism” video for several reasons. Since “John GA” was highly active in Columbus last year and Columbus was also hit with PF propaganda twice this year, the fact that communities located between Atlanta and Columbus were regularly marked with PF stickers already suggests an Atlanta – Columbus PF connection. The individual in the “April Activism” video matches a profile image on Gab that we had linked to “John GA”, as well as the blurry surveillance footage released by Columbus Police after synagogues were targeted. Finally, the individual training with Hagerty wears a long sleeve t-shirt with a triangular logo on its left arm. Last year, “John GA” traveled from Georgia to Panama City Beach, Florida, where he helped other PF members give out flyers at a Trump rally. In a photograph posted to PF social media from the Panama City Beach event, the figure matching “John GA” wears the same distinctive shirt as in this year’s fight training video.

    Image shared by Hagerty/“Revocato_Gloria”: RAM flag displayed at same location as April PF fight training.

    Interestingly, a photo from Hagerty’s “Revocato_Gloria” Instagram was taken at the same location as the PF fight training. In that Instagram image, Hagerty, “John GA” and a third individual pose with a flag for RAM. It is not surprising that Hagerty’s friend “John GA” would pose in a RAM support photo, since in leaked internal communications for PF, “John GA” shared a RAM video and asked how he could write to RAM leader Rob Rundo while Rundo was still in jail (“John GA” post of May 3, 2019 in PF leak). What is noteworthy is that regional fascists seem to use support for RAM interchangeably with PF when they signal their affiliations. This highlights the two white power groups drawing closer together.

    Shared by Patriot Front in August: PF and RAM stickers placed together in Atlanta

    Our narrative has focused on events earlier this year, but street propaganda around Atlanta has continued to the present. Propaganda campaigns like those done by Hagerty serve multiple purposes for white power organizations. They mark territory for the groups and encourage other racists in the area. The materials also send a message of intimidation to people of color, Jewish people, Muslims, LGBTQ communities, and so on. For example, when Patriot Front placed materials in Clarkston, east of Atlanta, this February, this was almost certainly because of that community’s sizable immigrant and refugee population. Finally, images from these street-level propaganda campaigns are used by white nationalist groups in their online recruitment efforts, as evidence that they are on the ground and doing something.

    In recent months, we have continued to remove Our Fight, PF, RAM and RTT materials in areas such as Midtown and around the Jackson Street Bridge in Old Fourth Ward. In retrospect, some patterns of propaganda activity in Atlanta also offered clues to the identity of “Revocato_Gloria”/Hagerty. In Midtown, one route frequently marked with white power propaganda began (or ended) at the corner of Huff Road and Foster Street in Midtown. Less than a block away on Foster Street is the driveway to the Howard School, which Michael Patrick Hagerty, II graduated in 2019. In early August, we received a tip about an Our Fight sticker placed near the Publix supermarket at West Paces Ferry, which is just over a five-minute drive from the Hagerty family home. Driving a further ten minutes north from that spot leads to Cumberland/Vinings, which Patriot Front boasted of stickering in September. Ten minutes in the opposite direction from the Hagerty family home is the corner of Chattahoochee Ave. and Howell Mill Road, where we found a sticker for The Right Brand (RAM clothing label) in July.

    Conclusion

    Michael Hagerty, II wears “European Brotherhood” shirt in profile pic for the now-deleted “Revocato_Gloria” Instagram account.

    As his Republican uncle campaigns to represent Tennessee in the US Senate, Michael Patrick Hagerty, II has been very politically active in his own crude way. Michael Hagerty, II is an unambiguous fascist and white nationalist, even wearing a t-shirt declaring himself to be a “National Socialist” (i.e. a neo-Nazi). The younger Hagerty is a member of two fascist organizations, Patriot Front and the “metapolitical” Revolt Through Tradition. He also supports the Rise Above Movement, a white power group that made a name for itself through violence. Hagerty has blanketed Atlanta with stickers for PF, RAM, RTT and Our Fight Clothing, a far-Right clothing distributor linked to all three other projects.

    Republican Bill Hagerty believes anti-fascists are the problem

    Michael Hagerty, II’s white power associates include Ryan Saxer, Florida RTT leader and prospective member for the notoriously violent Vinlanders Social Club, and “John GA”, the PF member who targeted synagogues in Columbus, Georgia last year. Hagerty has been pictured training for violence with both of these individuals. Meanwhile, his Trump loyalist uncle insists that anti-fascists are the true “domestic terrorists”, to distract from the white nationalist movement’s murderous track record. While the young Hagerty organizes in the white supremacist underground, he has a friend in high places.

    If you have further information on Michael Hagerty, II, his associates, or any of the white power groups mentioned in this article, please get in touch. 

    Thanks to Corvallis Antifa for help on this article.

  • Ryan Saxer is Sean Battle: Florida’s Fascist Freemason

    Ryan Saxer is Sean Battle: Florida’s Fascist Freemason

    Three-panel composite image of Ryan Saxer. Left: A person in a green-and-gray raglan hoodie with the hood up, dark sunglasses, and a black skull-patterned face covering, a black strap crossing the chest, standing against a textured beige wall; the hoodie shows a graphic of cyclists with text reading "BE ACTIVE FRO…" and "LOVE NATURE SAVE." Center: A bearded man wearing a backward black cap and a gray t-shirt with a cursive brand logo and small red circular emblem, arms crossed to display tattoos on both forearms, wearing brown pants and standing on a paved path lined with trees and houses. Right: A person crouching outdoors in a black t-shirt with a white circular logo, black balaclava, khaki shorts, and white striped socks, with several other people standing behind them in jeans.

    This article was originally published at cvantifa.noblogs.org

    Ryan Saxer is a neo-Nazi from St. Petersburg, Florida who operates under the name “Sean Battle”. He is a member of several fascist organizations. Before we discuss Ryan’s neo-Nazi organizing and affiliations, let’s detail how we found him.

    Ryan has lots of different social media accounts. Some are for his public persona, Sean Battle, where he censors his face and tattoos, and one for his close friends where he posts pictures of his face. Sadly for Ryan, some of those close friends aren’t too happy with him going behind their backs, and decided to send those photos our way. We were able to verify that these photos were of the same individual by comparing them to posts on his Sean Battle account.

    Same outfit:

    Same outfit:

    Same hoodie:

    We were able to verify that the man pictured on the right is Ryan Saxer from this old Facebook profile that bears his name.

