Terrorgram
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Terrorgram (sometimes stylised in all caps)[2] refers to a decentralized network[1] of Telegram channels and accounts that subscribe to or promote militant accelerationism. Terrorgram channels are neo-fascist in ideology, and regularly share instructions and manuals on how to carry out acts of racially-motivated violence[clarification needed] and anti-government terrorism. Terrorgram is a key communications forum for individuals and networks attached to Atomwaffen Division, The Base, and other explicit militant accelerationist groups.[3]
In 2021, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), an international think-tank, exposed more than 200 neo-Nazi pro-terrorism Telegram channels that make up the Terrorgram network, many of which contained instructions for building weapons and bombs.[2][4][5] Telegram shadowbans channels promoting violence, but according to Southern Poverty Law Center such channels grew exponentially despite of Telegram's policing, one accelerationist channel boasting 16,552 followers.[6] In September 2024, the United States announced charges against the two alleged leaders of the network.[7]
Origins
[edit]A major influence on Terrorgram was the neo-Nazi web forum Iron March, linked to both the proscribed UK-based group National Action, and the US-founded Atomwaffen Division according to the Combating Terrorism Center.[8] Despite having little over 1,200 users when it shut down in November 2017, Iron March, as a forum, has had an outsized influence on modern neo-Nazism. It popularised the book Siege by American neo-Nazi James Mason, a work promoting the establishment of underground, leaderless terrorist cells, working towards destabilising society and ushering in revolution. Iron March was also key in the development of the “terrorwave” aesthetic, a distinctive form of visual propaganda that communicates a message of terrorist violence. Rendered in red, white and black, the style often incorporates images of historical fascists, terrorists or paramilitaries wearing skull masks, with esoteric far-right symbols and simplistic slogans, such as "TRAITORS WILL HANG" and "RAPE THE POLICE". There is also a strong strain of esotericism and occultism woven into Terrorgram propaganda, lending a mystic sheen to the movement. Esoteric Hitlerism is frequently referenced.[9][10]
Sanctification
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The Global Network on Extremism and Technology refers to Terrorgram and the broader ecosystem that it belongs to as "a 'dark fandom' that venerates and valorizes extreme-right terrorists as 'saints' and 'martyrs' in a manner similar to the heroization of school shooters and serial killers".[3] In the event of an accelerationist, supremacist or neo-Nazi attack, Terrorgram sees the members of the collective engaged in the search for signs attesting to the ideological closeness in order to sanctify the attacker. The sanctification of a terrorist leads to their entry into the pantheon of terrorist-saints that are taken as models by Terrorgram. Among these, some can be identified who can be considered as founders of the ideological core, so-called founding saints: Brenton Tarrant, Theodore Kaczynski, Anders Breivik, Timothy McVeigh, Charles Manson and Dylann Roof.[2] The five criteria required to become a saint include being of white race, conducting a deliberate attack, having motive to kill those who "threaten the white race," a "score" of killing at least one, and sharing the ideology of white supremacy.[11][12][13][14]
Publications
[edit]Following the ideological standard of Siege and The Turner Diaries, detailed instructions for attacking critical infrastructure are found in white supremacist manuals and propaganda distributed over Terrorgram channels. Terrorgram issued the third instalment of a digital magazine series called Hard Reset which glorifies white supremacist attacks and gives explanations for sector-specific critical infrastructure targeting.[15]
In June 2021, the collective published a guide online with incitements for attacks on infrastructure and violence against minorities, police, public figures, journalists and other perceived enemies. In December 2021, they published a second document containing ideological sections on accelerationism, white supremacy, and ecofascism, together with practical instructions.[16][17][11]
A 24-minute video titled White Terror, made by Terrorgram, was originally released on 14 October 2022. It celebrates dozens of individuals who committed acts of violence and terrorism from 1968 to the present against the government, police officers, women, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ people, leftists, journalists, and medical professionals. In addition to praising the perpetrators and referring to them as "saints," the video encourages further acts of terrorism, stating that future attacks will be honored. The video contains footage taken from the 2019 Christchurch shooting and 2022 Buffalo attack videos in addition to news clips.[18]
In March 2023, Dallas Erin Humber was found to be the narrator of the Terrorgram videos.[19]
In 28 December 2023, Terrorgram published a manual for the improvised manufacture of explosives using breastmilk.[20]
Reaction
[edit]The United Kingdom has added Terrorgram collective to the list of proscribed organizations.[21][22] Home Secretary James Cleverly stated that "The Terrorgram collective spreads vile propaganda and aims to radicalise young people to conduct heinous terrorist acts".[23]
On 8 December 2023, two Ontario men were charged with making propaganda for Terrorgram and for terrorism offenses.[24] On September 9, 2024 US prosecutors in California charged Dallas Erin Humber, 34, and Matthew Robert Allison, 37, accused of leading the "Terrorgram" network with soliciting hate crimes, soliciting the murder of Federal officials, and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists. If convicted Humber and Allison each face a maximum penalty of 220 years in prison.[25] New Jersey man Andrew Takhistov is charged with plotting an attack on energy infrastructure and a synagogue. Takhistov stated that he was involved in the production of Terrorgram propaganda.[26]
See also
[edit]- 2022 Bratislava shooting, shooter was member of the Terrorgram and cited it in his manifesto.
