Christian Dominionism, The New Apostolic Reformation and the American Fascist Movement

  • August 16, 2024 1:36 am

from Philly Fash Watch

The purpose of this text is to provide anti-fascists with the necessary background to understand the beliefs, organizing model and radiant influence of The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), as well as the particular threat it poses as an emerging center of gravity for the developing American Fascist movement.

 

There are many denominations and movements cultivating authoritarian political beliefs amongst Christian Americans, but the New Apostolic Reformation is unique in terms of its inherently authoritarian politics, theological flexibility, networked organizational structure and ability to influence Christians from different traditions. Furthermore, the NAR was the first Christian group to promote Trump, and have taken on the role of his spiritual advisors and links to the Evangelical community. This was originally a controversial move, but was justified by comparing the obviously godless Trump to King Cyrus of Persia, the virtuous pagan who ended the Babylonian Captivity and allowed the Jews to return to Palestine. This rather impressive theological bullshit has paid back in dividends as more and more Christians have accepted the idea that modern Prophets are guiding the Christians of America.

 

Christian Dominionism is defined as the belief that Christians should take control of the State. While the term has entered the mainstream of many parts of the American Left, many antifascists tend to see it as just another incarnation of  evangelical politics, if a more totalitarian one, and not particularly worthy of much attention when compared to the deluge of white supremacist shooters and would be terrorists currently threatening our communities. While neo-nazis represent the most advanced terrorist threat within the far right, the New Apostolic Reformation is the most advanced Social threat. By this we mean that they have an extraordinary power to shape the very experience of reality of massive communities of American Christians. Most neo nazis are skeptical of Mass Politics, due to the long history of federal infiltration of their movements. The New Apostolic Reformation is devoted to mass politics; their faith revolves around the concept of revival, or mass conversion to their cause. Currently, the NAR is dedicated to winning power via the legitimization of the American political process. THey have already had a good deal of success on this front. Representatives Lauren Bobert and Marjorie Taylor Green are deeply affiliated with the movement, as is the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. Pennsylvania State Senator Doug Mastriano and Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito are also connected, in addition to scores of state and local level office holders. When Donald Trump, contrary to the prophecies of the movement, lost reelection, networks of “Prophets” and “Apostles” were some of the main forces in galvanizing the January 6th Capitol riot. This act demonstrated the movement’s willingness to seize power by non-democratic means and should be understood as a sign of things to come.  The New Apostolic Reformation is changing America, and if we want to prevent them from achieving the power they desire, we have to understand them on their own terms.

 

There is no such thing as the New Apostolic Reformation

 

To call the NAR a denomination would be inaccurate, as it specifically emerged from the world of non-denominational charismatic Christianity. It would also ignore the vectors by which they are able to push their political theology into other Christian groups, Charismatic and otherwise.

Charismatic Christianity is an outgrowth of Evangelicism, particularly the Pentecostal Tradition, best known for its spectacular practices of snake handling and speaking in Tongues. To be a Charismatic Christian is to seek a kind of constant mystical experience of reality, to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to see God’s divine plan manifest in everyday life. It is a rather extraordinary tradition, because organized religion tends to put careful guardrails around mystic practices, and carefully guide mystics to incorporate their work into the pre established orthodoxy of their religion. When this doesn’t happen, mystics and their followers have a tendency of being destabilizing forces in society.

The roots of the NAR traces back to the work of a C Peter Wagner at Fuller seminary in southern California. Wagner was the student of John Wimber, of Grapevine ministries. Wimber brought the practices of independent non-denominational Charismatics to the more mainstream audience of Fuller, and Wagner was his student and successor. These were literal courses in miracles, and helped spread the Charismatic idea that belief in Jesus and the presence of the holy spirit gave Christians supernatural powers.

Around the same time Wagner did graduate work in sociology studying Church growth. The Study of Church growth is a very involved discipline, and Wagner was focusing on Church Governance as a factor. In his later writings he proposed a new structure. He rejected denominational rules and bylaws, democratic structures and individual autocracy in favor of a networked ecosystem of Churches ruled by Charismatic leaders. Now many of these leaders who came into Wagner’s emerging network had already begun to call themselves Apostles and Prophets. These extraordinary titles are literal. These people genuinely believe they are receiving messages from the divine and being told to enact divine will. Their claims are justified using a concept called fivefold ministry which is extrapolated from Ephesians 4:11-13 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,  to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up  until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” While for the vast majority of more Orthodox Christians the Prophets are a thing of the past and the Apostles passed on their authority to the Church (or the Bible, if you are Protestant) Prophesy and Apostleship are alive and well for the Charismatics of the NAR.

This is the most extreme development away from Christian Orthodoxy since Martin Luther split from the Catholic Church, it is also the fastest growing form of Christianity in America as well as world wide. Furthermore, there is evidence that ideas from the NAR are finding influence in more traditional Churches. A (unreplicated, so inconclusive) study by Paul Djupe from Dennison University suggests that the Core of NAR theology (beleif in modern Apostles and Prophets) is extremely contagious, influencing the theology of much more mainline Churches. In fact he suggests that as many as 25% of the American Christians he polled believe it.

While the NAR was a highly organized project, the nature of the networked structure and its spiritual Oligarchy has tended towards a denial of its unified nature. The influence of a Church growth scholar doesn’t give the group legitimacy  and the nature of Charismatic Spirituality has a preference for the organic and spontaneous. Camouflaging themselves also allows for members of the NAR to recruit more traditional christians slowly, rather than presenting their non-traditional nature for all to see. The American evangelical world is changing rapidly, and the NAR has set itself up to catch those who are looking for something new. This piece from writer Holly Pivec gives tips on how to find if Churches are concealing their NAR affiliations.

Many Progressives and leftists have told themselves that secularization is an inevitable process that will destroy the influence of the Christian right. The reality appears to be that the number of Christians will shrink, but grow in fanaticism and thirst for political dominance. The fact that the NAR puts so much stock in elections is due to their desire to be act in accordance with what they believe to be the divinely inspired principles of America. When the NAR takes extra-legal steps, it will be with the excuse that their enemies have contaminated The failed insurrection at the capital demonstrated that if they cannot win at the ballot box, they will try by other means. Their ultimate belief is that a precondition of the rapture is the triumph of the church over the earthly governments of the world.

NAR leaders like Sean Fuecht (a harmless looking, guitar playing youth minister) have used Proud Boys as their personal security.  They have deep connections to  “Christian” and “Patriotic” militias around the country. Furthermore, they urge their congratulations to arm themselves and train for war against secular Americans who they beleive are out to get them. The most famous of these is probably Matt Shea, the former Washington State Representative for Spokane. Shea was removed from office for distributing a text he wrote called “The Biblical Basis for War” which contains the memorable line “Kill all males who do not submit”. Shea maintains extensive networks of extremist Churches across Idaho and Eastern Washington. These networks exist across the country.The most important thing to remember about these networks is that many participants in them have been preparing for an American civil war for nearly 50 years. These are people who read the Turner Diaries but are more concerned with oppressing people for not being Christian rather than not being white, though racism is often a hidden part of Christian Supremacism.

 

As capitalist crisis and the general dysfunction of the American political system accelerates, new powers will emerge to fill in the cracks. The NAR will be amongst them, and the rest of us need a plan to counter them. They have been able to grow to the point of having millions of members with powerful representation in government. While effectively being a fascist organization, a church is not something that can be treated like a clique of boneheads. I would urge all antifascists to meet this threat with the utmost urgency and caution. No matter where you live in the US these people are making moves. The first course of action is to find out who locally is already mapping the apostolic networks. This will likely mean working with liberals and even other Christians. We need these people as allies. There are theologians who’s work consists of preventing churches from being taken over by NAR theology. The old slogan of the Anti-Racist action network was expose, oppose and confront. We need to have local exposes of apostolic networks, their relationships in government and business and the threat to our communities that they constitute. When they try to take over school boards we need that to be publicized. When groups like Moms for Liberty pull their stunts we need people to understand exactly what they are confronting. We are well past the point that small group action can have an effect on a group of this scale. As this piece is being written it looks like the Trump campaign is sinking before our eyes. This could mean that the NAR will attempt another extra-legal attempt at seizing power like January 6th. Even if they accept defeat, they will not do so forever. They are building durable institutions to take power, and we need a long term plan to stop them.