    Screenshot of a Facebook profile page with a yellow arrow pointing to the browser address bar, highlighting the URL text "facebook.com/ryansaxer." The profile displays the name "Kon-El" with a circular profile photo of a man with short reddish-brown hair against a red background. Sections below include "Do you know Kon-El?" with an "Add Friend" button, an "Intro" section listing "Went to Pinellas Technical Education Center" and "Lives in Saint Petersburg, Florida," and a sidebar item reading "Left Pinellas Technical Education Center." Navigation tabs read Timeline, About, Friends, Photos, Video, and More.

    RTT & RAM :

    Ryan is the leader of the Florida chapter of Revolt Through Tradition(RTT). RTT is a white nationalist organization started by Michael Moura after the dissolution of Boston Free Speech. RTT’s organizing is centralized on the east coast, but there have been a notable instances of their propaganda popping up further west. Presently, their activity revolves around putting up stickers and physical training.

    

Four people stand outdoors in front of trees and recreational vehicles, holding a dark green banner. Their faces are digitally blurred for anonymity. From left to right: one person wears a maroon shirt with "ROSE" partially visible, another wears an olive green shirt, a third wears a black shirt with "Proud Boys" text visible on the sleeve, and the fourth wears a red shirt. The banner displays a white graphic combining a pine tree shape with an integrated lightning bolt running vertically through its center.
    The Florida RTT chapter

    Revolt Through Tradition is modeled after, and is closely associated with, the Rise Above Movement (RAM). RAM is an extremely violent organization, whose members have committed numerous assaults. They were a major part of the Unite The Right protest in Charlottesville in 2017, and have been lionized in fascist circles. Ryan is also a member of RAM. He authored a communique for the group in January, and posts pictures of himself wearing their shirts.

    Image 1: Four people stand outdoors in front of trees and recreational vehicles, holding a dark green banner. Their faces are digitally blurred for anonymity. From left to right: one person wears a maroon shirt with "ROSE" partially visible, another wears an olive green shirt, a third wears a black shirt with "Proud Boys" text visible on the sleeve, and the fourth wears a red shirt. The banner displays a white graphic combining a pine tree shape with an integrated lightning bolt running vertically through its center.

Image 2: Blog post listing entry dated January 28, 2020, with a thumbnail image and headline "A Future To Believe In." Thumbnail shows large block letters spelling "RISE" in a metallic gold gradient against a black background, with a white pine tree and lightning bolt emblem replacing the letter "I," and the phrase "A FUTURE TO BELIEVE IN" repeated along the bottom edge. Byline reads "By Sean Battle and Rise Above Movement," followed by a "Continue Reading" link.
    A Rise Above Movement communique authored by Ryan
    Ryan wearing a RAM shirt and posing with his Nazi friends (more coming soon…)

    International Conservative Community:

    RAM and RTT are both closely associated with the new group, International Conservative Community (ICC). ICC is a massive coalition of fascist and far-right groups across the world that was started by RAM’s founder, Robert Rundo. RAM and RTT’s logos both appear on this wheatpaste orchestrated by ICC.

    Sticker or poster with bold text "FREE R.A.M" at top in white block letters against a black background. Below, three men's faces appear in silhouette with American flag stripes behind them. White arrow symbols with pine tree motifs are arranged along both sides; two symbols on the left are circled in yellow. A smaller sticker is partially visible in the upper left corner. Text at the bottom reads "INDIANA, USA" in white capital letters on a dark bar.
    Screenshot from an ICC propaganda video

    Groups that have participated in ICC demos include: RAM, RTT, Pro Patria, RME Crew, Tradition and Order, Action Zealandia, De Fria Sverige and more. So far, the organization’s activities have been limited to doing international solidarity campaigns with arrested RAM members and fascist murderer Kyle Rittenhouse. ICC demonstrations have been documented in 7 US states and 12 countries.  Ryan and the Florida RTT chapter posed with a RAM solidarity banner, and Ryan has advertised the group on his Sean Battle Instagram account.

    Two people stand outdoors on sandy ground holding a cream-colored banner, their faces obscured. The banner reads "FREE RAM" in large black stencil letters, with a black pine tree emblem on the left side, an upward-pointing arrow on the right, and "RTTF!" in green letters along the bottom edge. An Instagram logo watermark appears in the upper left corner. Text at the bottom of the frame reads "FLORIDA,USA" in white capitals on a dark bar. Both people wear dark tops and shorts or pants with sneakers.
    Screenshot of an Instagram caption by user "dawnofsean2" quoting text attributed to @i.conservative.community. The quoted passage describes the International Conservative Community as bringing together likeminded people across countries and continents, referring to the modern world as "one big aggressive environment — street violence, police brutality, lies and propaganda," and listing "Solidarity. Strength. Fortitude. Camaraderie." Below the quote, additional text calls it "the next big thing for nationalism," urging readers to follow the page and stating "our shared struggle unites us."
    A post written by Ryan about ICC

    Currently, ICC’s activity is ostensibly benign. However, the formalization of white nationalist alliances across continents is incredibly concerning. We will continue to do work to document ICC in the future. We urge other antifascists investigating ICC to reach out to us with questions and information.

    Patriot Front:

    Ryan appears to be a member of the neo-Nazi group Patriot Front. Patriot Front is a rebrand of Vanguard America, the group responsible for the murder of Heather Heyer at the 2017 Unite the Right rally. Ryan can be seen sparring in propaganda posted by the organization this May. An uncensored photo from the same sparring session was sent to us by one of his former fiends.

    Our Fight / Will2Rise:

    Through his pseudonym Sean Battle, Ryan authored several posts on a blog belonging to the white-nationalist clothing company Our Fight. Our Fight sold merchandise for numerous fascist groups and bands from the US and Europe. The organization grew out of The Right Brand, RAM’s official clothing line. As of 9/26/2020, the company rebranded to Will2Rise (cringe tbh). They are no longer selling merch for other groups, and seem to primarily be focusing on RAM branded shirts and outerwear. Ryan has dutifully served as a model for both Will2Rise and Our Fight.

    Online shop product listing for a "Be Active Front – Love Nature Hoodie" priced at $34.99. Product photo shows a person wearing a gray-and-dark-green raglan hoodie with the hood up, dark sunglasses, and a black-and-white skull-patterned face covering, standing against a textured beige stucco wall with a black strap across the chest. The hoodie's front graphic depicts cyclists riding past pine trees with text reading "BE ACTIVE FRO" and "LOVE NATURE SAVE NATURE." Page elements include a "SIZE" dropdown set to "-- Select --" and a "QUANTITY" field showing 1.
    Ryan modeling a hoodie sold on Our Fight.
    Screenshot of an Instagram post by user "will_2_rise" depicting two men standing in a parking lot with their backs to the camera. The man on the left wears a maroon hoodie with white text reading "I speak ONLY THE TRUTH 313" and camouflage shorts, revealing tattoos on his calves. The man on the right wears a black t-shirt with a large winged graphic and text on the back, blue jeans, and a tattoo on his left arm. Trees and commercial buildings are visible in the background under bright sunlight.
    Ryan(left) modeling for Will2Rise.

