PubPol Domestic Extremism

Historical Drivers of Domestic Terrorism

Vietnam War, Anti-Colonial Movement, Marxist Leninist Ideology, White Supremacist and Anti-Government Ideology, Watergate, Student Activism, Civil Rights Movements

The Turner Diaries

Book written in 1978 by William Luther Pierce, founding member of the racist National Alliance. Protagonist Jacob Early Turner becomes an anti-government violent extremist and leads a group that launches nuclear weapons and launches them in NYC and removing Black and Jewish citizens. They end up winning a nuclear war and hundreds years later the world is dominated by his org and all nonwhite people were dead or imprisoned

Weather Underground

(left wing extremists)

Key Players: Weathermen organized at UM, people part of Students for a Democratic Society, Bill Ayers, Bernadine Dohrn, John Jacobs, Mark Rudd, John Meller

Mission: Opposed US involvement in Vietnam and supported civil rights movement

Reason for Action: believing violent tactics were necessary for revolutionary change. Murder of Black Panther members

Actions: “Day of Rage” in Chicago with significant property damage and lots of arrests, and bombings. Attempted bombing in NYC, bombings in government buildings + bank robberies, arson, murder,

Symbionese Liberation Army

(left-wing extremists)

Key Players: Students from UC Berkely, Donald DeFreeze, Patricia Soltysik, Nancy Ling Perry

Mission: Prison outreach and Marxist ideas

Reason for Action: Outrage at political atmosphere and racism

Actions: Killed Oakland School superintendent because he was going to oppress minorities, kidnapped Patty Hearst, bank robbery, gunfire

• Motto: “Death to the fascist insect who preys on the life of the people”

The Order

(right-wing extremists)

Key Players: White supremacist group + Neo Nazis. Robert Matthews = Founder

Mission: Push forth the Turner Diaries

Reason for Doing So: Racism, “destroying enemies,” against income tax, believed violent action could cause societal collapse and governmental change

Actions: Robberies, attempted bombing, murder

Oklahoma City

(right-wing extremists)

Key Players: Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols

Mission: Change government

Reason for doing so: Anger about Waco, pro second Amendment, anti-government

Action: Bombing in Oklahoma City, 168 killed, 108 were federal employees.

Charleston Attack

Key Players: Dylan Roof

Mission: White supremacy

Reason for Action: Racism, social alienation and personality disorders

Action: Murdered 9 black people in a church. Found guilty of hate crime. Not domestic terrorism because there was no political ideology, just racism

Wolverine Watchmen

Key Players: Bunch of white guys in Michigan

Mission: Kidnap Whitmer and kill her

Reason for Action: Upset over Covid-19 restrictions

Action: Nothing, just watching Whitmer and preparing for something that never happened

Charlottesville

Key Players: Richard Spencer, KKK

Mission: Keep monuments

Reason for Action: Southern backlash over Confederate monument removals, call to remove Robert E. Lee statue,

Action: Lots of violence and torch marches, state of emergency declared

Terrorism

“Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents.”

Domestic Terrorism

“Violent, criminal acts committed by people to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.”

• Activities that involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any State

• Appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilization population, to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion, or to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping

• Occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States

International Terrorism

“Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups who are inspired by or associated with designated foreign terrorist organizations or nations”

Material Support

Any property or service, including currency instruments, financial services, lodging, training, expert advice, safehouses, false identification, communications equipment, weapons, lethal substances, explosives, transportation

January 6

Key Drivers: COVID-19 Restrictions, Political rhetoric, extremist group mobilization, disinformation and conspiracy theories, social media, inadequate security posture

Mission: Stop Congress from count because Trump was supposed to win

Action: Storming of capitol, 174 law enforcement officers injured, seven deaths

Policy Gaps: Intelligence collection and analysis, social media monitoring, information sharing and threat warning, law enforcement gaps

Enforcement Responses: 1100+ arrests, majority of cases involve misdemeanor charges