- Aracruz school shootings, the shooter was a member of Terrorgram[27][28]
- Ecofascism#Association with violence
- Right-wing terrorism
- Order of Nine Angles
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ a b "Terrorgram". Anti-Defamation League. 25 April 2024.
- ^ a b c "TERRORGRAM: from Buffalo to Bratislava". Italian Team for Security, Terroristic Issues & Managing Emergencies. 23 November 2022. Archived from the original on 6 October 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Analysing Terrorgram Publications: A New Digital Zine". Global Network on Extremism and Technology. 23 November 2022. Archived from the original on 12 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- ^ "Telegram Is Leaving a Terrorist Bomb-Making Channel Online". Vice News. 23 November 2022. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- ^ "Telegram blocks 'dozens' of hardcore hate channels". TechCrunch. 23 November 2022. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- ^ "How an Encrypted Messaging Platform is Changing Extremist Movements". Southern Poverty Law Center. 18 October 2024.
- ^ Anderson, Nate (10 September 2024). ""HAIL HOLY TERROR": Two US citizens charged for running online "Terrorgram Collective"". Ars Technica. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
- ^ Upchurch, H. E. (22 December 2021). Cruickshank, Paul; Hummel, Kristina (eds.). "The Iron March Forum and the Evolution of the "Skull Mask" Neo-Fascist Network" (PDF). CTC Sentinel. 14 (10). West Point, New York: Combating Terrorism Center: 27–37. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 December 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
- ^ "The Terrorgram Network: A Spiral Towards Bloodshed". Hope Not Hate. 23 November 2022.
- ^ "How Telegram became a safe haven for pro-terror Nazis". Wired. 23 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Flash Alert: High Risk of Violence With the Publication of "The Hard Reset: A Terrorgram Publication". The Counterterrorism Group, Inc. 7 July 2022. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- ^ "Militant Accelerationist Coalitions" (PDF). Tech Against Terrorism. 23 November 2022.
- ^ "Bratislava Terrorist Radicalized On Terrorgram, Its Members Take Credit". Vsquare. 23 November 2022.
- ^ "How an Encrypted Messaging Platform is Changing Extremist Movements". Southern Poverty Law Centre. 23 November 2022.
- ^ "Mayhem, Murder, and Misdirection: Violent Extremist Attack Plots Against Critical Infrastructure in the United States, 2016-2022" (PDF). Program on Extremism - THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY. 23 November 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
- ^ "EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report 2022" (PDF). Europol. 23 November 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 July 2022.
- ^ Carless, Will (5 July 2022). "The extremist watchers: How a network of researchers is searching for the next hate-fueled attack". Phys.org. Archived from the original on 23 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- ^ "Extremist Content Online: Bratislava Attacker's Manifesto Removed From The Internet Archive". Counter Extremism Project. 23 November 2022.
- ^ "Exposed: Dallas Humber, Narrator Of Neo-Nazi 'Terrorgram,' Promoter Of Mass Shootings". Huffington Post. 3 May 2023.
- ^ "The Terrorgram Collective Published an Instructional Manual on How to use Breastmilk to Manufacture Urea-Nitrate Based Explosives". TRAC. 28 December 2023.
- ^ "Online neo-nazi group 'Terrorgram' banned by MPs". Metro.co.uk. 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Terrorgram added to list of proscribed terrorist organisations". gov.uk. 24 April 2024.
- ^ "Britain to proscribe Terrorgram collective as terrorist organisation". Reuters. 24 April 2024. Archived from the original on 23 April 2024. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
- ^ "Two Ontario men arrested on Terrorism charges". Yahoo. 8 December 2023. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
- ^ "Leaders of Transnational Terrorist Group Charged with Soliciting Hate Crimes, Soliciting the Murder of Federal Officials, and Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Terrorists". justice.gov. 11 September 2024.
- ^ "'Terrorgram' Charges Show US Has Had Tools to Crack Down on Far-Right Terrorism All Along". Wired. 14 September 2024.
- ^ "Brazilian court bans Telegram for failing to hand over data from neo-Nazi groups". Engadget. 3 May 2023.
- ^ "Terrorgram, a network of neo-Nazi channels, is spreading across Brazil". Nucleo. 29 August 2024. Archived from the original on 11 September 2024. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
These radical and extremist propagandas from Terrorgram have real-world effects. In 2022, a 16-year-old Brazilian teenager killed four people in a school attack in Aracruz, Espírito Santo. It was discovered that the teenager had been radicalized through Telegram channels connected to the collective.