NJ Hate Watch: S14 and NJEHA Member Jonathan Misura of Milltown, NJ

  • August 8, 2024 1:54 am

from Jersey Counter-Info

Over the past few months NJ/PA/NY fascist crews have been feeling the heat. Between Mark Kauffman getting arrested the day before his wedding for old drug and gun charges in Massachusetts, former Philly anarchist Alex “Nar” Chubbuck being identified as a nazi, PA nazi Ben Ryder being revealed as a predatory sex offender, and Andrew “Cossack” Takhistov being entrapped by the feds into plotting an electrical substation attack, they have seen their organizations flounder and have been faced with a mass exodus of members.

While this can be considered a victory for antifascists, it cannot be ignored that there are still active and unidentified Nazis in the Tristate area. One such Nazi that recently came to the attention of antifascists was “JJ” or “@reject_sin” on Telegram, because of his close connection with Takhistov and the now defunct project “White Legion”. Antifascists have identified JJ as 18 year-old Jonathan Misura of Milltown, NJ.

Misura circa 2023 and 2024. Misura shaved his head in early 2024.
Misura’s Telegram profile along with a recent picture of him from social media. A side-by-side comparison of both pictures confirms Misura’s identity as “JJ/@reject_sin”.

Misura was radicalized online when he was a minor in 2023. At this time, Misura was a junior at St. Thomas Aquinas, a private Christian High School in CNJ, and a star athlete on the baseball team.

From his junior through senior year of high school Misura maintained polished and compartmentalized social media accounts, that were devoid of anything having to do with far-right politics. Unlike many young Nazis, Misura has a forward facing online presence which focuses on typical teen life events, like going to prom and down the shore for holidays.

 

As his social media content highlights, Misura is a dedicated lifelong baseball player. In 2023 Misura accepted a scholarship offer to play at East Stroudsburg University in East Stroudsburg, PA upon graduation from high school. More information is listed at the end of this article about how to contact East Stroudsburg University about Misura.

Misura became active on Telegram in 2023 and 2024 with the goal of connecting with other white nationalists. He joined several different Nazi Telegram channels, with one channel exclusively focused on exposing Paul Miller aka “G*psy Crusader” as a fake white nationalist and pedophile.

The following evidence has been minimally edited to not take away the impact of the Neo-Nazi views that Misura and others are expressing. There is misogynistic, racist, homophobic, and other dehumanizing phrasing used. Misura’s profile picture within the different chat threads on the channel also verifies his identity as “JJ”.

The channel that Misura joined exposing Paul Miller as fake white nationalist and all around creep.

 

The first post that Misura commented on, in “G*psyCrusader Exposed”.

 

Misura’s first comment upon joining the channel, where he is laughing over a racist comment about one of Miller’s ex-girlfriends.

On this channel, Misura would get involved in verbal spats with other white nationalists for seemingly no reason. For example, in one incident Misura claimed he had connections to violent Neo-Nazis and flew off-the-handle when people doubted him. In other comment threads Misura would randomly accuse others of being Jewish.

In this exchange Misura said he had connections to the notorious Neo-Nazi prison gang, the Aryan Brotherhood.

 

Misura going off on other Nazis for questioning his supposed connection to the Aryan Brotherhood. Misura’s Nazism is very much on display.

 

A thread in which Misura accuses a Nazi of being Jewish.

As time went on, Misura’s frustration in online Neo-Nazi spaces swelled, and he decided to broaden his connections offline by linking up with Nazis in NJ. Misura first connected with Takhistov aka Cossack, and became close friends with him, bonding over fascism, their shared age and Ukrainian heritage, and living in Central New Jersey (CNJ). The White Legion page has since been wiped, but at its height, it had almost 100 members, including Misura. Misura regularly engaged on White Legion posts with Takhistov.

The White Legion page at the height of its activity.

Takhistov quickly brought Misura into the fold of the different Neo-Nazi crews he was in, like NJEHA and S14, and partnered with him on future White Legion endeavors. Soon Misura began popping up at S14 and NJEHA actions with Takhistov. The two were joined at the hip and did not attend any Nazi actions without each other.

With Misura initiated into the groups, he was essentially living a double life. On any given day Misura appeared to be an average NJ teen, heavily involved in academics (3.75 grade point average), sports, hanging out with his friends, and preparing for college. Unbeknownst to most people in his life he was also a Neo-Nazi, forging connections with violent white nationalists.

One Nazi outing they participated in together was a hiking day-trip up to Mt. Tammany that was organized by NJEHA and S14 in the Fall of 2023.

A hiking trip that NJEHA and S14 members took in the fall of 2023. Misura and Takhistov were present, as was Dan D’ambly and Mark Kauffman.

Misura also participated in a memorial service/hang out for a dead Nazi and a other pop-up style rallies with Takhistov and other NJEHA and S14 members.

Misura circled in red at the memorial event and a rally in December 2023

Misura also tried to help Takhistov launch his White Legion project offline and they did a few propaganda activities in CNJ. It was discovered that Misura is the formerly unidentified Nazi pictured with Takhistov in a propaganda photo series that was taken at a baseball diamond. Takhistov and Misura posed with road flares and Ukrainian fascist flags, a reference to their identity as Ukrainian nazis.

Takhistov boosting his and Misura’s White Legion project in an S14 chat.

 

Misura circled in red on the left, and Takhistov on the right.

Takhistov and Misura remained close and continued to work with each other under the banners of NJEHA and S14 and in unofficial capacities through the Summer of 2024, as revealed by the recent federal criminal complaint filed against Takhistov. The details within the federal complaint reveals that another Nazi, in addition to Takhistov, was a participant in the plan to attack the electrical substation. While Misura’s identity was concealed by the federal government, as “Individual-1”, simple context clues about Takhistov and Misura’s close friendship, their shared Ukrainian heritage and fascist identity, and tendency towards accelerationism leaves little room to doubt it could be anyone but him.

An excerpt from the federal complaint against Takhistov which references Individual-1 aka Misura.

Misura intended on joining Takhistov on his scheduled July 2024 trip to the Ukraine where he planned to join Russian fascists fighting against the Russian invasion. This was verified by the undercover federal agent when Takhistov and Misura met with him.

Another excerpt from the federal complaint against Takhistov. Misura is referenced again as (Individual-1) the person joining Takhistov in Ukraine.

 

This section of the federal complaint shows Misura was aware and supportive of the plot to blow up the electrical substation.

Misura was roped into the plot by the federal government, which became clear when Takhistov discussed a plan for the federal agent to blow up an electrical substation in New Brunswick. On July 10, Misura and Takhistov made their way to the Newark airport for their flight. Takhistov was arrested en route and his arrest was covered by local and national media. It’s unclear if Misura was detained or questioned, but based on the media coverage and Misura’s actions on social media after the fact, it’s probable that the government did not arrest/charge him at that time. Whatever happened on July 10 was enough to spook Misura and he made all his social media accounts private and became inactive on Telegram.

Misura’s Instagram account before and after Takhistov’s arrest by the federal government in July 2024.

Misura’s heavy involvement in NJEHA, S14, and the plot to blow up the electrical substation brings up many questions. How was Misura able to participate in these different groups and activities without his parents, friends, or mentors noticing? Why wasn’t Misura arrested by the federal government for his role in the plotted electrical substation attack? Has Misura been brought in by the feds and compelled to snitch against his close friend Takhistov in exchange for immunity/not revealing his identity? Are his parents aware that he knew about a plan to attack NJ public infrastructure and not only did nothing to stop it, but supported it fervently?