    The articles Ryan wrote are generally bland and boring. They aren’t very creative, and are often filled with multiple long-winded quotes from Julius Evola and/or Oswald Mosley. We have come to the conclusion that, despite the image he likes to present, Ryan has never read political theory not written by these two men. One particularly interesting piece had him interviewing  Joshua Williamson, one of the subjects of our #PanzerDox series.

    Promotional poster for "THE RIGHT STORY," described as "Honest interviews for our people, by our people." The event date reads May 15, 2020 at the top. A circular logo with crossed swords inside a diamond shape appears above the title. Featured guest is "JOSH W OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT," displayed in stylized white lettering across the center against a dark chain-link fence background texture. At the bottom, "PROUDLY PRESENTED BY" introduces another circular logo reading "OUR FIGHT EST. 2018" with "OF" in the center. The poster was presented by Sean Battle and Our Fight Clothing Company.

    Boneheads:

    Ryan is a probate the Vinlanders Social Club, a violent bonehead(neo-Nazi skinhead) gang responsible for several murders.  Here, he can be seen wearing his probate shirt and posing with Vinlanders members including FL leader Donald Hansard. Don has a particularly violent history, and once went to jail for attacking a Cuban man and his child.

    Instagram post by user "dawnofsean2" showing a person standing on a rocky bank in front of a wide, cascading waterfall. The person's face is obscured by a blank oval blur. They wear a black t-shirt printed "VINLANDERS" in white letters above a small logo, a black beanie with a white emblem, gray cargo shorts, and black-and-white sneakers. Turbulent pale-brown water flows over the falls behind them, with trees and foliage framing the upper edges of the frame. A circular profile avatar with a stylized design appears in the upper left corner.
    Sean wearing his VSC probate shirt
    Night photo of six people standing outdoors in a parking lot holding a black flag with a white circular Celtic cross symbol. From left to right: Victoria Jara, a woman with dark hair in a black jacket with patches including "1488" visible, makes a peace sign with her right hand. Ryan Saxer, with his face digitally blurred, wears a gray-and-green raglan hoodie with a cyclist and tree graphic, making a gesture with his right hand. Don Hansard, an older man with short hair, gestures with both hands in front of his chest. Rich Daignault, wearing a dark tank top, raises both hands in a gesture near his head. Two additional people with digitally blurred faces stand on the right, one in a dark jacket and another in a dark shirt with text visible. Parked vehicles, streetlights, and trees appear in the background under nighttime lighting. Yellow label boxes identify four individuals by name above or below them.

    Ryan Saxer is also real good buddies with Ryan Ramsey, the region 4 representative of the Florida Libertarian party. Ramsey is a former member of neo-Nazi bonehead gang The Hated, and is a co-founder of American Guard, an incredibly violent fascist organization.

    Freemasons:

    For some fucking reason, in addition to all of the above, Ryan is a member of the goddamn Freemasons. He is a part of St. Petersburg’s lodge #139, and their website lists him as a “Senior Deacon”.

    Document page titled "Lodge Address" displaying organizational contact information. Top section lists: Lodge Number 139, District Number 18, Zone 4, Lodge Country Pyretos, Charter Date 01/12/1984, Street Address 114-A NE 6th St Saint Petersburg FL 33701, Mailing Address PO Box 3356 Saint Petersburg FL 33716-3357, and phone numbers. Meeting schedule noted: 3rd Tuesday and 1st and 3rd Tuesday in December at 7:30 PM. Below, "Lodge Officers" table contains columns for Title, First Name, Last Name, Phone, and Email. Visible entries include Worshipful Master Valentino Pinto, Senior Warden Randy Evans, Junior Warden Mark Greenaway, Treasurer Michael Rosenthal, Secretary John Pitt, Chaplain Don Hansard, Senior Deacon Ryan Saxer, Junior Deacon John Dorn, Senior Steward Anthony Pitt, Junior Steward Kevin Hansen, Organist Don Hill, and Sword Bearer James Jr Hudson. Some fields show partial text while others appear blank.
    Group photo of eight men standing indoors in front of blue curtains, dressed in formal attire with Masonic regalia including decorative aprons and collars with symbolic emblems. A yellow arrow points to a man in the front row wearing a gray suit jacket and red bow tie. Center figure wears a black top hat and dark suit. Other members wear suits, turtlenecks, and various decorated aprons featuring geometric patterns and symbols. Framed pictures hang on the wall behind them. The men stand in two rows, with some in the back row partially obscured.
    Ryan posing in his ceremonial mason outfit

    Ryan’s masonic affiliations come as something as a surprise to us, since most Nazis seem to believe the Masons to be an international Jewish conspiracy or whatever.  Interestingly enough, Ryan’s occult beliefs don’t stop there. He also reps Ordo Templi Orientus, an esoteric order dating back to the 1890’s. Here, he can be seen wearing the order’s symbol on a necklace.

    The Order’s most notable member is famed occultist Alister Crowley, the founder of the religion Thelema. Thelema and and Odro Templi Orientus are still closely related, which may explain why Ryan has a tattoo of the unicursal hexagram, one of the primary symbols used by Thelema.

    More details about Ryan can be found HERE.

    If you have any more information about Ryan Saxer or his Nazi associates, please email us at [email protected].

    Thank you to Atlanta Antifascists for their help with this article!

  • Exposed: Far-Right Planning Armed “Stone Mountain Redux” Sneak Rally for September 26

    Exposed: Far-Right Planning Armed “Stone Mountain Redux” Sneak Rally for September 26

    Update 9/25/2020, afternoon: The main organizer for the rally is telling supporters on MeWe that he’s backing out.

    Update 9/25/2020: The “Stone Mountain Redux” Facebook group has been removed.

    Organizing on a secret Facebook group, far-Right adherents are planning an armed convoy in Georgia on Saturday, September 26.

    Stone Mountain, August 15, 2020

    The “Stone Mountain Redux” Facebook group is operated by Eric Braden in south Texas who also uses a Facebook account named “Cannon Hinton”. The “Hinton” alias is a reference to a young murder victim whose name has been hijacked by white nationalists, against the wishes of their grieving family. Braden / “Hinton” claims to be an Army veteran. He promoted and allegedly attended the armed far-Right / anti-Black Lives Matter rally at Stone Mountain on August 15. As “Cannon Hinton” he also wrote that he attended a recent militia protest in Louisville, Kentucky.

