In public discourse, the militia label is seldom applied to groups outside of the traditional right-wing, white, and rural stereotype. Furthermore, the definition of Militia Violent Extremism (MVE), as used by federal law enforcement agencies, presents an indirect and vague understanding of what constitutes a militia organization. As a result, some groups that qualify as militias avoid the attention that the label brings by virtue of their left-wing ideology.
This report attempts to remedy the gap of understanding by examining the largely silent rise of various armed left-wing groups that qualify as militias using four case studies: John Brown Gun Clubs/Redneck Revolt, the Socialist Rifle Association, the Not Fucking Around Coalition, and The Huey P. Newton Gun Club/Guerilla Mainframe/Geronimo Tactical.
The author reviewed and analyzed thousands of open-source photos, videos, court documents, social media pages, manifestos, websites, and other sources. The report’s key findings are as follows:
Left-wing militias are largely ignored, mislabeled, or misrepresented by both public and private entities within the counter-extremism apparatus of the United States.
The rise of the left-wing militia movement correlates with instances of police brutality in the early 2010s and the 2016 election of Donald J. Trump.
Left-wing militias have a high level of veteran involvement in their organizations. Furthermore, similar to right-wing militias, these organizations specifically recruit from the active-duty military and veteran populations in the United States.
Left-wing militia-related violence is primarily isolated, low-frequency, and unsanctioned by their larger chapter or national organizations. However, these militia groups, linked individuals and ideological offshoots routinely espouse rhetoric praising left-wing, anti-government, and anti-fascist extremist attacks in a manner akin to the veneration of infamous attacks in right-wing spaces.
Left-wing militia groups champion various causes, including anti-fascism, anti-capitalism, and Black nationalism. Located throughout the United States, these groups collaborate with other militias and organizations in the anti-fascist ideological sphere and possess small arms, tactical equipment, and training commensurate with their right-wing counterparts.
The left-wing militia movement is highly active on multiple social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Reddit. Left-wing militias possess large online support bases and benefit from little-to-no content moderation by social media companies.