Misura’s past and current behavior proves he poses a danger to those around him. Misura is scheduled to begin college as freshman on a baseball scholarship at East Stroudsburg University in East Stroudsburg, PA in just a few weeks.

Misura must be held responsible for his actions and those around him deserve to know who he really is. Concerned community members are encouraged to reach out to his school administration directly in addition to the athletics department with the following script. (This article can be linked as evidence of Misura’s actions): “Hello I am reaching out to contact you about an enrolled student named Jonathan Misura. He is an incoming freshman who is on a baseball scholarship. Misura is a self professed Neo-Nazi and racist. I have provided the following evidence which displays Misura’s disconcerting behavior and actions. Misura’s behavior violates both East Stroudsburg University’s Student Code of Conduct (the Harassment policy) and the Student Athlete Handbook (its Sportsmanship Policy and Social Networking Website Policy). His behavior also violates current the NCAA Division II Handbook and, the 3.3.1.3 Standards and 3.3.4.5 Standards. As a student athlete Misura is supposed to embody the values and codes governing East Stroudburg University and its athletic department. I would like to request a review of Jonathan Misura’s enrollment as an incoming freshman and a review of baseball scholarship and placement on the team. Thank you.”

To contact the athletic department directly about Misura’s behavior, his baseball scholarship, and membership on the team, contact Athletic Director Dr. Allen G. Snook at (570) 422-3689 and asnook@esu.edu or Associate Athletic Director for Student Success/SWA Sarah Ross at (570) 422-3795 and sross14@esu.edu.

To contact the school administration and request a review about Misura’s behavior via the University Conduct Board, call (570) 422-3461 or email SCCS@esu.edu.

A Note From NJ Hate Watch: S14 members, with addition of Jonathan Misura, 10 of your people have been identified and doxxed including Andrew Takhistov, Alex Chubbuck, Benjamin Ryder, Jackson Bradley, Paul Minton, Daisy McGowan, Mathew Bair, Mark Kauffman, and Sara Sheaffer. If you continue to operate, more of your members will be exposed.

Send tips and information: njhatewatch@protonmail.com

Backyard Target Practice pt.1 : JLG Equipment Services Inc.

  • August 4, 2024 1:16 am

Submission

On June 20th, the Human Rights Council and the UN issued a statement identifying the major weapons manufacturers and investors in the US who are complicit in sustaining Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people. “These companies, by sending weapons, parts, components, and ammunitions to Israeli forces, risk being complicit in serious violations of international human rights and international humanitarian laws.” [Full article on ohchr.org “States and companies must end arms transfers to Israel immediately or risk responsibility for human rights violations: UN experts”]

Here is their list

Weapons manufacturers : BAE Systems, Boeing, Caterpillar, Gen Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Oshkosh, Rheinmetall AG, Rolls-Royce Power Systems, RTX, ThyssenKrupp

Investors supporting the weapons manufacturers: Alfred Krupp von Bohlen & Halbach Stiftung, INVESCO Ltd, JP Morgan Chase, Amundi Asset Management, Bank of America, Citigroup, Fidelity Mgmt and Research, Black Rock, Capital Group, Causeway Capital Management, Harris Associates, Morgan Stanley, Norges Bank Investment Mgmt, Newport Group, Raven’swing Asset Mgmt, State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance, State Street Corporation, Union Investment Privatfonds, The Vanguard Group, Wellington & Wells Fargo

These megalithic corporations have tendrils reaching across the globe, the country, the cities, our neighborhoods, right into our backyards. Time to take “not my backyard” to the next level. It’s worth doing your own research if you have the time, but we thought we’d lighten the load and roll out interesting details as we find them.

This week’s spotlight : JLG Equipment Services Inc. – a tendril of the massive weapons manufacturer Oshkosh Corporation (no seeming relation to the children’s clothing brand, confusingly).

JLG has their headquarters in McConnellsburg, PA and manufacturers some heavy machinery – one of their staples being the big lifts that are used at airports, but you can find their equipment and lifts making guest appearances at construction sites all over the city. Recently, at least 2 of these massive lifts were spotted in the Penn Campus zone of Spruce street between 38th and 34th streets. You’ll know them by their particularly fluorescent vomitous orange color and the JLG initials printed on the side.

We’ve also heard there are a few equipment rental / retail spots that stock them in Philadelphia —

Herc Rentals Inc
6951 Norwitch Drive
Philadelphia, PA 19153

Sunbelt Rentals
7700 Holstein Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19153

United Rentals Inc
3880 E Thompson St
Philadelphia, PA 19137

~ yours in love & rage ~

Scotlyn Schmitt of York Pa

  • July 17, 2024 1:22 am

from Philly Fash Watch

June of 2024 was a busy and dismal month for area nazi’s. There was the arrest of Mark Kauffman at his own wedding, multiple new identifications of local nazis by antifascists, and a small WLM day of action on June 15th in PA. Antifascists also noted a short female in a group picture from the June 15th action and clocked her as the same individual from a photo that S14 posted earlier in the month under the Love Park sign.

As antifascists reviewed footage from the WLM action on June 15 it was discovered that there was footage of her with her mask off. The individual has now been identified as Scotlyn Elyse Schmitt of York, PA.

The photograph from Love Park revealed a connection to none other than Benjamin Ryder. In closed WLM chats, Ryder mentioned having a girlfriend several times, discussing her telegram usernames and her many “accomplishments”. Ryder provided additional context about his girlfriend and how he actually rejected her from WLM-PA previously when they first met over a year ago.

18 months ago, Lynn reached out to WLM-PA and wanted to be vetted and become a member. At the time Ryder was the admin for the state chapter. Ryder was in the middle of rocky patch with a different girlfriend at the time, and suspected Lynn of being this girlfriend’s sock account. Lynn was using her @RileyCat and @RileyPilled2.0 telegram accounts at the time. While Lynn was living in Pittsburgh, she attended the Pennsylvania Gunsmith School where she met members of WLM-OH and became friends. WLM-OH members were able to provide her with a vouch to join WLM-PA. Despite their vouch, Ryder was too paranoid to let her join the PA chapter. Ryder’s relationship issues eventually led to his ex-girlfriend revealing his paranoia, leading to his removal from WLM-PA for a time. Ryder was soon allowed back in the organization by the admin and defacto leader, Evan Plumlee. With this, Ryder was officially back in WLM-PA (telegram profile NAME- Max).

In the spring of 2024, Ryder and Scotlyn Schmitt officially met in person for the vetting process to begin. He informed her that her YouTube channel where she also used the “RileyPilled” username showed her face and could be traced back to her telegram account. In response, Lynn removed the matching telegram account as well as her YouTube channel which contained personal content like her school details.

With Lynn as a full WLM-PA member, Ryder gave membership details on her background. He informed them how Lynn was a member of Injekt Division, admins a few BTC channels on terrorgram, and admins a channel with the “the dildo saleswoman” Dallas Humber. Antifascists were able to confirm most of this information, largely from Lynn herself. Lynn posted a video of herself drunk sharing her telegram handles and posts she made in the WhiteNeighborhoodWatch channel. Screenshots from these videos have been provided as evidence. The videos have not been provided as Lynn does not deserve a platform.

Injekt Division and Terrorgram, the groups and virtual space that Lynn is a part of, are well known for their accelerationist ideology and patriarchal structure. Typically to join Injekt Division one has to be a white male, but notably, they made an exception to the rule for Lynn. This marks Lynn as a unique addition and how much Injekt Division values the reach she has to people like BTC and Brandon Russell and Dallas Humber. Lynn can be can found under her current Telegram profile @massrapist.

Another member of WLM-PA Mathew Bair, is also a self-confirmed member of Injekt Division. Matt Bair was recruited to Injekt after very publicly joining any group he could in the past two years . Although he failed many times (kicked from Blood Tribe soon after touching Pohlhaus’s stick, crashed his Harrisburg Proud Boy chapter, member of the defunct Embrace Struggle Active Club, part of the split between 2119- yes he was in a group with mostly minors), Matt has stayed consistent in his fedposting. Bair is the only known Injekt Division member openly showing his face in terrorgram spaces. There soon will be an update on what he’s been doing recently.

