Countless armed right-wing militants are plotting a violent uprising versus the U.S. government during the coronavirus crisis, a brand-new report finds, and Facebook is offering them a platform to prepare and organize.
A report released Thursday by the watchdog group the Tech Openness Job discovered 125 Facebook groups devoted to the idea of the “ boogaloo,” a far-right term used to explain what they think is an inevitable civil war in the U.S. Members talk about weapons, combat medication, and how to establish dynamites, the report says. One group even shared a document detailing how to disrupt U.S. government supply lines and going over the possible requirement to assassinate federal government authorities.
These groups have proliferated during the pandemic, according to the report, as conservative extremists grow more agitated over lockdown orders targeted at slowing the spread of the infection, determines many militia and “patriot” groups consider as the overbearing maneuverings of a high-handed federal government.
Over 60%of the groups were developed in just the last three months, according to the report. The 125 groups have nearly 73,000 members, though it’s uncertain how many people may come from several groups.
About 50%of the groups’ members have signed up with within the last 30 days.
The groups have actually grown despite Facebook community guidelines that forbid facilitating, organizing or promoting “harmful activities targeted at individuals.” The standards likewise ban “declarations of intent to dedicate high-severity violence.”
Daniel E. Stevens, executive director of Project for Accountability, the umbrella organization under which TTP operates, told HuffPost in a declaration Thursday that ” Facebook’s failure to stop their platform from being utilized as an organizing tool for extremists is totally inappropriate.”
“ There is absolutely nothing subtle about how these extremist groups are using Facebook’s platform to advance their cause,” Stevens stated. “Boogaloo supporters are not just going over ideas or political views; they are directly advocating for violent action and tactically preparing how to defeat federal government entities.”
In a declaration to HuffPost Thursday, a Facebook representative claimed the company is aware of the boogaloo groups.
” We have actually removed groups and Pages who’ve utilized this and related terms for breaking our policies,” the representative said.
None of the handful of boogaloo groups particularly called in TTP’s report summary had actually been taken down as of Friday early morning.
” We’re examining the content referenced in this report and will implement against any violations,” the Facebook spokesperson stated.
The potential for real-world violence by these groups entered into focus previously today, when an Arkansas boogaloo lover named Aaron Swenson live-streamed himself on Facebook driving around Texarkana, Texas, apparently looking for a law enforcement officer to shoot and kill.
Comments left on the livestream showed some users backing attacking authorities officers.
A review of his Facebook page by TTP discovered that he “liked” over a dozen boogaloo pages, including a prominent boog