    Eric Braden chats online with white nationalist Jan Dupree before August 15 rally in now-deleted Facebook group.

    A second organizer for the “Stone Mountain” redux Facebook group is Corbin Waltering of Idaho, who runs a second Facebook profile under the name “Thomas Stonewall Jackson”. Waltering livestreamed from a militia anti-BLM counter-protest in Louisville, Kentucky on September 5.

    Photo from Louisville, Kentucky, September 5, 2020, featuring Dylan Stevens AKA “The Angry Viking”

    The main motivation for the September 26 armed convoy and sneak rally is to compensate for August 15 at Stone Mountain. On that day, assorted militiamen, neo-Confederates, anti-Black Lives Matter protesters, and white nationalists rallied in the community of Stone Mountain outside Atlanta. Their rally was intended to take place in nearby Stone Mountain Park, but the Park announced the evening before that it would close that day to thwart the unpermitted rally. Gathering instead in the nearby community of Stone Mountain, the far-Right were outnumbered by anti-racist counter-protesters.

    “Stone Mountain Redux” now aims to hold an armed convoy and to covertly rally in or near Stone Mountain. As messages in the secret Facebook group reveal, organizers will assemble at a private park or land, and then move to one or more points of interest. One “Redux” organizer has stated that they will not pay to enter the Park itself, although this may be a lie or an attempt at diversion. One possible scenario is the armed far-Right group attempting their display in the community of Stone Mountain or walking into the Park via a pedestrian entrance. It is also possible they will rally further afield, despite the Facebook group’s name.

    Kyle Rittenhouse, currently facing murder charges, celebrated in “Stone Mountain Redux”

    Although the private Facebook group has almost 300 members, only a portion of these numbers will likely attend the secret event on the day. Waltering’s claim that there will be 400 attendees seems highly inflated. It is likely, however, that some militias are being invited through other channels, not via posts in the Facebook group. The Facebook group’s members list includes several participants from August 15, such as Dusty Rutledge and Glen “Mitch” Simon, as well as the “Confederate States III%” organizers of that day’s fiasco (with one saying they will be preoccupied on the 26th).

    While the armed convoy is intended as a show of strength, it is actually a display of weakness. Organizers need to sneak around and try to keep their plans secret, because they know that announcing their plans publicly and in advance will mean they get outnumbered and humiliated. We urge community members in or near Stone Mountain to stay alert on the 26th, since any convoy could target residents for harassment. 

    Sadly, for as long as carvings glorifying white supremacy remain on Stone Mountain, the monument will attract organized racists and far-Right militants. This in turn may place local community members in harm’s way. Our group aims to reduce this risk by monitoring the planned event and releasing information as we can. To begin, we are leaking discussion and a member’s list from the private “Stone Mountain Redux” group. Please check our social media for updates.

    If you have further information on the September 26th sneak rally or its attendees, get in contact.

    Partial Discussion and Members List from “Stone Mountain Redux”

    September 20, 2020:

    September 20, 2020:

    September 19, 2020:

    Thread started September 18, 2020:

    September 16, 2020:

    Thread started September 15, 2020:

    Thread started September 15, 2020:

    September 11, 2020:

    Thread started September 10, 2020:

    Thread started September 9, 2020:

    September 5, 2020:

    Thread started August 27, 2020:

    Thread started August 22, 2020:

    August 22, 2020:

    August 20, 2020:

    Thread started August 19, 2020:

    Thread started August 19, 2020:

    Recent additions to members list:

    Members list:

  • Patriot Front in Georgia

    Patriot Front in Georgia

    The Torch Network of militant antifascists has leaked over a year of internal communications from Patriot Front, a major white supremacist organization operating nationally. The data leak, which exposes the organization’s inner workings and potential identifying information about individual members, will be a blow to the racist group. Atlanta Antifascists are a member group within Torch and are proud to promote the data leak, which can be found here.

    Patriot Front propaganda distributed in Candler Park area of Atlanta, 2018

    Patriot Front formed in the direct aftermath of 2017’s “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, as a splinter from and rebranding of the fascist Vanguard America. From December 2017 through May 2018, a Patriot Front state chapter led at the time by Aaron Christopher Krueger repeatedly targeted metro Atlanta with Patriot Front propaganda. When we exposed Krueger based on an earlier info leak, the Patriot Front campaign came to a sudden halt. Also in 2018, we published about Christopher Gibson, a Ku Klux Klan supporter in Dublin, Georgia who had bragged about placing PF stickers around his community.

    We still seek information on “John GA” who targeted Columbus, GA synagogues

    The following year, Patriot Front surfaced in Columbus, Georgia, eventually targeting synagogues in that community. Some stickers were also posted in the Atlanta suburb of Lawrenceville. We determined that Christopher Skylar Brooks – also a member of the Proud Boys far-Right group – helped place the propaganda in Lawrenceville and traveled to Columbus to help target synagogues with member “John GA” (alias). The new Patriot Front leaks cover this time period. Brooks has now moved to Shanghai, China. We still seek information on “John GA”.

    In 2020, Patriot Front has been recruiting in Georgia, with metro Atlanta and other locations hit with the organization’s propaganda. The current pandemic, which leads to more time spent online, may have assisted recruitment. In general, however, Patriot Front’s presence in Georgia is weaker than in other regions and their new recruits do not stick around for long: they are either scared away from racist activism or move on to other projects. We welcome any more information about members we have not yet identified. When we identify white supremacists, the information may follow them even to China, as Christopher Skylar Brooks found out.

  • Inside Patriot Front

    Inside Patriot Front

    Throughout the past year, the Torch Antifascist Network has been monitoring the internal communications of Patriot Front, an American fascist organization. The leaked documents reproduced below reveal an organization incapable of moving beyond furtive flyering sessions and photo opportunities, and falling under the increasingly centralized and heavy-handed control of Thomas Rousseau as other longtime leaders step back. Despite their attempts to present an intellectually respectable and professional image, Patriot Front chat logs reveal a group defined by crude fascism, neo-Nazism, and misogyny.  

    As well as the leaked communications, we’re providing an analysis of Patriot Front and a collection of article links profiling PF members past and present.

    Study these contents to your heart’s (dis)content and submit additional identifications to TorchAntifa[at]riseup[dot]net to be included. 