Recently arrested Andrew Takhistov, member of NJEHA and Atlantic Nationalist Club (wannabe NSC131 types who formed from WLM-NJ by Claudino Petrucelli ) was in some Injekt Division chats and channels using his @cossack18 telegram account. Although not a member of Injekt, he is someone who agreed with their worldview. As listed in the DOJ release, he wanted to take down power stations in New Brunswick. This is the type of worldview people like Lynn, Cossack, Bair and many others in the terrorgram spaces share.

Lynn and Ryder have been up to typical dumbass nazi activities, spray-painting a swastikas and posting Injekt Division stickers around Philadelphia. Not long after connecting in person, Lynn moved in with Ryder and their nazi activities escalated. Due to Ryder and Lynn’s escalations antifascists discovered their presence in PA and Ryder’s neighborhood was flyered exposing him as a registered sex offender on the Megan’s Law website. Reportedly, after Ryder’s neighborhood was flyered and an extensive dox was dropped, Lynn moved out quickly. Lynn is reportedly bouncing bouncing around living with different Injekt members

Scotlyn take this as a warning- you just turned 20, you don’t have to live like this. All of your friends end up in jail or dead. Reach out to us phillyfashwatch@riseup.net

NJ Hate Watch: S14, NJEHA, and WLM Member Andrew Takhistov of East Brunswick, NJ

  • July 17, 2024 1:22 am

from Jersey Counter-Info

Takhistov, aka Cossack, upon his arrest. Takhistov is pictured here without glasses, although he typically wears them.

Just a few days ago Andrew Takhistov, an 18 year old from East Brunswick, was arrested in a federal sting operation where he allegedly solicited an undercover federal agent to blow up two different electrical substations in Central NJ (CNJ). Takhistov is now facing one count of soliciting another individual to engage in criminal conduct, which could result in a maximum prison term of 10 years and a $125,000 fine if convicted. Idavox covered Takhistov’s arrest and charges in depth, more about the specifics can be read here.

Since the release of the federal complaint, Takhistov has been positively identified as a very active neo-nazi that has been a part of the Tristate (NYC, PA, NJ) nazi scene for at least the last two years. Takhistov who goes by the Telegram handles “Cossack” and “Taraz”, is highly dedicated, holding membership in WLM NJ/PA, S14, NJEHA, Atlantic Nationalist Club, and Embrace Struggle, among running his own projects dubbed “White Legion” and “Defend Europe” respectively.

Takhistov’s main Telegram handles. Prior to his arrest a few days ago he was primarily using the “Taraz” account, while his “Cossack” account was on the back burner.

Takhistov first became involved with the tristate nazi scene when he was 16 years old, starting off virtually and connecting with group leaders like S14’s Mark Kauffman and NJEHA’s Dan D’ambly. He quickly became immersed and began to get involved in-person during 2023. Throughout 2023 and 2024 Takhistov was a regular presence at actions and became closer with older more senior members and leadership.

Takhistov, circled in red, during a late December 2023 nazi rally. Mark Kauffman is to his right.

 

Takhistov at the December 2023 nazi rally. He is standing and is the second individual from the left. Nazis Mark Kauffman and Dan D’ambly are also pictured on the right hand side.

With Takhistov’s further entrenchment he began to reveal more information about himself in public Telegram chats. Specifically, Takhistov discussed his Ukrainian heritage and nationalism at length, often going on long diatribes.

Takhistov’s rant about Ukrainian nationalism. He also reveals personal details about his family history and status as a Ukrainian.

During this time Takhistov attempted to move his project, White Legion, offline into the real world but had limited success. Largely White Legion functioned as a showy propaganda group claiming to do physical conditioning and supporting nationalists in Ukraine. This is also verified by the press release from the federal government about his arrest.

Takhistov’s now dormant White Legion project.

Other than a few propaganda based photo ops across CNJ White Legion was not involved in or planned any independent actions, nor did it become its own individual group focused on recruiting or centralized goal like S14 or NJEHA.

Takhistov boosting his White Legion project. The pictures depict one of the few in-person activities the group did.

 

Takhistov further bragging about his White Legion project in an S14 chat.

 

A photo from one of the few activities White Legion did in CNJ at a baseball field in the middle of the night. Takhistov is pictured on the left with another taller (unidentified) nazi on the right.

 

Commentary from the federal government about Takhistov’s project White Legion.

In early 2024, Takhistov began to get more involved in nazi accelerationist ideology, reposting pictures from Injekt Division, a nazi accelerationist crew similar to Atomwaffen Division, and other Terrorgram channels. Takhistov also expressed his desire to go and fight in Ukraine and assist fellow nazis in propelling the country towards national socialism. It was at this juncture he created his other project/Telegram channel “Defend Europe”.

Takhistov’s new “Defend Europe” project he started in 2024.

Takhistov used this new Telegram channel to produce Ukrainian nationalist/fascist content. He centered Defend Europe around his supposed journey to Ukraine and claimed he was shipping out soon to help fight against the Russian invasion and push for a national socialist Ukraine. Takhistov’s Defend Europe content read more as a LARP fantasy than something that he was actually doing, given the way he went about posting and bragging.

Takhistov pictured holding a Ukrainian nazi flag “prior to shipping out”.

Throughout 2023 and 2024 as Takhistov was engaging in nazi accelerationist activities, he began to connect more with those on Terrorgram, and ended up connecting with an undercover federal agent. Takhistov was essentially catfished by the federal government in early 2024 when he was trying to organically connect with other NJ-based neo-nazis. Takhistov met up with the federal agent several times, with other currently unidentified NJ neo-nazis.

This massive security blunder led to Takhistov being entrapped by the feds in a plot to blow up two different electrical substations in CNJ. The federal agent that Takhistov was in contact with from Terrorgram pushed for a way to get further involved, joining Takhistov and other nazis for a March 2, 2024 action in New Brunswick, NJ. Takhistov and the federal agent met up a few times after this and discussed different tactics used by national socialists, including electrical substation attacks. Takhistov told the agent that he had a trip booked for July 2024 to visit Ukraine and intended to join up with a pro-Ukraine Russian fascist volunteer group fighting against Russia. The agent asked for more details locally and Takhistov passed them off, noting that the agent could plan on doing an attack when Takhistov was over in Ukraine. For several months after that Takhistov sent the agent guides on industrial sabotage, further information on local electrical substations, and details on how to make homemade weapons. Takhistov, the agent, and another unidentified NJ nazi, then went around and scouted out different electrical substations, with the agent providing in-depth insight on how to access the buildings.

An excerpt from the criminal complaint filed by the federal government against Takhistov.

While the federal briefing detailed that Takhistov was arrested at Newark International Airport on his way to Ukraine, it is unclear if Takhistov was accepted into any kind of formal fascist volunteer force. Despite Takhistov’s bravado that he was set to join a group of pro-Ukrainian Russian fascist separatists fighting against Russia it has not been confirmed that Takhistov had solidified plans prior to his arrest. It is more likely that Takhistov intended to forge concrete connections on the ground once he got to Ukraine and try to meet up in-person with the group in an effort to join.

The federal government is famous for trying to entrap the far right, the far left, religious groups, and everyone in between often trying to convince individuals to engage in illegal activities. In this case, Takhistov was duped by the feds to help plan an attack on CNJ infrastructure to be theoretically executed by the federal agent. By no means is this a defense of Takhistov, he is nazi scum who was dumb enough to contact random accounts on a highly surveilled platform (Terrorgram) and got wrapped up in a would be terrorism plot. It is important however to acknowledge that it was the state who pushed the alleged crime and Takhistov.

