Anti-Communist Action | |
|---|---|
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| Abbreviation | Anticom |
| Founder | Seth Vitco |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Ideology | Alt-right Anti-communism Pinochetism Neo-fascism Neo-Nazism White nationalism |
| Political position | Right-wing to far-right |
| Party flag | |
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| Part of a series on |
| Neo-fascism |
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Anti-Communist Action, also shortened to Anticom, is a right-wing to far-right[a] political organization based in the United States and Canada.[1][2][3] The group has described itself as "the right's response to antifa."[4] Anticom has espoused neo-Nazi ideology and members have attended neo-Nazi events.[5][4][6] The group has done security for various alt-right and white supremacist rallies.[6] Anticom has overlapping membership with the neo-Nazi terrorist group Atomwaffen Division and has shared information on combat and bomb-making.[6]
The group was a lead organizer of the 2017 White Lives Matter rally alongside the neo-Nazi groups National Socialist Movement, Traditionalist Workers Party and Vanguard America as well as the Southern nationalist League of the South and the Ku Klux Klan.[7][8][9] The group was also a lead member of the Unite the Right rally.[2][10] In September 2017, members planned an event similar to the Unite the Right rally titled "March Against Communism" in Charlotte, North Carolina, on December 28, 2017, with speakers including white nationalists such as August Sol Invictus and Richard B. Spencer as well as a representative of the white supremacist organization Vanguard America.[11] Anticom later cancelled the event due to safety concerns.[12]
According to the Seattle, WA Patch, the organization is not specifically aligned with white supremacists.[13] While the group has stated that it accepts members of all races,[14] leaked chat logs included violent rhetoric against minorities in the organization.[6] A chat log from the 2017 Berkeley protests promised the event would turn into a "bloodbath".[6] Some members of the movement have promoted mass killing against minorities and the overthrow of the government.[6] In 2017, ProPublica estimated the organization as having 1,200 participants in its chat room.[6] The organization uses yellow and black flags and symbols as a reference to libertarianism in the United States. Some flags also depict people being thrown from helicopters, a reference to executions during Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship of Chile (1973–1990).[2][6] A ProPublica report detailed leaked chat logs from the organization calling for violence. A representative for the group stated that the report was true, but that it was not encouraged by leaders of the organization.[6]
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- ^ Ebner, Julia (October 24, 2017). "The Fringe Insurgency" (PDF). Institute for Strategic Dialogue.
- ^ a b c "Here's a guide to the white nationalist groups involved in the Charlottesville demonstration". Newsweek. August 13, 2017. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
- ^ Merelli, Annalisa (October 27, 2017). "What to expect when white supremacists rally in Tennessee this weekend". Quartz. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
- ^ a b Ackerman, Spencer; Weill, Kelly (October 24, 2018). "Army Parrots Racist Right's Talking Points on Antifa". The Daily Beast. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
- ^ Bullock, Tom (December 28, 2017). "Antifa Makes Presence Known At Charlotte Demonstration". WFAE. NPR. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Thompson, A.C.; Winston, Ali (November 2, 2017). "White Supremacists Share Bomb-Making Materials in Online Chats". ProPublica. A.C. Thompson, Ali Winston. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
- ^ Landers, Jackson (October 27, 2017). "White Supremacists Come to Terrorize Refugees in Tennessee". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
- ^ Mathias, Christopher (October 28, 2017). "'White Lives Matter' Rally Canceled After Meeting Heavy Resistance In Tennessee". Huffington Post.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Hauslohner, Abigail (October 27, 2017). "Residents and organizers worry about violence at Tennessee Rallies". The Washington Post.
- ^ Guilford, Gwynn. "The complete story of what happened in Charlottesville, according to the alt-right". Quartz. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
- ^ "Anti-communist group says it is planning Charlotte torch march, rally in December". charlotteobserver. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
- ^ "Controversial right-wing group says it won't hold torch march at Marshall Park". charlotteobserver. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
- ^ "A Guide To The Right-wing Groups In Seattle On Sunday". Seattle, WA Patch. August 14, 2017. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
- ^ "The many groups making noise on the far-right". Axios. August 15, 2017. Retrieved January 16, 2018.