Hiding in Plain Sight

CEP RESEARCH REPORT

This report analyzes the potential threats affiliated with the largest and fast growing
transnational right-wing extremist (RWE/REMVE)1 combat sports network, called
Active Clubs. It explores the objectives, strategies, strengths, and weaknesses of this
network, which has spread from the U.S. to Canada and to at least 14 countries in
Europe within three years.
● The overall objective of the Active Club White Supremacy 3.0 strategy2 is the creation
of a stand-by militia of trained and capable RWE/REMVE individuals who can be
activated when the need for coordinated violent action on a larger scale arises.
● Over 100 Active Clubs have been created between late 2020 and August 2023, with at
least 46 in the United States across 34 U.S. states. At least 46 Active Clubs exist in 14
European countries, and 12 in Canada. The estimated number of members per Active
Club is between five and 25.
● Some Active Clubs in the U.S. are conducting or participating in military-style tactical
and casualty care trainings. Members or sympathizers of Active Clubs in France and
Estonia appear to be fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war.
● If Active Clubs are allowed to continue to operate and multiply, the likelihood for
targeted political violence and terrorism by their members against supposed enemies
of the “white race” (e.g., Jews, people of color, Muslims, and LGTBQI+ people) will
increase.
● A key component of the White Supremacy 3.0 strategy is to hide in plain sight. To avoid,
delay, mitigate, or withstand law enforcement interventions, Active Clubs are supposed
to present a friendly face to the public. Consequently, network members are asked to
avoid threatening behavior or displaying obvious Nazi symbols to appear less relevant
to law enforcement. This less aggressive and more mainstream strategy is also meant
to help grow the network, in particular from the general public.
● For the Active Club strategy of hiding in plain sight to work, members should look like
regular guys, like the members of the (NSDAP Schutzstaffel) SS did. When recruiting,
Active Club members should not talk about Jews and history. Instead, the focus in
public should be on brotherhood, community, fitness, and self-defense.
● Active Club narratives are driven by curated stories of white victimhood and
empowerment through white supremacy. Key slogans are “A group of strong white men
is a fascist statement in itself”; “The best strategy is to be as unpolitical as possible to
be as appealing as possible”; “White unity at every opportunity” and “Make fascism
fun”.
● Active Clubs follow an open network approach, which encourages individuals to start
their own independent local group. They are asked to carry out combat sports trainings
and illegal political activism like banner drops, stickering, and graffiti tagging to promote
a risk-taker mentality and to train operational and logistical capacities like scouting
target locations and avoiding law enforcement. Creating local and national
RWE/REMVE leadership figures in this process is another main objective.
● Several Active Club members are or previously were involved in other RWE/REMVE
organizations like Patriot Front, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Hammerskins, and White
Lives Matter.
● Women play no visible role in U.S. Active Clubs, while Active Clubs in Canada and
France have female members.
● The recent arrest of Robert Rundo, the co-founder and main strategist of the Active
Club network, seems to have no direct effect on the growth of the network. Rundo
stated himself that the groups would run on their own now and would not need him
anymore.
● The ongoing growth of the transnational militant Active Club network requires an
exchange of local and national threat assessments, investigative strategies, and
promising prevention as well as rehabilitation practices between policymakers and law
enforcement officials of the affected countries.
More specific recommendations for policymakers and law enforcement are available upon
request.

Read the report here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dOLWmvfvRP_OiuZsGfp4rB_WBE6tWBBT/view?usp=sharing