By C. Perera, JadeTimes News
Right wing extremism is a rapidly evolving threat, particularly through groups that lure young men by promoting sports, physical combat, and fraternity under the guise of deradicalization. These groups, known as Active Clubs, aim to build covert militias while evading law enforcement, according to the Counter Extremism Project. Alexander Ritzmann, from the project, informed a Senate hearing that these clubs are often founded by members of established neo Nazi groups to attract mainstream society members.
Active Clubs have emerged in Australia, with a South Australian group called Croweater recently appearing online. Croweater's founder, Thomas Sewell, a known neom Nazi, has been banned from Twitter, but the group’s page remains active. The page features images of masked members with banners declaring "Australia for the white man" and posts promoting white supremacy and anti Muslim sentiment.
Despite Croweater's claims of widespread presence, Active Clubs are relatively new in Australia compared to the U.S., Canada, and several European countries. ASIO director general Mike Burgess acknowledged awareness of white supremacist groups, although not Active Clubs specifically.
Research by the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California found Active Clubs present in at least 25 U.S. states, often affiliated with the white nationalist Patriot Front. These clubs target young white men with skills in physical training, journalism, or graphic arts. Activities include martial arts training, physical combat, and propaganda dissemination.
Michael Zekulin from the Australian National University noted that such groups prey on vulnerable young people seeking meaning in life, particularly those aged 15 to 18. Factors like economic challenges contribute to their susceptibility.
John Coyne of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute emphasized the threat Active Clubs pose to social cohesion and the potential for violent extremism. He advocated for changing how we discuss these groups, moving away from the term "right wing extremism" to avoid normalizing extremist ideologies.
To counteract these threats, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a new Special Envoy for Social Cohesion and the continuation of the Safe and Together Community Grants Program. Coyne suggested increasing education programs for youth to prevent their recruitment by extremist groups, emphasizing the need for additional resources to support these initiatives.
