A young Nazi closely monitored by HOPE not hate is behind bars for terror-related offences. Today Luke Hunter, 23, of High Callerton, Newcastle, was sentenced today to four years and two months for seven terror-related offences, including encouragement of terrorism HOPE not hate identified the extremist, who went by various pseudonyms online, during a yearlong investigation. In October 2019, days before his arrest, we informed authorities of his identity and activities after noticing worrying changes in his behaviour, including an uncharacteristic period of silence. It has since emerged that his father, who lives separately from his son, is a retired officer with the Met’s Counter Terror Command, and was still working there as a civilian at the time of his son’s arrest. From his countryside home, the prolific young extremist encouraged terrorism, venerated mass murderers, advocated for the formation of “insurgent decentralised cells” and formed links to an international, terroristic Nazi organisation, the Feuerkrieg Division (FKD), which has since been banned in the UK under anti-terror laws. He also encouraged violence against police officers. He did so through his own websites, numerous Twitter accounts, YouTube, Instagram, and the messaging apps Telegram and Discord; he also produced hundreds of hours of podcasts, multitudes of graphic designs, and dozens of stylised fascist videos. He was also active offline, networking, attending fascist meetups and events, and addressing a far-right conference in Glasgow in 2019. By the time of his arrest, he had become a recognised voice in the international extreme right.
Hunter is, in some ways, representative of a new generation of far-right extremists. Across the far right a post-organisational threat has emerged, a decentralised collective of anonymous activists working towards similar goals, often in informal interaction with one another. Organisations still play an important role, but membership of such a group is not required to wield influence in this collective form of politics. Hunter himself is not known to have been a member of an organisation in any traditional sense; rather he is a talented but deeply disturbed propagandist operating on poorly-moderated messaging apps and livestreamed videos. (…) However, the earliest political involvement we have definitively traced dates to April 2017, with his posts on the influential, now-defunct Nazi forum Iron March (IM). Despite its small size, IM was key in fostering the modern Nazi underground, partly by introducing a new generation to James Mason’s SIEGE, an accelerationist collection of texts that promotes the establishment of leaderless terrorist cells. British Nazis, including leading members of the now-banned National Action (NA), were influential on the forum; IM was also central in the emergence of the AtomWaffen Division (AWD), an American Nazi terror group linked to several murders. AWD would inspire future groups, such as the FKD. (…) Launched in Octber 2018 and formally disbanded in February 2020, FKD built on the legacy of AtomWaffen Division, establishing an estimated membership of 50 across Europe and North America, including a handful in the UK. Members in various countries have received charges and convictions for terror-related offences. In the UK, after the September 2019 arrest of a teenage member, FKD posted a picture of the Chief Constable of the West Midlands Police, Dave Thompson, with a gun to his head. “Release our member or your heads will be our agenda”, the group wrote on Telegram, and posted the addresses of police stations and offices. Hunter regularly pushed FKD material on his Telegram channel, with FKD returning the favour, and in September, he wrote “Hail the Feuerkrieg Division!” followed by “Death to ZOG. Death to PC Thompson!” alongside a news report of the FKD’s campaign against the West Midlands police (ZOG is short for “Zionist Occupied Government”, antisemitic slang for alleged Jewish control).
via hopenothate: LUKE HUNTER: profile of a Nazi terror propagandist
siehe auch: Neo-Nazi influencer, 23, caught with swastika-festooned memorabilia and machete in bedroom where he spread extremist hate online is jailed for four years. Luke Hunter, 23, from Newcastle, instrumental online presence of violent group. During police raid swastika memorabilia and a machete found in his bedroom. Produced content encouraging killing of Jews, homosexuals and non-whites. A 23-year-old neo-Nazi ‘influencer’ caught with swastika-festooned memorabilia and a machete in his bedroom where he spread extremist hate online has been jailed for four years. Luke Hunter, from Newcastle, used the name Death Cult Posting on an encrypted messaging app and was said to have a ‘significant online reach’, particularly among young people. He used his popularity online to support a violent group called Feuerkrieg Division (FKD), of which membership is banned in the UK; Neo-Nazi propagandist jailed for encouraging terror attacks. Luke Hunter’s prolific online presence made him an ‘internationally recognised voice in the international extreme right’. A neo-Nazi propagandist has been jailed for encouraging terror attacks and broadcasting violent material around the world. Luke Hunter used websites, podcasts, posters, videos and accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Telegram and Discord to spread his hate. The 23-year-old, from Newcastle, celebrated far-right terrorists including the Christchurch shooter Brenton Tarrant, Jo Cox’s killer Thomas Mair and bomber David Copeland. Hunter, whose father is a former Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism officer, used his channels to support terrorist groups such as National Action, Feuerkrieg Division (FKD) and Atomwaffen Division, and hosted discussions on how best to carry out attacks. The defendant, who was diagnosed with autism as a teenager, was jailed for four years and two months at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday.
