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About this Resource

Working with Political Research Associates, the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights has been tracking reports of paramilitary and other far-right actors that are showing up at or adjacent to protests demanding an end to racist policing, justice for its victims, and a reallocation of resources to better support public safety and the public good. Such instances of far-right and paramilitary activity are numerous and continuing to grow, even if caution is warranted in interpreting them.

The map presented here is our joint attempt to create a resource for organizers and activists, journalists and researchers, to place the threat of the far-right showing up at racial justice protests in context, more-or-less at a glance. Given the variety of groups and factions involved—Boogaloo Bois, Three Percenters, Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, neo-Confederates, white nationalists, and various sorts of “militias”—and the almost as daunting range of things they doing, we have divided the data into a few broad categories of actors/ideologies on the one hand and actions and tactics on the other. In most cases, the underlying data preserves more nuance and can be used to make finer distinctions—but our primary purpose here is to right-size the threat of paramilitaries to our movements, neither exaggerating nor minimizing.

The map is based on 136 confirmed instances of right-wing and far-right groups and actors showing up in some way either at racial justice protests since the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020, or in reaction to such protests. There are dozens more as of yet unconfirmed incidents and more being added to the list every day. The map will be periodically updated to reflect new incidents.

Devin Burghart

Author Devin Burghart

is vice president of IREHR. He coordinates our Seattle office, directs our research efforts, and manages our online communications. He has researched, written, and organized on virtually all facets of contemporary white nationalism since 1992, and is internationally recognized for this effort. Devin is frequently quoted as an expert by print, broadcast, and online media outlets. In 2007, he was awarded a Petra Foundation fellowship. more...

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