    (more…)
  • Chris Brooks, Patriot Front, Targeted Synagogues in Columbus, Georgia

    Chris Brooks, Patriot Front, Targeted Synagogues in Columbus, Georgia

    On July 29 of last year, two members of Patriot Front – a fascist and white nationalist organization – placed propaganda at synagogues in Columbus, Georgia in an apparent attempt at intimidation. We can now identify one of the two people responsible, who we had written about earlier this year but failed to connect to activity in Columbus. As discussed in our previous article, Christopher Skylar Brooks helped place Patriot Front (PF) materials in the Atlanta suburb of Lawrenceville in May 2019. We connected Brooks to the PF materials in Lawrenceville via an online brag in combination with Brooks’ internet handle, location, dress, and other clues. In our article about Brooks, we surmised that he did not last long in Patriot Front. However, he stayed long enough in the organization to target Columbus, Georgia synagogues with another member, a month and a half after the May propaganda run in Lawrenceville.

    Chris Brooks

    Brooks
    Brooks
    “Red hat” in Columbus surveillance footage
    (more…)
  • Gregory Wheeler – Sacramento Proud Boy

    Gregory Wheeler – Sacramento Proud Boy

    Flyer with bold header reading "COMMUNITY ALERT! LOCAL WHITE NATIONALIST" above a photo of three men standing with arms crossed in front of an American flag. Text blocks below provide biographical information for "Gregory Scott Wheeler," including DOB (3/10/1972), address (837 Fulton Ave, Apt. 1031 95825), vehicle details (Red Toyota Camry, license plate 4DTF030), employer (Galls, 2333 Arden Way, Sacramento, CA 95825), and phone number ((916) 567-7877). A paragraph describes alleged affiliations with white nationalist and Proud Boys groups, referencing social media posts, rallies, and political activities. Footer includes a website URL (antifascist.blackblogs.org) and email address (antifascist@riseup.net) for additional information. The overall layout resembles a "wanted" poster format with high-contrast black text on white background.
    Community Alert flyer that will be going up in the Arden area of Sacramento where Gregory Wheeler lives and works.

    An update:

    Tweet from "Antifa Sacramento" (@AntifaSac_), replying to the same account, reading: "Gregory Wheeler, a white nationalist, & member of the Proud Boys has been fired from his job over at Galls: Uniforms, Equipment and Gear for Police on Arden Way. Galls is still complicit in the racist Sacramento Police terrorizing communities in Sac everyday. #AbolishThePolice"

Below it, a GoFundMe ad panel shows "$1,772 raised of $6,000 goal," 38 donors, 9 shares, 38 followers, and buttons for "Share" and "Donate now," alongside a "21 people just donated" list showing NATHANIEL BERRIOS $115 and Ken S $60. On the right, a fundraiser page notes "Gregory Wheeler is organizing this fundraiser," created 3 days ago under "Accidents & Emergencies," with a message stating he was "doxxed by Antifa, and have been fired from my job, serving Law Fire, EMT's, Chaplains, and our Military since 1998." Donate and Share buttons appear below with "Organizer: Gregory Wheeler."

    Meet Gregory Scott Wheeler. He is a white nationalist and a member of the Proud Boys living and working in the Arden area of Sacramento. Wheeler has a habit of posting racist, anti-LGBTQ, and misogynistic content on his social media, frequently featuring the confederate flag and the Proud Boys laurels. In the following post you’ll see where he works, lives, what his affiliations are and why this Proud Boy is particularly concerning.


    (more…)
  • REVEALED: White Nationalist who Targeted Synagogues in Columbus, Georgia

    REVEALED: White Nationalist who Targeted Synagogues in Columbus, Georgia

    On July 29 of last year, two members of Patriot Front – a fascist and white nationalist organization – placed propaganda at synagogues in Columbus, Georgia in an apparent attempt at intimidation. We can now identify one of the two people responsible, who we had written about earlier this year but failed to connect to activity in Columbus. As discussed in our previous article, Christopher Skylar Brooks helped place Patriot Front (PF) materials in the Atlanta suburb of Lawrenceville in May 2019. We connected Brooks to the PF materials in Lawrenceville via an online brag in combination with Brooks’ internet handle, location, dress, and other clues. In our article about Brooks, we surmised that he did not last long in Patriot Front. However, he stayed long enough in the organization to target Columbus, Georgia synagogues with another member, a month and a half after the May propaganda run in Lawrenceville.

    After Patriot Front targeted the Jewish congregations in Columbus last year, police released surveillance footage showing those responsible. One of the figures closely resembles Chris Brooks. Other documentation supports Brooks’ involvement. A source who had access to Patriot Front’s internal chats provided us with mid-2019 communications from the organization. These conversations, held in internet discussion rooms accessible only to members of the organization, revealed that Patriot Front members “John GA” and “Daniel GA” targeted the Columbus synagogues. Patriot Front chatter also allowed us to figure out that “Daniel GA” was Chris Brooks’ alias within the organization. 

    Chris Brooks has now relocated to Shanghai, China, where he is involved in the Shanghai Beverly Business Consulting company and its “ITutorESL” subsidiary – “Chris B” is listed as Chief Operations Officer on the ITutorESL website. In addition to Patriot Front, Brooks was involved with the Proud Boys, a broader far-Right “Western Chauvinist” fraternity which overlaps with white nationalist circles. 

    We have not yet identified the second individual, “John GA”, but provide details on this organizer in a later section. Of the two, “John GA” was more active in Patriot Front, traveling long distances to network with other members, helping with rallies, and propagandizing for the racist organization online.

    Chris Brooks’ Identity as “Daniel
    GA”

    At the time Patriot Front placed
    materials at Columbus, Georgia synagogues, there were three members listed in
    the organization’s chat server as Georgia members: “Daniel GA”, “Henry GA”, and
    “John GA”. “Daniel GA” uploaded photos to PF’s internal discussion server of
    the Columbus propaganda spree, specifying that “John GA” had been with him as
    they hit the synagogues.

    Typically, only Patriot Front members have access to stickers and propaganda designs for the organization. Our earlier article established that Brooks placed materials for Patriot Front in May 2019. Details such as Brooks’ employment history did not match for the other two Georgia members who were then in the PF chat server, establishing that Brooks was “Daniel GA”. 

    Audio from Patriot Front meeting, May 14, 2019: “John GA” discusses stickering outside Atlanta the previous weekend

    In a Patriot Front meeting on May 14, 2019 held via audio group chat, “John GA” mentioned having “vetted a new guy in an area near Atlanta” and placing organizational materials with this new member. “John” also mentioned that this propaganda attracted antifascist attention, which makes it clear that he was referring to activity around Lawrenceville. The night before the May 14th PF meeting, “John GA” tagged “Daniel GA” (and PF leader Thomas Rousseau) in the PF discussion server, with a link about antifascists removing Patriot Front stickers in Lawrenceville and commanding “Daniel GA” to “overwhelm these losers”. In our earlier article, we documented that Chris Brooks returned to this spot, to again place Patriot Front propaganda.

