Rapid Response Memo

The Cleveland Proud Boys announced plans on their Telegram channel to protest outside of the Colors+ LGBTQ+ Youth Center in Fairview Park, Ohio on March 9. The same video post calling for a March 9 “Colors 2: Anti Groomer Boogaloo” protest has been shared on the same Telegram channel almost daily since February 13. A preliminary monitoring/social media scan does not show any additional cross-posting by other actors of concern or anti-LGBTQ+ groups. However, as the event is still over a week away, other networks or groups may still coordinate mobilization in support of the Proud Boys’ call-to-action.

BDI assesses that the risk of disruption by actors of concern to the Rising Majority Movement Congress is low, based on a review of historic bad actor mobilization in the state and a scan of recent online activity. The risks of isolated security incidents, such as bomb threats or sole perpetrator attacks, are difficult to anticipate and could occur, but BDI analysts found no concerning posts in the days before the convening that might drive mobilizations or other incidents.

A neo-Nazi-affiliated individual using the online persona “derpytango” plans to rally with supporters in the days leading up to and during a Harris-Walz campaign event in Savannah, Georgia, on August 29. The individual was previously observed during the Democratic National Convention using racial slurs and advocating membership in a neo-Nazi network in Chicago. Her account and antics have been boosted by far-right media, attracting a small but motivated following of mostly youth meta-ironic white nationalist activists. BDI assesses the likelihood of outright violence at the Savannah rally is low, based on recent patterns of extremist mobilization in the area, but the appearance of “derpytango” is already encouraging other far-right actors and instigators, potentially resulting in confrontation and verbal and online harassment of Harris-Walz rally attendees.

In the wake of Hurricane Helene's devastation in Western North Carolina, actors of concern have flocked to the region to engage in disaster response, often emphasizing photo opportunities and raising tensions with emergency management agencies, including FEMA. BDI has tracked 12 different networks that have so far identified their role in such operations, including six neo-Nazi groups. Most groups have deployed in small numbers —usually under 5 people—and do not represent a large-scale mobilization. Of particular concern are two Patriot Movement-affiliated networks: the Christian Rangers and The 118th, since both groups have a history of anti-government rhetoric, have mobilized substantial resources for their aid efforts, and have criticized FEMA’s involvement, positioning themselves as adversaries to federal authorities in the region. While the presence of these groups raises significant risks, we assess that the likelihood of violence targeting federal personnel remains low.

Starting on November 6, numerous predominantly Black organizers, activists, and students across multiple states began receiving text messages with racist content telling them to report to their “nearest plantation” site. The texts came from various area codes, and were sent to recipients in at least Georgia, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Virginia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Ohio, and Alabama at the time of this report. These texts have since been widely reported to law enforcement. The VA Attorney General’s office has publicly confirmed they, and the FBI, are aware of the incidents. The language in the text messages appears to have originated from racist right-wing imageboards, including 4chan, as well as shared on a subreddit that has since been removed by Reddit moderators. An individual or individuals likely copy-pasted the text and used virtual phone numbers to send out the texts, selecting recipients based on their demographic profile. The recipient phone numbers could have been obtained via a data broker or a pre-existing data breach. We assess the security risk to individuals receiving the text messages is low, given the absence of additional personally identifiable information (PII) – such as recipients’ addresses – contained in the messages.

On February 7, members of the neo-Nazi group “Hate Club” – some of whom were armed – displayed swastika flags on a highway overpass outside of Cincinnati. Local community members gathered in a counter-demonstration.