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1 of 3 Photo: Alex Milan Tracy/AP/TT
Recently, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes was convicted of sedition in the United States. And now several high-ranking members of the Proud Boys are on trial.
But the conviction of a few leaders of far-right groups for their involvement in the congress storming does not mean the end of the wider movement, according to experts.
The extremist group Oath Keeper’s founder Stewart Rhodes and the person in charge of the Florida branch, Kelly Meggs, were recently convicted of the crime of sedition, in English “seditious conspiracy”.
They are the first to be convicted of serious crimes in connection with the storming of Congress on January 6, 2021, and are part of the US Department of Justice’s investigation into the involvement of various right-wing groups.
Oath Keepers, together with Proud Boys, among others, is a group that has found itself in the spotlight, and during Christmas week the trial began against four leaders who are suspected of the same criminal classification.
– They often get the media’s attention, they have been visible in connection with the January 6 uprising, where many involved said they were members of one of the groups, says Sara Kamali.
She is an activist and doctor of religious studies, and has written a book about white nationalism in the United States, where she compares the groups to militant Islamists.
Recruits via social media
Oath Keepers and Proud Boys are, according to Sara Kamali’s reasoning, only the latest variants of America’s long history of white supremacy movements and groups such as the Ku Klux Klan.
– Clearly, the groups can be categorized as white nationalist groups. They share elements of racism, conspiracies, anti-government and religious elements.
Sam Jackson, a lecturer at the University at Albany in New York who studies right-wing extremism, has published a book about Oath Keepers. However, he does not think that the group is to be regarded as a white power movement.
– They explicitly organize not around a white identity, but more around an American patriotic identity, which Oath Keepers would describe as colorblind or “race neutral”. They would welcome everyone – as long as the individuals have the right beliefs about what America should be and what threats the nation faces, he says.
He instead sees the Oath Keepers as another part of the far-right band: that they are against government interference and are perhaps not in themselves a major threat.
– But they are part of a larger movement that subscribes to conspiracy theories and rejects general beliefs about facts and how evidence should be interpreted, he says.
In the case of the Proud Boys, it’s possibly more fluid, according to Jackson.
– The Proud Boys seem to have a much stronger current of racism in their membership than the Oath Keepers, he says.
The groups are good at organizing and recruiting via social media, and with various actions, including around the congress storming, have proven to be able to transform online propaganda into action in the real world.
Hardly the end
The trials are seen by many as the government now beginning to see the seriousness of the militia-like groups, and that the authorities will take their activities more seriously.
– It is broadly true. But we have also seen some individuals in the judiciary and in the intelligence and security fields downplaying the threats after 6 January. But the charges and the verdicts are a good sign that overall we take this seriously, says Sam Jackson.
What the verdicts actually mean for the extremist groups themselves is unclear. Maybe it’s the beginning of the end for Oath Keepers, according to the experts. But it is most likely not the end of the larger movement, which has a history of splits, being absorbed by similar groups, cross-pollinations and changing leadership.
– White nationalism continues with or without Stewart Rhodes in particular, and without the Oath Keepers in general, says Kamali.
– I find it hard to see that the existence of ideas that motivate a group like the Oath Keepers has disappeared. We continue to see politicians who still claim that voter fraud cost them the election, and we still see those who defend conspiracy theories from previous elections,” Jackson said.
May become martyrs
Sara Kamali sees a risk that the judges are double-edged swords. They can be used to confirm the movements’ self-image of exclusion and that the government is against them. For those who, against their better judgment, are convinced that the 2020 election was “stolen”, the judges are just another confirmation that they are exposed to a political witch hunt.
– People can be attracted to the movements because they see them as righteous, says Sara Kamali.
Both experts see a risk that those who are convicted are glorified.
– Even if it’s not the Oath Keepers themselves, I think there will be some in the wider movement who will try to paint Rhodes as a martyr and capitalize on it, says Sam Jackson.
He sees no direct solution to the problem. Kamali highlights the need for educational efforts, commitment, collaboration, empathy and political initiative.
– It sounds pretty hopeless, but I think people can find faith in getting involved in the way they can, even if it’s small things like voting or getting involved in the school board, she says.
Facts
Convicted of sedition
Oath Keeper’s founder Stewart Rhodes and Florida manager Kelly Meggs were convicted at the end of November of seditious conspiracy, while three co-defendants were acquitted of that particular charge.
Sedition is a charge that is less serious than treason, but more serious than the classification that involves preventing the exercise of authority.
All five were charged and also convicted of a classification that roughly translates to “obstructing”, as the politicians were verifying the election results in Congress when the storming took place.
It is very rare for someone to be charged with sedition. The last time someone was convicted was in 1995, after a plot to blow up bridges and tunnels in New York was revealed.
The crime carries up to 20 years on the penalty scale. No date has been set for when the sentence will be announced.
Source: US Department of Justice and others
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Proud Boys and Oath Keepers
Oath Keepers and Proud Boys are two far-right American organizations that, among other things, received attention in connection with the January 6 storming of the United States Congress, Capitol, 2021.
Formed in 2016, Proud Boys describe themselves as Western chauvinists who romanticize traditional, male-dominated Western culture, which some see as a cover for deeper racism. The Proud Boys have been involved in clashes with Black Lives Matters protesters and left-wing activists.
Founded in 2009, Oath Keepers saw the government and the state as the biggest threat to Americans before the 2016 election. With Trump’s victory, this changed somewhat as it was seen as one of their own taking a seat in the White House. They have been involved in several tense situations against the authorities, including livestock and mining conflicts.
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