    “Daniel GA” profile image in Patriot Front chat.

    Further details from Patriot Front communications also support “Daniel GA” being Chris Brooks. The icon for “Daniel” in the PF chat features a “Black Sun”/ Schwarze Sonne symbol favored by neo-Nazis. This same symbol (though not the exact same image) featured on Chris Brooks’ Facebook profile under the alias “Nash Schunulitz”.

    In May 2019, “Daniel GA” told PF members that he knew some individuals responsible for (purportedly) exposing an antifascist researcher, stating that members of the Proud Boys were involved. “Daniel GA” criticized the Proud Boys’ official ideology but also called it a useful “gateway org”. In addition to being part of Patriot Front during 2019, “Daniel GA” has a history with the Proud Boys and is well networked within Proud Boy circles.

    July 29, 2019: Brooks and “John GA”
    Target Synagogues in Columbus, Georgia

    Using the photos that Chris Brooks
    (“Daniel GA”) posted to the Patriot Front internal chat, we can recreate what
    happened in Columbus on the night of July 29, 2019. The times in the Patriot
    Front discussion reflect when the images were posted, not when photographs were
    taken. Those time stamps are also for a different time zone. However, the
    photos were posted in roughly sequential order, with the sky getting darker as
    night falls.

    The numeric file names for the photos posted in Patriot Front discussion may give approximately the correct time. However, they are likely off by a few minutes if the time in surveillance footage released by Columbus Police is correct.

    “John” and Chris Brooks began by placing Patriot Front materials at the intersection of River Road and Mobley Road. There, they placed propaganda on at least one pole and one electricity box in front of Shearith Israel synagogue. They also left a poster on the opposite side of Mobley Road across from the synagogue, in the process being captured on surveillance camera footage that was later circulated by Columbus Police. A local news report mistakenly stated that Shearith Israel was not targeted with PF propaganda on July 29 but noted that the synagogue had been hit with materials from the organization months earlier, in an incident not made public at that time.

    Brooks and “John” then proceeded to Temple Israel. There, they wore masks and placed propaganda directly on the building, in addition to signs and poles. After the posters were discovered the next morning, Temple Israel spoke out about the antisemitic targeting.

    Near Kehilat Emet, July 29, 2019

    Finally, Chris Brooks (“Daniel GA”) posted images suggesting that messianic congregation Kehilat Emet in Columbus was targeted on the same night. This was not reported in the media and may not even have been noted by the congregation.  

    Patriot Front Organizational
    Response

    Congratulations in Patriot Front internal communications channel

    After the story of the synagogue
    targeting broke in regional media, a North Carolina Patriot Front member
    commented in the organization’s chat server on August 2nd, giving
    “props” to the “Georgia boys” for wearing gloves. This comment got a couple of
    thumbs-up from other members.

    August 5, 2019: Patriot Front shared images from Columbus, GA on social media

    A few days later, Patriot Front posted images on social media of their propaganda in Columbus, Georgia, including an image from Shearith Israel and one from Temple Israel. By doing this, the organization as a whole signaled its approval of the harassment by Chris Brooks and “John GA”. Since Patriot Front is carefully micro-managed by its leader in Texas, Thomas Rousseau, releasing images of the targeted synagogues would have been approved from the very top of the organization. To further gloat, Patriot Front shared footage of Shearith Israel speaking out about the harassment on its “PatriotFrontNewsClips” video channel in December.

    Notes on “John GA”

    We have not yet identified “John
    GA”, the second individual involved alongside Chris Brooks in the Columbus
    harassment. However, in Patriot Front chats “John” left several clues about his
    identity and documented his efforts for the organization. We hope that by
    presenting notes on “John GA”, someone may be able to help identify him. Just
    as Chris Brooks does not actually have the name “Daniel”, “John GA” may not
    really be named John.

    “John GA” posts about repeatedly placing propaganda at park “in my area”, March 28, 2019

    In March 2019, “John GA” told other PF members that he had “hit the same park like 4 times in the last few months”. He stated that the park was in an “affluent white area” and was one of the “busiest places in my area” because of baseball every weeknight. In the early months of 2019, Columbus was the only Georgia city where PF regularly left propaganda. “John GA” was the only active PF member in the state during those months (Others joined later.) Therefore, “John GA” was likely based in or near Columbus. For similar reasons, we suspect he was involved in the earlier targeting of Shearith Israel, which according to local media took place months before the July 29 harassment.

    Feb 2019: “John GA” posts picture of new baby

    “John GA” posted a picture of a newborn baby to the PF chat in mid-February 2019, receiving congratulations on the healthy child. “John” accompanied the picture of his newborn son with a reference to the “14 words” – a slogan coined by neo-Nazi terrorist David Lane about the future of the white race. 

    In the audio recording from the May 14, 2019 Patriot Front meeting, “John” reported that he had recently met up with other Patriot Front members in Florida and gave out Patriot Front flyers at a Trump rally. The event was almost certainly Trump’s appearance at Panama City Beach on May 8, 2019, which Patriot Front posted images from. 

    After mentioning his recent meetup with Chris Brooks in the Atlanta suburbs, “John” told the May 14th audio meeting that he would be traveling to New York over the weekend. On May 18, 2019, “John” joked about having just met PF member “Patrick NY”: regional leader Kieran P. Morris of New York.

    Comments in PF internal discussions indicate that “John GA” participated in Patriot Front’s flash demonstration at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Sunday, May 26, 2019. “John GA” was also present at Patriot Front’s brief nighttime demonstration at the Bunker Hill monument in Boston, Massachusetts (July 6, 2019). 

    Profile image for “American_Revolutionary_” on Gab.

    On May 20, 2019 “John GA” told other Patriot Front members to “Follow American_Revolutionary_ for PF shilling”, which suggests he maintained this Instagram. Although the Instagram account was removed later that year, an “American_Revolutionary_” account remains on the Gab social network. There are two figures in the profile image for this Gab account. The figure on the right resembles Patriot Front member Kieran Morris in New York. “John GA” is likely the individual on the left.

    Conclusion

    Patriot Front’s presence does not seem to have completely disappeared in Columbus, Georgia. PF boasted of placing stickers on the Columbus State University campus in February this year and of distributing propaganda elsewhere in Columbus during April. It is unclear whether “John GA” or some other member was responsible for these recent acts. 

    Our organization will always do our best to respond to racist and antisemitic harassment. With this article, we presented evidence showing that Christopher Skylar Brooks helped target synagogues in Columbus last year, on behalf of the white nationalist Patriot Front. Brooks’ involvement in the Columbus harassment was a gap in our earlier article about him. We are glad to complete the picture.

