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One year ago, the Atlanta Forest Defenders put out a call to action to anarchists to fight in whatever way they could against any person or company involved in the building of a police tactical training center known as "Cop City." Since then, countless corporations directly and indirectly involved with the project have been plagued by vandalism attacks in the name of the Atlanta Forest Defenders ranging from burned vehicles and equipment to busted storefront windows and destroyed ATM machines across the United States, not just Atlanta, Georgia.
What began as low-level "noise" from protesters quickly escalated to a nationwide campaign of destruction, with anarchists across the United States committing various attacks in solidarity with the the Atlanta Forest Defenders. It is important to note that the attack locations have multiplied in recent months, with almost 75% of the attacks taking place outside of Georgia.
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On 18 January 2023, the confrontation between the Atlanta Forest Defenders and the law enforcement came to a boiling point. At approximately 9:00 am local time, as a ground clearing operations began, hostilities increased and an exchange of gunfire ensued, injuring a Georgia State Patrol trooper and killing the protester who fired the first shot.
TRAC has only recently predicted such an increase in violence, specifically after five activists were detained and charged with domestic terrorism in December 2022, following a confrontation with law enforcement outside the potential site of Atlanta’s police academy. The Atlanta Forest Defenders issued a 'Call for Retaliation,' which undoubtedly will cause the situation to spiral further out of control.
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Many have already attempted to mis-name the group of Atlanta Forest Defenders as Antifa, although the Antifa Faction of Atlanta has never advocated violence even as they fully support the cause of the Atlanta Forest Defenders. That being said, the first answer to the 'call' already took place on 21 January 2023, when Antifa members and far-left extremists rioted in downtown Atlanta, torching police cars and ransacking storefront windows. Additionally, several of the agitators were carrying explosives.
Further, it cannot be ignored that this pivotal shooting incident introduced another group of bad actors into the mix, namely prominent racist groups such as the Aryan Brotherhood. Throughout racist telegram channels, members jumped all over the Atlanta Forest Defenders shooting incident and spread the news of Antifa's planned 'Night of Rage.' Some comments made indicate a likelihood of these racist groups gearing up to participate and/or infiltrate the protests, particularly to target any left wing extremists or Antifa members show up.
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TRAC Insight:
Islamic State Supporters Circulate Right-Wing
Red Pill/Blue Pill Meme Mirroring Racist Propaganda
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Image: Circulated Meme on Islamic State Supporter Channels | |
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White nationalists, racists, Nazis and Fascists have adopted propaganda techniques and language from jihadists for a few years now. However more recently, Islamic State (IS) supporters have honed in on the concept of memetic warfare.
The red/blue pill concept derives from the Hollywood movie "The Matrix" where if you take the Blue Pill your life remains totally unchanged. It is only by taking the Red Pill that one can see reality. The IS meme above states that the Red Pill one can truly support Islamic State and thereby the larger Muslim community; the Blue Pill one will forever be stuck in the physical world and will never reap the rewards of heaven.
What is even more interesting is that this time the Islamic State supporters circulated a red pill/blue pill meme in the English language. Usually when they circulate right-wing inspired memes, it is done in the Arabic language. Disseminating in the English language indicates Islamic State’s efforts to target the English-speaking population around the world and to reach out to a greater audience.
It should be noted that this is not the first time IS supporters circulated the red pill/blue pill meme. Back in November 2021, they circulated a similar meme describing the red pill as a fantasy.
In the right-wing extremist (RWE) milieu, the blue pill/red pill meme is commonly used and the distinction is very clear. To RWE the blue pill would be to remain in the fantasy of the current world order and the red pill is the reality. Red pilling has become a euphemism for spreading RWE ideology.
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TRAC Video Report:
A Self-Defense Group Called ‘Consejo Indígena’
Announced Its Intention to Go Against
Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Chiapas, Mexico
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Image: Screenshot from video by 'Consejo Indigena' | |
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On 23 January 2023, a video circulated on social networks of a group called 'Consejo Indígena' [indigenous council] announcing that they are ready to fight the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). In the video, a little more than 30 masked men can be seen standing in a rural area, armed with long arm weapons and wearing body armor.
The newly-formed group claimed that their intention is to defend the local indigenous communities from CJNG extortionists and kidnappers. They further assured that indigenous authorities and representatives met to publicize the supposed self-defense group. They also indicated that a group called 'El Maíz' would be attacking members of the town of Chicomuselo, Chiapas and then identified Vladimir López Orantes as a ringleader who is responsible for executions, disappearances, and illegal evictions.
On 16 January 2023, elements of 'El Maíz' group operating near the border with Guatemala assaulted and took over a national Mexican Guard base, evicting the federal agents from the facility and seizing their weapons.
While the 30 or so men in the video claimed that authorities and representatives met to publicize the newly-formed group, that does not necessarily equate to the group having a strong alliance or back-up support from military or law enforcement. TRAC posits that 'Consejo Indígena' has taken on an insurmountable task, as CJNG is a force to be reckoned with and often operates in many municipalities without fear of retribution from law enforcement authorities.
By 2020, CJNG was known as the most dangerous and the second most powerful cartel in Mexico behind the Sinaloa Cartel. To that end, it is important to note that in July 2022, CJNG joined forces with the 'Huistas Cartel' from Guatemala to dispute control of the Chiapas border with the Sinaloa Cartel.
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TRAC Incident Report:
Al-Shabaab’s Knights of Martyrs Brigade Takes Control of Banadir Regional Administration Headquarters in Mogadishu, Somalia
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Image: Banadir Regional Administration Headquarters in Mogadishu, Somalia | |
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On 22 January 2023, al-Shabaab’s Knights of Martyrs Brigade fighters stormed the Banadir Regional Administration Headquarters after a suicide bomber detonated an IED in front of the building in Mogadishu, Somalia. Al-Shabaab reports the death-toll as 34 while the government reports it as 5 killed and 16 wounded. Since Shabaab inflates its numbers and the government underreports the numbers, TRAC posits that the actual number of dead and wounded is somewhere in-between.
Locals press insisted that a bomb went off at the office, but al-Shabaab official media outlet, Shahada News stated that they only carried out an armed assault. Assaults inside Mogadishu are not uncommon and the fact that al-Shabaab managed to take control of the office shows how lacking the Somali security service is as well as how powerful al-Shabaab remains.
Al-Shabaab reports that they are currently in complete control of the office, having repelled Somali forces sent to retake it. The mayor’s office is also housed in the building. The group is adept at targeting government buildings and forces in both rural and urban settings. Just two days earlier, they successfully invaded an army base housing US-trained Somali and Turkish special forces in Galmudug State.
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TRAC incident Report: Ahrar al-Sham Fighters Carried Out an Attack on Syrian Arab Army (SAA) Positions on the Jabal al-Akrad Axis, Northeast of Latakia, Syria | |
TRAC Incident Report: Unknown Persons Intentional Arson of the Electrical Supply Cables Belonging to the Signalling & Switching Installations For Railway Transport, at the Gare de l'Est, in Paris, France | |
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TRAC Incident Report: Bandit Involved in the Abuja-Kaduna Train Assault, Bature Shabe (aka Bello Yellow), Arrested by Local Vigilantes, Miyetti Allah, at Dan-Kogi Motor Park, Zuba Town, Abuja FCT, Nigeria
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