Thread by @bellingcat

As the death of #GeorgeFloyd continues to reverberate, members of a mostly conservative movement centering on gun rights & a potential civil war are joining the protest *against* the police

A deep dive into the Boogaloo Bois by @IwriteOK & @jason_a_w

bellingcat.com/news/2020/05/2…

@IwriteOK @jason_a_w Yes, you read that correctly

Some members of the Boogaloo movement are outraged on George Floyd's behalf — and on behalf of other black people killed by police in this country

They're not just passing around memes such as the one below, some are literally out there protesting.

@IwriteOK @jason_a_w If you're familiar with U.S. gun rights groups, you may not have expected this development.

These people are seen as mostly conservative, and some are prominent racists and neo-Nazis, such as the man in this picture, who rose to fame during a January 20, 2020 rally in Richmond

@IwriteOK @jason_a_w So, what's going on?

Well, as @IwriteOK and @jason_a_w can reveal, there is division in the Boogaloo movement as to racial politics.

The civil war these people envision is not necessarily a race war.

Some want to encourage more and more black people to take up arms.

@IwriteOK @jason_a_w And that's not the only point of division.

*Some* Boogaloo members are delighted by the idea of an NRA-certified gun instructor teaching members of the LGBT community how to defend themselves.

@IwriteOK @jason_a_w If your head is spinning right now, we don't exactly blame you.

What's obvious is that the Boogaloo movement has different factions, people who disagree and argue with each other.

Some are racist. Some are not. Some are inclusive. Some are not.

@IwriteOK @jason_a_w Summer is coming. There's a pandemic & instability. More rallies are planned. More protests are imminent. Boogaloo Bois crave confrontation with cops.

Facebook, meanwhile, enables them.

So please read this report to learn more. And stay safe out there.

bellingcat.com/news/2020/05/2…