S14 members: With addition of Andrew Takhistov, 9 of your people have been identified and doxxed including Alex Chubbuck, Benjamin Ryder, Jackson Bradley, Paul Minton, Daisy McGowan, Mathew Bair, Mark Kauffman, and Sara Sheaffer. If you continue to operate, more of your members will be exposed and the pressure will increase. You will be held responsible for the nazi filth that you are.

Send tips and information: njhatewatch@protonmail.com

Traveler’s Guide to the Acronym Wasteland (Pamphlet)

  • July 10, 2024 1:59 am

from Reeking Thickets Press

A general, group-by-group overview of some tankie and authoritarian entryist Left orgs in Philly (though partly relevant to other contexts; many are national groups), to help more autonomous, uncontrollable rebels better understand and defend against their manipulations. Includes some reflections and propositions at the end (`Anti-Social Social War?’).

pdf for reading

pdf for printing

Nazi Alex Chubbuck of Boyertown, PA

  • July 9, 2024 1:06 am

from Philly Fash Watch

Almost a year ago to the day, antifascists shut down a joint action between NJEHA, Embrace Struggle, Garden State Nationalists, and others in the Princeton, NJ area. Local antifascists received a tip from a concerned Princeton area resident that white supremacists were at a Walmart on the outskirts of Princeton. Based on this tip, the fascists soon found themselves unexpectedly surveilled. All fascists present were visibly taken by surprise, as they were caught with their masks down and were not expecting anyone other than their own comrades to be present.

Some nazis on site at the Princeton area Walmart were known to antifascists, such as Dan D’ambly and Ron Sheehy, but others were not, and remained unidentified- until now. One of these unidentified nazis has now been positively identified as former Philly anarchist punk Alex Chubbuck of Boyerstown, PA.

Alex Chubbuck. The photo on the left of Chubbuck was taken at the Princeton area Walmart as NJEHA and other NJ-based nazis were gathering for a rally. The photo on the right is a recent photo of Chubbuck in every day street wear.

Chubbuck was recently identified by those in the Tristate area (NJ, PA, NYC) punk scene who recognized him from his former days as an anarchist and lead singer of the now defunct Philly punk band, Iron Wind. Chubbuck went by the front name “Nargoth” or “Nar” for short and was a part of the Philly punk and anarchist scene from 2016 to 2020/2021. He was also a part of a few other punk bands and had a personal anarchist music project called N.E.G.

Documentation of Chubbuck’s time as an anarchist in the Philly punk scene. This includes the band he fronted, Iron Wind, and other bands he was in at the time like Instinct? and Aresholes. His one-man anarchist music project N.E.G. is also featured.

Chubbuck has been a hard line neo-nazi for the last two years, becoming a full member of S14, WLM PA/NJ, NJEHA, and an associate of other nazi crews like Embrace Struggle in 2023. In 2023 he created the Telegram handle “@AgeofIron”, likely a reference to his former band Iron Wind, when he became a full fledged member of the different local nazi crews.

Chubbuck’s Telegram handle.

 

When Chubbuck was added as a formal member to one of the S14 chats. Note the 2023 date at the top of this picture.

Reports indicate that Chubbuck was radicalized into a neo-nazi sometime in 2021 after he was kicked out of both the Philly punk scene and anarchist mutual aid spaces for a litany of bad behavior.

Tracing Chubbuck’s online footprint reveals much about his past and current beliefs/activities. In the mid 2000’s when Chubbuck was 15 years old he created the online handle “abomb990” and applied it across all of his different accounts. At this time, Chubbuck was very active online through sites like Deviant Art, Flickr, and YouTube, displaying his art, talking about his day to day life, and sharing his interest in music. During this time, Chubbuck appeared to be very apolitical, with no discernible political tendencies, and instead was interested in music, art, video games, school, and cannabis.

Chubbuck’s Flikr and Deviant Art profiles. He used his full legal name along with his “abomb990” handle, solidifying the connection between his actual identity and his well saturated username.

Chubbuck was involved in the Philly punk scene for several years, starting in 2016 when he moved from his hometown of Ambler, PA to the city proper and began to immerse himself in the local scene. Chubbuck took on a visage similar to other punk anarchists, decking himself out in piercings, homemade tattoos, and DIY clothing.

Chubbuck during his time as a Philly punk. In the two photos on the left he can be seen wearing an iron cross. While iron crosses can be used to signify national socialist beliefs, it is not a symbol used exclusively to reflect this, and has been adopted by biker, punk, and goth subcultures. Due to Chubbuck’s well documented anarchist politics at this time in his life it is not believed that his usage of it here reflected national socialist beliefs.

Chubbuck also became involved in different anarchist mutual aid spaces at this point and participated in day-to-day work and larger events to provide the Philly community with different resources. His band, Iron Wind, played a number of different anarchist and punk events, further solidifying his politics at this time.

Some of the anarchist and punk scene events that Chubbuck’s band played when he was an anarchist.

Once Chubbuck was kicked out of the scene in 2020/2021 he slowly began to radicalize towards the far right. At the time of publishing it is not clear what caused Chubbuck’s radical shift from the far left to the far right. Unlike another former antifascist turned neo-nazi, Paul Minton, Chubbuck had no prior history as a white nationalist to possibly explain his shift to fascism. Evidence of his shift can be seen from his more recent online activity.

Chubbuck’s YouTube account, which bares his username “abomb990” along with the logo of his now defunct Philly punk band Iron Wind.

As seen in the photo above Chubbuck commented 8 months ago on a Screwdriver video, a well known white nationalist band, with not so subtle white nationalist sympathies. This also occurred well after the Princeton area Walmart incident where he was unmasked by antifascists.

Chubbuck currently lives in Boyerstown, PA and runs his own licensed business Skyline Interiors, where he installs custom window installations and blinds. The business serves the greater Philadelphia area.

Facebook details about Chubbuck’s business Skyline Interiors.

Based on customer reviews, social media activity, and overall online presence it appears Chubbuck’s business has either greatly slowed or may be dormant for the last two years. Regardless, concerned individuals are encouraged to report Skyline Interiors, reach out directly to the business through secure means, and post reviews informing the public of Chubbuck’s neo-nazi ties. Other than Facebook, Chubbuck’s business has a website, a build zoom account, and a home advisor account. This article can be linked and used as evidence.

Chubbuck has betrayed anarchism, antifascism, and his former community in the most disgusting way possible. The militant left must handle him and he must be held accountable for his actions.

S14 members: With addition of Alex Chubbuck, eight of your people have been identified and doxxed including Benjamin Ryder, Jackson Bradley, Paul Minton, Daisy McGowan, Mathew Bair, Mark Kauffman, and Sara Sheaffer. If you continue to operate, more of your members will be exposed and the pressure will increase. You will be held responsible for the nazi filth that you are.

This Week in Fascism #137: Antifascists Sentenced in San Diego, Pushing Back Against Far-Right Attacks on Palestine Solidarity

  • July 1, 2024 1:13 am

from It’s Going Down

[This post only contains information relevant to Philadelphia and the surrounding area, to read the entire article follow the above link.]

Welcome back fellow antifascists!

As always, we have a lot to cover in this column, especially important analysis and lots of roundups of antifascist research and action. With lots to talk about, let’s dive right in!

Research Roundup

Other reports from Idavox you may have missed include write-ups on “prominent [Pennsylvania] neo-Nazi Mark Kauffman,” who was arrested by law enforcement at his own wedding on weapons and methamphetamine charges, Nicholas G. Mucci, a neo-Nazi involved in White Lives Matter plead guilty to attacking an antifascist benefit show in New Jersey, and Ebrahim and Mathew Yehounatan, far-Right Zionists in New York who are harassing pro-Palestinian solidarity demonstrations.

Lastly, Idavox also noted that a small group of neo-Nazis held a tiny demonstration in Philadelphia that included Benjamin Franklin Ryder, a “registered sex offender with a long criminal history as well as a history of neo-Nazi activism,” and Stephen Thomas Farrea, a member of the Nationalist Social Club 131, became the second member of the group to be arrested “for possessing child pornography.” Faith, family, and folk!