    We also provided documentation on the second Patriot Front member involved in targeting Columbus synagogues. We provided a voice recording of “John GA”, information about his activities for the organization, as well as a potential photo. We ask Columbus residents to share this article, and to reach out if they have further information which could help identify this racist organizer.

    Poster asking for tips on “John GA” – please print and distribute. (.pdf here)
  • “Heritage Not Hate” and White Nationalist Networks

    “Heritage Not Hate” and White Nationalist Networks

    On August 15, 2020, racists and the far-Right vow to rally at Stone Mountain outside Atlanta.  

    Heritage Not Hate private Facebook group

    An earlier alert discussed the upcoming rally and Stone Mountain Park’s history. We noted how two projects promoting the August 15 rallies – Protect the South and American Patriots USA – have their roots in neo-Nazi organizing. Both projects now try to build broader alliances through coded messaging.

    We also mentioned the “Defending Stone Mountain” call to action from leaders of the Confederate States III% militia (CSIII%). CSIII% is a nominally non-racist far-Right group. In this update, we focus on these “Defending Stone Mountain” organizers and their ties to white nationalist networks. 

    At the end of this update, we discuss a new white supremacist project from a long-familiar face who is also trying to agitate around the Confederate carvings on Stone Mountain.

    “Heritage Not Hate”

    The “Defending Stone Mountain” Facebook event is operated by a couple in Arkansas, Debbie Guin (“Dab Demere”) and Rodney Huffman. They claim to have been provided a permit for August 15 by Stone Mountain Park. A Facebook page for the couple, “Dab Demere/Rodney Huffman, Cs/hnh”, provides their affiliations: the CSIII% militia and “Heritage Not Hate” (HNH). Each of these projects has a separate private Facebook group. Under different titles, the “CS III% Recruiting page” was formed in November 2016 and “Heritage Not Hate main page” was created in January 2018. Guin and Huffman are listed as administrators for both groups. There is significant overlap between the two Facebook groups.

    “Defending Stone Mountain” has claimed to be a show of opposition to the “Not Fucking Around Coalition” (NFAC), an armed Black militia that protested in Stone Mountain on July 4. However, the organizers of “Defending Stone Mountain” have a broader agenda against Black protest. For example, Guin posted to her Facebook page in June with an image referring to Black Lives Matter as “Burn Loot Murder”. Guin then commented: “The BLM is no better then [sic] the KKK. […] BLM want to wipe the white race out”. When one of her contacts replied that “The blacks are worse [than the KKK]”, she liked the comment.

    Discussion on Debbie Guin’s Facebook, June 22, 2020.

    Portraying Black anti-racist protest movements as violently racist and white people as under attack is classic racism. However, by pretending that the shrinking Ku Klux Klan sets the limits of actual white supremacy, Guin claims her group is not racist. This strategy provides mainstream cover while still attracting the support of more virulent racists. Little more than two weeks after these comments, Guin launched the “Defending Stone Mountain” event page which soon gained white supremacist interest. Recent commenters on that event page include Randall Wiley Smith, a Georgia former member of the Southern White Knights of the KKK who more recently helped lead the short-lived “Aryan Nations Worldwide”.  

    Randall Wiley Smith commenting on “Defending Stone Mountain”, mid-July

    The “Heritage Not Hate” private Facebook group maintained by Guin, her fiancé, and some helpers has a membership list that includes unambiguous white nationalists. This is despite HNH administrators asking for hate group members to identify themselves when joining. HNH leaders Guin and Huffman, plus at least one other HNH administrator, are personally connected to white nationalists on Facebook. The overall pattern of connections suggests affinity between “Heritage Not Hate” and the white power scene, with clear bridges between the two.

    Social media connections between HNH and white nationalist scene

    (a)    Amanda and Charles Eli Belcher

    Amanda (maiden name Lawson) and Charles Eli Belcher of Tennessee are well-connected white nationalists who have promoted the fractured Aryan Nations (AN). Charles Belcher, who goes by “Eli Belcher” online, joined the HNH Facebook group in June 2018, while his wife Amanda was added to the group by HNH leader Debbie Guin in March this year. Both the Belchers are also connected to another member of the HNH admin team named Chuck Steiner. 

    In Tennessee, there is a white prison gang named “Aryan Nations”, whose name stems from the earlier white supremacist group of the same name. Two of Amanda Belcher’s Facebook profiles have posts stating: “114%”. This is short for the first and fourteenth letters of the alphabet, or A.N. for Aryan Nations. This code is used by the Tennessee gang. The Belchers are linked to obvious white prison gang members on their social media.

    Alternative account for Charles Belcher posts “Aryan Nations World Headquarters” ad, 2015

    However, there are clear links between the Belchers and a faction of the original Aryan Nations, rather than the prison gang named in tribute. Five years ago, a secondary account for Charles Belcher was connected to a leader for one AN faction, Morris Gulett. Charles Belcher also advertised the Gulett AN faction on Facebook the same year. This January, Charles Belcher was Facebook friends with the now-deleted “Windel Winkler” account for Shaun Winkler. Winker is a longtime white supremacist who once operated the “Aryan Nations Knights” Klan group of Gulett’s AN. Shaun Winkler’s wife, Shealyn, was connected on the VKontakte (VK) social networking site to Amanda Belcher, but Amanda Belcher’s account has now been removed for violating VK’s terms of service. 

    Amanda Belcher linked to Shealyn Winkler on VK

    At the time of writing, the original AN is in disarray. Individuals claim its legacy, yet all major factions have collapsed. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which compiles an annual “Hate Map”, listed no Aryan Nations groups in its most recent 2019 report. Although the Belchers may have ties to the Tennessee prison gang, they also have historic ties to the better-known white supremacist group. Amanda Belcher’s online boasts of “AN” affiliation suggest that she sees herself as continuing the white supremacist group’s efforts, hoping for a revival.

    (b)    Charles Edward
    Lincoln

    Charles Edward Lincoln

    Charles Edward Lincoln III is a disbarred former attorney in New Orleans, Louisiana. Over the last several years, Lincoln has become increasingly vocal in efforts to preserve Confederate monuments. Lincoln is also embedded within the white nationalist movement. In 2017, Lincoln appeared on broadcasts for The Daily Kenn, a racist website. Lincoln spoke at 2018’s “Unite the Right 2” in Washington, DC, the sequel to the violent 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

    Charles Edward Lincoln speaks in Dahlonega, Georgia, September 14, 2019

    In early 2019, white nationalists tried to hold a rally at Stone Mountain, but their permit was denied by the Park and their organizing collapsed. Lincoln covered this failure in video broadcasts featuring the rally’s organizers, John Michael Estes and Michael Carothers (AKA Michael Weaver), who had fallen out with each other. In 2019, Lincoln was also listed as the Treasurer for the National Committee of the American Freedom Party, a white nationalist and antisemitic party. By the end of the year, Lincoln was replaced. Lincoln traveled to speak at a far-Right rally in Dahlonega, north Georgia, in September 2019. The rally was hosted by Chester Doles, whose involvement in the white power movement spans decades. Lincoln and Doles have kept in contact since the Dahlonega rally.

