Four members of a white supremacist group known as “The Base”—which trains recruits for a race war—have been convicted in Michigan, authorities said. The cases against Justen Watkins, Alfred Gorman, Thomas Denton and Tristan Webb all ended in guilty or no-contest pleas, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced on Tuesday. One of the charges filed against Watkins, Denton and Webb was conspiring to train for a civil disorder, making the first convictions for the felony in the state’s history. “Securing these convictions on the conspiracy to train for civil disorder holds significance for many reasons,” Nessel said. “They reiterate this office’s commitment to protecting Michigan residents, they create a historic precedent in our state’s court system, and they convey the real danger domestic terrorism poses here and around the country.” “The Base”—the literal translation of “Al-Qaeda” in English—is a white supremacy gang founded in 2018 that “openly advocates for violence and criminal acts against the U.S.” and purports to be training for a war to establish white ethno-nationalist rule in parts of the U.S., according to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office. The group is “fundamentally anti-Semitic” and embraces Nazi ideology, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Membership is limited to nationalists of European descent, with the group valuing those with military experience. According to the attorney general’s office, Watkins claims to be the leader of the group and reportedly ran a “hate camp” for members, where he led tactical and firearms training with the goal of “being prepared for the violent overthrow of the government.”
via newsweek: White Supremacists Convicted After Training for Civil War in Michigan