July 25th and Antifascist Prisoners

Currently there is a call to rally support for antifascist prisoners across the world on July 25th. From the call:

Across the world, fascist and far-Right movements are trying to advance their agendas of bigotry, ultra-nationalism and authoritarian control. The establishment–no matter who is in power–does not and cannot offer solutions for deepening economic inequality or any of the numerous crises we are living through. Instead, those in power continue to advance the militarization of police and the hardening of borders as the rich have become richer than they have ever been before. As the world burns and our lives become harder and harder, the fascist and far-right menace offers only lies and scapegoats–demonizing and attacking migrants, refugees, LGBTQ+ people, as well as racial, religious, and ethnic minorities.

The July 25th International Day of Solidarity with Antifascist Prisoners originated in 2014 as a Day of Solidarity with Jock Palfreeman, an Australian man who served 13-years in prison in Bulgaria for defending two Romani men from an attack by fascist football hooligans. In 2015, J25 expanded into a global day of solidarity with all antifascists facing State repression. The friends and comrades we are celebrating on J25 were on the frontlines of this fight against fascism and the far-Right, and we will not forget them behind prison walls as we continue the struggle for liberation.

As revolutionary antifascists, we believe that building movements of defense and solidarity with those locked behind the prison walls is fundamental in the three-way fight against both the far-right and the State. This July 25th, we call on antifascists worldwide to take part in the International Day of Solidarity with Antifascist Prisoners!

Find out more info on how to support, places to donate, and materials for printing, go here.

Cover Photo: Alissa Azar

NJ Hate Watch: S14, WLM, and Embrace Struggle Member Benjamin Ryder of Hatboro, PA

  • June 25, 2024 1:02 am

from Jersey Counter-Info

Benjamin Ryder.

Last week Idavox identified Benjamin Ryder as “one of handful of individuals that held a protest on an overpass going over Roosevelt Blvd. in support of a White child allegedly murdered by a Black woman in Ohio“. Ryder, a registered sex offender and pedophile, has been a known associate of PA area nazis for some time, having been involved in several instances of vandalism, and targeting of anarchist and Queer spaces in Philadelphia and New Jersey. Specifically, Ryder first came onto antifascists’ radar last year when he was caught stealing stickers at the Wooden Shoe, an anarchist bookstore in Philadelphia, and when he was arrested for pulling a weapon on a group of people outside the Supreme Court.

Ryder’s arrest, and consequent identification, in front of the Supreme Court in April 2023.

Ryder has been loosely associated with different nazi crews but his exact ties have been hard to pin down- until now. Antifascists have positively identified Ryder as a long-time member of S14, NJEHA, WLM PA/NJ, and Embrace Struggle Social Club (formerly a part of the Active Club network but the group has since disassociated).

Ryder’s Telegram profile in 2023. His membership in S14 is confirmed here well, circled in red.

 

Ryder’s Telegram profile as of June 2024.

Ryder who uses the Telegram handle @cancerousparanoia and “NAME” as his display name, has been a member of S14, NJEHA, and WLM PA/NJ since 2022/2023 when he became increasingly active in-person and friends with fellow neo-nazi Mathew Bair. Ryder has attended many in-person actions including hangouts in PA with Kauffman, Bair, Cossack, and other general members.

One of the hangouts that Ryder attended, alongside Bair, Kauffman, Cossack and others.

 

Ryder is circled in red in front of the NY S14 chapter flag. Note that he is wearing the same shirt as one of his Telegram profile pictures pictured earlier in this piece.

 

Ryder, circled in red, poses in front of the S14 flag.

 

Ryder, again circled in red, poses in front of Cossack’s Azov Battalion flag.

Below, Bair and Ryder can be seen joking around about their attendance and NJ Hate Watch’s coverage of this same hang out in 2023.

Ryder has also openly discussed his membership in the regional White Lives Matter crews, specifically mentioning their organizational structure and past collaborations. WLM PA/NJ has been in hot water with the state over the past year and a half. They have tried to distance themselves away from other WLM members like Evan Plumlee who was caught up in the J6 “insurrection” and helped invade the capitol building and Nicholas Mucci, who very recently plead guilty to a host of charges stemming from a WLM action in New Jersey.

Ryder providing details about his membership in WLM and the chapter’s prior work with a PA Proud Boy crew. Ironically, Ryder mentions to Bair that the chat they’re in is not secure.

S14, and its leader Mark Kauffman, likes to posit the group and their collaborators such as Embrace Struggle and WLM, as moralistic and disciplined crews that are against pedophilia, respect white women, and are against all forms of “degeneracy”. In the past Kauffman has booted prior members for violating these terms, but the irony here is that Ryder’s long-term membership in the crew flies in the face of these supposed principles.

Ryder has had a very public and well documented case of being a compulsive sex offender who targets both women and children. Starting in 2015 when he was 20 years old, Ryder was arrested and convicted of indecent exposure and open lewdness when he stripped naked in a McDonald’s women’s bathroom and exposed himself and followed a woman using the restroom. After this incident he served jail time and was forced to register as a sex offender; he is currently listed as a Tier 1 sex offender in PA.

An excerpt from a 2015 article about Ryder’s first conviction. He served jail time for this incident.

Later in 2017/2018 when he was 23, he was picked up in PA for multiple instances of exposing himself to women and girls in public. In one incident his victims were as young as 12 years old, something Ryder admitted in open court.

Details from a 2018 article about his second arrest for exposing himself.

 

Further details on the 2017/2018 incident that lead to Ryder’s arrest.

 

Horrific details about Ryder’s assault on two 12 year old girls, for which he was arrested. In addition to other instances that prompted calls to police.

So why does Kauffman, S14, WLM, NJEHA, and Embrace Struggle associate with Ryder and allow him membership within their crews? Despite Kauffman’s bravado, he doesn’t actually stand by any of his supposed principles by hanging out with and befriending someone who sexually assaults little girls. Most likely Ryder doesn’t view himself as a pedophile, but what do you call someone who compulsively targets children as young as 12 years old and shows them their genitals? Ryder gains sexual satisfaction from exposing himself to women and children and there are no other labels that come to mind other than “sex offender” and “pedophile”.

For the public’s safety, especially women and girls, the following information is being released: Ryder, is a 29 year old white male who lives in Hatboro, PA on Lancaster Avenue. He is 6′ 3″, 185 lbs, has brown hair, brown eyes, several arm tattoos, and wears ear gauges. He owns and drives a black 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a PA license plate “KDK5085”.

A reference photo of a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It is the same color, make, and model of Ryder’s Jeep Grand Cherokee, but is not a picture of his exact vehicle.

S14 members: With addition of Benjamin Ryder, seven of your people have officially been identified and doxxed including  Jackson Bradley, Paul Minton, Daisy McGowan, Mathew Bair, Mark Kauffman, and Sara Sheaffer. If you continue to operate, more of your members will be exposed and the pressure will increase. You will be held accountable for the nazi pedophile supporting filth that you are.

Send tips and information: njhatewatch@protonmail.com

Neo-Nazi Cop Jason Dare Fired From NJ State Police

  • May 28, 2024 1:35 am

from Jersey Counter-Info

Jason Dare, the NJ State Trooper that went viral in March 2023 for both disappearing from rehab and having highly visible neo-nazi tattoos has been fired from the NJ State Police.

Jason Dare, pictured in both plain clothes and in his NJ State Trooper uniform.

Since 2021, local law enforcement agencies and the NJ State police have been compelled to put together yearly reports, that are accessible to the public, which detail all “major disciplinary” actions against police officers that have resulted in suspension or termination.

The 2024 NJ State Police major disciplinary report. A key is outlined displaying what action was taken against the officer in addition to the investigation’s findings.

