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Three neo-Nazis have been arrested by the FBI following an investigation into their ties to white supremacist group “The Base.” All three planned to travel to the Virginia capital to “protest” new gun control measures that have been proposed by the state’s new Democratic majority.
Many have surmised that the planned “protests” will likely be similar to the racially-motivated neo-Nazi march seen in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. During that event, called “Unite the Right,” a counter-protestor named Heather Heyer was killed when a neo-Nazi drove his vehicle into a crowd of people.
One of the neo-Nazis, Patrik Mathews, is a former Canadian army soldier, who was dishonorably discharged after his ties to white supremacy were uncovered. The Canadian national then illegally entered the United States before continuing activities with the far-right, extremist group “The Base.”
It is unclear how the FBI will handle Mathews, since he is a Canadian citizen and discharged military personnel. However, he was found to be illegally in possession of firearms while in the US, which is a federal crime. His activities with “The Base” may be connected to a string of hate crimes committed in Maryland, which also carries federal charges.
Following threats of planned violence at the Virginia capital, governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency in Virginia and has banned all firearms from the Capitol grounds through the weekend. A number of far-right and pro-gun organizations have vowed to march on the Capitol building, which echoes the threats of racially-motivated violence during the “Unite the Right” rally.
Clearly not wishing to see a repeat of that nightmare, Northam has taken the cautionary step of beefing up security around the Capitol and encouraging people to stay home. People in the area are warned that the situation could become unsafe if far-right, neo-Nazi protestors choose to become violent.
Other “alt-right” extremist groups have planned to gather in the capital over the weekend, using platforms like 4chan to organize. This means that it is likely that anti-fascist counter-protestors, often collectively referred to as “Antifa,” could also appear in sizable numbers to oppose the neo-Nazis.
