Welcome to extremely, a weekly newsletter from the ADL Center on Extremism and your go-to resource for emerging trends and developments in extremism and hate.
In this week's newsletter: Your Thanksgiving Smorgasbord of Hate & Extremism
Steaming Hot Plate of CopyPasta
Among the millions of examples of extremist and hateful content uncovered and analyzed in our recent report on Steam, the world’s largest gaming platform, were 1.18 million hateful "copypastas"— blocks of text used to generate images or messages. For example, swastikas crafted out of emoji. This is why we can’t have nice things.
Why It Matters
Not only are copypastas a popular method for sharing extremist or hateful content on gaming platforms like Steam, even more troubling, slight modifications—such as adding spaces or altering character placement—make it harder for moderators to detect and remove this content, turning it into a deliberate evasion tactic.
College Students Take “Touch Grass” Too Far... Again.
On November 21, anti-Israel activists at Sarah Lawrence College established an encampment on the south lawn after taking over a campus building. This protest was in response to the college’s refusal to implement divestment recommendations from Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). The National SJP subsequently named the action the “Take a Building Challenge.” A student group shared a photo from the encampment featuring a flag with the Samidoun emblem. In October, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Samidoun for serving as a fundraising arm for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Propaganda supporting Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader behind the October 7 attacks, were also distributed on campus.
Why It Matters
Although disruptive activities like encampments on campus have decreased since spring, the ongoing blatant glorification and support for terrorist organizations remain deeply concerning.
Home Is Where the Hate Is
Self-described Christian Nationalist pastors Andrew Isker and C. Jay Engel are urging followers to move with them to rural Jackson County, Tennessee, to build a community for “Christians and patriots” and establish “Christian nationalism in one state.” Isker claimed his own state, Minnesota, was a prime destination “for resettling foreign people hostile to our way of life.” Isker has also claimed that “love of own people” is now considered “xenophobia,” while Engel has simply declared that “there is indeed a war on Whites.” The pair are allegedly working with a development company that has purchased 600 acres of local land.
Why It Matters
There’s a long history of groups and movements trying to start intentional communities in different places across the U.S., including fringe religious sects, white supremacists, anti-government extremists, survivalists and others. Most fail, primarily because organizers typically have difficulty convincing people to uproot themselves and their families to start over again with uncertain prospects, just to be among like-minded people.
Peters Remains “Occupied” With Jews
Stew Peters, a known antisemitic conspiracy theorist, released a film titled “Occupied,” promoting the conspiracy that Jews and Israel control the U.S. government. The film centers on the Israel-Hamas conflict, falsely claiming that the October 7 massacre was a “false flag” attack and that it is being used to “take control” of neighboring countries to create “Greater Israel.” And as if that was not enough, it also includes Holocaust denial and praise for Hitler.
Why It Matters
“Occupied” is another entry in the genre of conspiratorial, antisemitic films that capitalize off tragedies and other notable events. Peters apparently intends to release a “clean” version for a more mainstream audience. That would be a short film.
Florida Man Relocates Hate to The Ozarks
After months of promising—or, depending on your perspective, threatening—to move to the Ozarks during his almost nightly livestreams, Jon Minadeo, founder of the antisemitic Goyim Defense League, has officially bid Florida farewell with a “final show.” He’s presumably settling into his new digs, where he plans to collaborate with neo-Nazi Billy Roper, leader of the Shield Wall Network and cheerleader for the so-called white ethno-state of Ozarkia.
Why It Matters
Minadeo moved to Florida in late 2022, contributing to a rise in antisemitism in the Sunshine State. However, activity declined significantly after Florida lawmakers enacted local ordinances targeting GDL tactics (like laser projections on buildings) and passed a statewide bill criminalizing the distribution of hate propaganda on private property.
More from COE
→ Glossary of Extremism: A comprehensive overview of the many individuals, events, groups and movements that populate the extremist landscape.
→ Hate on Display: The preeminent index of extremist and hate symbols, tattoos, flags and numerology.
→ H.E.A.T. Map: A first-of-its-kind, interactive tracker of hate, extremism, antisemitism and terrorism incidents across America.
→ Podcast: extremely: Hosted by COE V.P. Oren Segal, this podcast will change the way you think about extremism – and the people who have dedicated their lives to fighting it.