After a year long “investigation”, the neo-nazi cop was quietly fired in May 2024, with NJ State Police citing multiple illegal actions and violation of division policies in their major disciplinary report which detailed Dare’s firing. Dare was originally placed on unpaid leave in March 2023.

A breakdown of Dare’s actions and what laws and division policies he violated.

As outlined in the report, prior to his admission into rehab for drug and alcohol addiction, Dare entered into some kind of plea agreement with NJ State Police, presumably for some illegal action he took while on or off-duty. The exact nature of what led Dare into this plea agreement is unknown, however, it should be noted that as the larger major disciplinary report details, as well as what national reports reflect, both on and off-duty cops have a habit of public intoxication and operating motor vehicles while inebriated.

After Dare entered into a plea deal with the NJ State Police he was sent to rehab in Delco (Delaware County PA), the same one he would eventually flee from. After fleeing the Delco rehab facility Dare reportedly broke into an unoccupied home in the area and was presumably on a bender for the next several days. At some point after he was found and returned to NJ, he used a shotgun he owned to shoot out a front window in his Vineland home. It should also be noted, that while not referenced in the description, the NJ State Police categorized one of Dare’s violations as a “uniform and grooming standards” violation. This can be surmised as a back-handed reference to his many visible neo-nazi tattoos.

Some of Dare’s neo-nazi tattoos, including his “blood honor” throat tattoo, iron crosses, and fascist inspired runes. In the picture on the right he is wearing a nazi death head shirt, or “totenkopf”, as he hangs out with friends from the NJ State Police in his free time.

 

Additional neo-nazi inspired tattoos including a pitbull that is identical to the PA neo-nazi gang Keystone United.

At the time in March 2023, the mainstream local media reported on Dare’s disappearance and return as copaganda, not referencing his neo-nazi tattoos or investigating the nature of his disappearance. Dare’s discovery and return to NJ was broadly covered by many local news outlets as a positive event. Since Dare’s firing however, there has been virtually zero local news coverage.

Despite Dare’s documented actions of violating a plea agreement, breaking and entering, trespassing, discharging a firearm in a residential area, putting residents at risk for serious bodily harm, and being a neo-nazi, he was only fired from NJ State Police and is not facing any criminal charges or barred from future employment as a state employee or police officer.

As antifascists we understand why this is, the state protects its agents even if they are compelled to sacrifice them in some manner. Even with this knowledge though it is still baffling to see the stark difference between how average NJ residents are treated in comparison to agents of the state. We all understand that if this was anyone else other than a cop that they would facing decades in prison and character assassination in the media.

At the time of publishing, Dare’s current employment details are unknown, but it has been confirmed that he has relocated from his prior residence in Vineland, NJ to Galloway Twp, NJ.

Drexel Students Set Up Palestine Encampment, Call for Divestment From Israel

  • May 22, 2024 1:05 am

from Unicorn Riot

Philadelphia, PA — Students at Drexel University established an encampment in support of divesting from Israel on May 18, following a rainy Nakba Day commemoration march from Center City that started around 4 p.m. Philadelphia and Drexel police officers quickly surrounded the encampment with a ring of metal barricades and largely barred additional people from entering; this was apparently at the orders of Drexel’s campus police chief.

There was a brief struggle over the metal barricade components, and at one point an officer brandished a Taser at the crowd but was pulled back by another, shortly after our reporters got onsite. As of late Monday the encampment was still in place.

Our livestream from inside the barricade ring ran for almost 3 1/2 hours until shortly before midnight Saturday (YouTube). The night before, nearly 20 demonstrators were arrested just blocks away at the UPenn campus which we also streamed live. Students and other observers we interviewed discussed everything from Philly’s protest culture and law enforcement practices to the Samidoun Prisoner’s Solidarity Network. Full livestream:

[Youtube link]

In a tense confrontation at the beginning of the stream, Philly officers in riot gear wearing “Counter-Terrorism Operations” badges briefly assembled inside the perimeter but withdrew.

A protest sign on Saturday night.

In interviews on-site students said that they were pushing to get Drexel to pull its investments from BlackRock, which does business with Israel, as well as other divestments. They also said that Drexel administrators have claimed it is illegal to disclose specific investments, but this is apparently not illegal at all. The Drexel Palestine Coalition has a list of demands posted online.

Tents late Saturday night.

Drexel announced that it would switch to online learning for Monday.

During late Saturday night, police were largely a static presence while dozens of students milled just outside the perimeter discussing politics and playing music. A lengthy know-your-rights training with Up Against the Law and National Lawyers Guild members also took place with most of the camp participants.

Camp supporters regularly handed supplies including stacks of pizza, large tent structures and medic supplies over the barricades without much interest from the police. A Unicorn Riot reporter stuck around until the morning as a police sweep seemed possible (UPenn’s encampment was cleared in an early morning maneuver).

While the encampments might seem like a typical exercise in campus politics it should be noted that these activities are regarded as a strategic threat to Israel because they could shift the intellectual climate in the United States, which is Israel’s main international patron. A series of articles by James Bamford in The Nation has shown that groups like the Israeli-American Council and Canary Mission are closely coordinating with Israeli government agencies to crush student protests in the United States by harassing protesters.

Plethora of Police Forces in West Philly since 1970s

Police from multiple units including Drexel and Philadelphia PD on milled around Saturday night southwest of the encampment.

After the shocking events at Kent State and Jackson State, in September 1970 President Nixon’s Commission on Campus Unrest, chaired by Pennsylvania Governor William Scranton, dropped its report (418 page PDF). One result was the rise of campus police departments.

As the Penn Disorientation Guide outlines, police forces multiplied during the campus crackdowns of the 1970s, until today:

“If you walk west down Market St. from 30th St. Station, in 1.5 miles you pass through the jurisdictions of six police departments: Philadelphia, Amtrak, SEPTA, Penn, Drexel, and Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA).”

A Brief and Violent History of Campus Policing, 2023

Campus police in this side of the city (Drexel & UPenn) have demarcated “patrol zones” which extend into the city.

Cover sheet for Nixon’s 1970 Campus Unrest report (large PDF)

Related: UPenn Students Arrested at Palestine Demo After Building Occupation Attempt [May 18, 2024]

Philadelphia Police Department in with “Counter-Terrorism” badges and riot gear earlier on Saturday night.

Social media clips and camera operation in latter sections of the livestream by Chris Schiano.

Some notes with love from an outside agitator to the Philly student movement

  • May 21, 2024 1:25 am

Submission

1. Shoutout to the Drexel students. Within a day, they have proven themselves to be braver and more interesting than the Penn encampment which remained mostly symbolic and toothless for its duration (apart from the students who tried occupy the building). The anti-police energy was palpable. The students took the initiative by breaking down barricades and braving facing down riot cops on the first night as well as shouting down other self important activists telling people to “be peaceful”. Additionally, the Drexel students wrote a wonderful response to President John Fry by embracing outside agitators, supporting disruption and rejecting narratives of “peaceful” protest.
2. As an anarchist, the ferocity of these Drexel students surprised and excited me. Generally, I’ve felt that the Palestine solidarity protests (whether organized by PPC or students) in Philly have been pretty tame and cowardly compared to the occupations and battles in the streets we’ve seen in other cities. However, I think that occupations/encampments are a limited tactic. I’d encourage students to explore other types of tactics to attack the university that allow them to “be water”. Stay in one place until it makes sense to move. In Portland, comrades abandoned their occupation of the library when it was clear they couldn’t hold it. Strategic retreat is real and valid. There’s no point in getting arrested or catching charges for nothing. Mass arrests are cute for activists on instagram but they don’t make any sense for those of us trying to . Live to fight another day. Targets exist everywhere.
3. Develop good security culture. One thing I noticed about the encampment at Drexel that was quite different than the Penn encampment was that way more people were wearing masks and bloc clothing. That’s dope. Keep it up. Also, maybe don’t bring your phones to actions. Phones are cops and full of info. Also, pulling out their phone seems to be something that people were doing rather than actively participating in the situation. I heard someone yell “put your phones down” and I agreed with what they said. Maybe read some zines together about security culture.
4. Don’t listen to activists or self proclaimed organizers. You got this. Ya’ll occupied it. Not them. When me and my homie were rolling up on the encampment one thing we noticed was that all of the well known activists with megaphones were leaving as soon as night rolled around. That’s good. Those people are cowards. As soon as the barricades started moving and the riot cops come out, the people who are the loudest on instagram will be the first to bolt. Drexel encampment was refreshing because unlike the Penn encampment, it wasn’t a whose who of shitty Philly activism. Focus on skill training and discussion groups rather than letting academics who want to use your movement for their own clout have a platform.
5. Understand that social movements are like waves. Eventually this one is gonna come to an end. So be ready for that. Be ready for the repression. But fight as hard as you can now cause is the mission.