    Lincoln appears in both the Confederate States III% private Facebook group and the “Heritage Not Hate” main group. He is friends on Facebook with “Defending Stone Mountain” organizers Debbie Guin and Rodney Huffman, as well as a third HNH administrator, Chuck Steiner.

    Heritage and Hate

    The web of associations we have
    traced suggests that white nationalists are closely following the “Heritage Not
    Hate” scene. Through friendships on Facebook and by joining the HNH private
    group, they express sympathy and support. 

    Joseph Slonecki Facebook account features white nationalist messaging, friends with August 15 organizer Debbie Guin

    Heritage Not Hate organizers may not know every detail of their online associates’ histories and agenda, but this likely would not matter. For example, CSIII%/HNH leader Debbie Guin is Facebook friends with Joseph Slonecki of Pennsylvania. Slonecki’s Facebook cover image is propaganda about “diversity” being forced on white countries and is unmissable by anyone connected to him. HNH admin Steiner is also friends with Slonecki. The numerous threats in the (HNH-alligned) CSIII% private group about shooting Black Lives Matter protesters further suggest that these groups are petri dishes for racism.

    Comments in CSIII% private Facebook group, July 2020, regarding upcoming Black Lives Matter rally

    In mapping the links between HNH and white nationalists such as the Belchers and Lincoln, our point is not that we know these individuals’ plans for August 15th. Rather, our view is that HNH is intertwined with active white nationalists and provides a welcoming space for them. As a result, white nationalists will surely bring their crowd on the day. This would be the case even without other projects that have clear white power ties – such as “Protect the South” and “American Patriots USA” – also promoting August 15th.

    Michael Carothers (Weaver) and Charles Lincoln discuss the collapse of “Rock Stone Mountain II” on January 31, 2019 video chat.

    The map of relationships also shows how close the CSIII%/HNH “Defending Stone Mountain” organizers are to one planner for 2019’s “Rock Stone Mountain II” white power rally. That white nationalist rally was announced for Stone Mountain on Superbowl Saturday, 2019, but fell apart before the day. 

    The organizer in question is Michael Carothers, also known as Michael Weaver. Carothers operates the racist White Information Network blog. For several years, Carothers was a member of the National Alliance, a neo-Nazi group. He continues to support the National Alliance’s politics if not the current state of that organization. Carothers was a Rock Stone Mountain II spokesman and publicist. In our previous article about August 15, we noted that Carothers W.I.N. blog recently alluded to further protest at Stone Mountain.

    Until recently, Carothers seemed to be two degrees removed from the CSIII%/HNH organizers, since he was not in direct contact but rather connected to other white nationalists that kept in contact with the HNH leaders. Carothers, however, has now befriended “Defending Stone Mountain” organizer Rodney Huffman on Facebook. We know that this is a recent development because “Michael Weaver” still appeared in Huffman’s “recently added” Facebook friends in late July. 

    CSIII%/HNH leader Rodney Huffman is social media friends with “Michael Weaver”

    Both Carothers and Charles Lincoln are close to Chester Doles, the founder and leader of American Patriots USA, which is also calling for August 15 rallies on Stone Mountain. Carothers has known Doles for two decades, from the time Doles led the Georgia unit of the National Alliance. Last year, Carothers served as a behind-the-scenes networker and promoter for Doles’ September 14 rally in Dahlonega. Carothers was a member of American Patriots USA starting from its first meeting in December, although the organization now claims he has stepped away. Chester Doles is banned from Facebook but was connected with both Carothers and Amanda Belcher on VKontakte until those two had their accounts blocked for violations of VK’s terms of service.

    “Monumental Patriots”

    HNH also features another familiar
    face.

    John Michael Estes in HNH private Facebook group

    In mid-July, John Michael Estes joined the “Heritage Not Hate” private group operated by Guin and Huffman. Estes is the white supremacist who organized the “Rock Stone Mountain” rally at Stone Mountain in April 2016 with help from Klansman Gregory Todd Calhoun. Estes also spearheaded the later “Rock Stone Mountain II” attempt.

    “Monumental Patriots” celebrates American Nazi Party leader George Lincoln Rockwell

    Estes’ only post in HNH so far has been to promote his new Facebook page, “Monumental Patriots” which started in late June. The page is unmistakably Estes’ work, continually repeating the same slogan about white replacement that Estes used to promote his racist rallies. The “Monumental Patriots” page stokes antisemitism, shares white nationalist content, and celebrates the founder of the American Nazi Party as a “great man.” The page features half a dozen posts about Stone Mountain, including complaints about John Bankhead of the Stone Mountain Memorial Association. Estes has not yet called his page’s followers to join the August 15th protests or directly addressed the upcoming rallies, although he highlighted the July 4 NFAC protest at Stone Mountain as evidence that the Park was bowing to “communists”. 

    Estes would not have joined Heritage Not Hate unless he was interested in HNH organizing and hoped to politically gain from it. When Estes shared a “Monumental Patriots” post dog-whistling the theme of white genocide to the HNH private group, nobody there raised an eyebrow. 

    Conclusion 

    Debbie Guin and Robert Huffman are behind a main call for far-Right protests at Stone Mountain on August 15th. They are affiliated with the Confederate States III% militia as well as “Heritage Not Hate”. HNH is a misleading name, since the couple amplify racism and are closely intertwined with the white nationalist scene. August 15th has also been promoted by different projects, which have their own ties to white nationalism.

    Stone Mountain’s Confederate carvings are a tribute to white supremacy and a focal point for racist organizing. Under the perverse banner of “Heritage Not Hate”, the CSIII%/HNH organizers have issued a call to action that begs for white nationalist participation. When white supremacist movements are helped to recruit and grow, they leave terror in their wake. They must be opposed strongly and from the start. 

    This article supplements our earlier overview of far-Right organizing for August 15. For information on anti-racist community responses on the day, see the FrontLine Organizations Working to End Racism (FLOWER) coalition. Please spread the word in your place of worship, political organization, or community group and show up on August 15th.

    If you have further information on the far-Right organizers mentioned in this report, please get in touch.