June 11, 2024: No Separate Worlds

  • May 10, 2024 1:21 am

from June 11th

We once again approach June 11th, a day of remembrance and active solidarity, in a world of multiple crises and struggles for liberation. All of these are interconnected; there are no separate worlds. Across borders, languages, contexts, and identities, both catastrophes and victories of spirit and defiance reverberate around the globe. One environment is not untouched by another. The personal is not separate from the political. The positive project is not separate from that of destruction. Prison is not separate from the “free world.” Means are not separate from ends. Bridging these divides is a shared curiosity and commitment; bridging these divides is solidarity. This is not to flatten or oversimplify diversity and differences in circumstance, intensity, and consequence. Rather, that these different pieces are held together like organs of the body held by connective tissue. So we consider: how do we strengthen this connective tissue? How do we remain strong, yet supple and flexible? Bridges, connection, must also be built through time, especially in a world that moves too fast, from one crisis to the next. June 11th aspires to be one of these bridges: to build solidarity across borders, between movements, and among generations. Remembering and supporting long-term prisoners, as well as carrying on shared struggles, are two ways to strengthen this connective tissue. A stronger connective tissue will, in turn, bolster us against further repression.

Each year, as part of our effort to be a bridge between movements, time, and borders, we assess the terrain. We consider what threats from the state look like at this time, how imprisoned comrades can be connected to activity on the outside, how have the struggles they are a part of continued despite repression, and how remembering those locked up can become a natural part of anarchist activity. Often repression and criminalization feel new; but frequently, this is a failure of memory. There are innovations to pay attention to, while seeing their lineage in tactics and ideologies used against our forebears. What can we learn from how people have responded in the past? What can we learn from people in times and places where innovative repressive tactics were developed, and how can we act in complicity alongside them?

As the day of solidarity nears, we are struck by the unfolding of the current terrain; the horrors abound, and confront us in new ways, but these are also patterns and histories in repetition. Power is scrambling to maintain itself amidst the uncertainty of our fragilely constructed society, and individuals and groups continue on with our refusal of their world. We see continued colonial violence, through prisons, guns, bombs, and nationalist ideologies in places such as Palestine, Ukraine, and West Papua. Too, extremely harsh treatments of people in Russia acting against militarism and colonialism, as well as the criminalization of pro-Palestinian activity all over the world.

Palestinians, fighting for their freedom and against policing, surveillance and detention for decades, have faced an all-out culmination of violence and genocide at the hands of the Israeli state — crisis and colonial violence continue to rapidly unfold. So too, does an intense current of Palestinian resistance: solidarity actions have taken place across the globe in attempts to refuse complicity and the feelings of powerlessness fueled by the geographical distance, the 24-hour news cycle, and the propaganda and war machines that abound.

As people continue to flee their regions due to capitalist and imperialist-made violence, and the catastrophic consequences of climate collapse, we are witnessing a renewed fear-mongering at U.S and European borders, as white supremacist militias murmur about confronting ‘migrant caravans’, and individual states implement a greater level of violence to keep people out of artificial borders. This crisis extends throughout the globe, as people worldwide move to eek out any stability, and others rush to enforce the promised order of borders and citizenship.

Colonial violence springs up daily, in guns drawn and territory stolen, in extraction projects and the expansion of policed land, and in the loss of the last wild spaces. But resistance to a homogeneous and hollow future being sold to us by tech-giants, green capitalists and the State still continues across the world. Pipelines, cell-towers, and extraction infrastructure is being targeted, both in individual sabotage, as well as ongoing land defense world-wide. The dependence of this noxious future on policing, surveillance, and control couldn’t be clearer, and struggles are confronting the ways these practices interact. Rebellions break out against police, prisons, and the indignity and macabre realities of daily life. For every crisis, and moment of resistance we could list, there are countless others simmering, exploding, or simply being disappeared from the public, global view. Freedom and resistance always find their way through the cracks of this horrifying society.

Public food serves being harassed, heightened criminalization of houseless populations, RICO charges for bail funds and the “conspiracy” of anarchist ideas and practices, as well as proximity, associations and social networks. Intense and courageous acts of sabotage continue. Everything is new, and nothing is. The question is not ‘what are the solutions?’, but ‘how do we expand, deepen and intensify what we already know works?’. How do we see ourselves in one another, how do we understand our plights as intertwined, as inseparable, and how can we continue to expand these relationships of solidarity. How do we embrace the reality that there are no separate worlds, and explore the ways that we can break through the limiting effects of prison walls, border walls, time, place and context.

There are moments worth celebrating, when we feel the opening of possibilities and capacity, of cohesion and strength; there are certainly also many moments to mourn, when it feels like we’re losing it all and our bodies or spirits are taking a beating. We can savor a touch of solace when we notice the deep desperation apparent in the moves of the state. They’re scrambling, finding new ways to criminalize even the most basic of acts. This can serve to motivate us. If anything even vaguely anarchist is enough to throw us to the helm of repression, we must choose to live our lives as we decide, regardless of the consequences. As more and more of us interact with repression, jails, courts, prisons, let this possibility be a never-ending invitation towards continuing to remember and include those locked away as an ongoing part of our moves toward getting free. Time, geography, the barriers of the prison wall-none of these are strong enough to obliterate the vast network of bridges that keep us interdependent, connected, fighting the same enemies of freedom, worldwide.

This year saw the passing of many who carried the vivacious anarchist spirit. Some may be known to us, while many remain unknown. They sowed rebelliousness in every path they walked. Perhaps their impact is incalculable, though never nonexistent. We can carry the same spirit, traverse similar paths, and remain steadfast and diligent, just as those who have come before us have. Rest in power: Alfredo Bonanno, Klee Benally, Ed Mead, Sekuo Odinga, Tortuguita, Aaron Bushnell.

Rest in power to all of those whose names we’ve never uttered, not known, but who walked these lengths, nonetheless. Time is merely constructed; those that have come before us, and passed onto death, still impact the lives of the living, still contribute to the history of anarchists and anti-authoritarians, and our shared struggle. Let us make them a part of our active memory, and continue forward, in a fight for lives against domination. May these words spark a fire in you-encourage you to get up, forge ahead and seek what it might feel like, to live like you’re trying to get free.

Welcome to the Frontlines Reading and Discussion

  • May 9, 2024 1:22 am

from Instagram

Another reading group at the UPenn encampment!
[Welcome to the Frontlines: Beyond Violence and Non-Violence Reading and Discussion on lessons from the Hon Kong anti-extradition movement. Thursday, May 9 @6PM Behind Ben Frankline statue 3405 Woodland Walk Reading will be distributed on-location OR read online below: anon.to/b7Jeg3]

Why We Don’t Make Demands: Reading and Discussion

  • May 2, 2024 1:40 am

from Instagram

TOMORROW at the occupation at UPenn!
[A brief piece offering an alternative strategy to traditional campaign-building. One where diversity in viewpoints and autonomy of action can flourish.
Thursday, May 2nd
Behind B.Franklin Statue
3405 Woodland Walk
Zine distro @ 6pm
Discussion @ 7pm
Read online here or below:
anon.to/dTVkJ3]