The Future of White Lives Matter Activism

This text is part of the quarterly research results 2 ’23

• How to proceed after the convictions of the main WLM activists?

Three members of White Lives Matter (WLM) were convicted in March for racism and violence. During the hearing in court it turned out that these activists have all come into contact with the Ministry of Justice before. What effect does this conviction have on WLM's activities in the Netherlands??

Het is 31 maart 2023. Eleven days after the trial of three prominent WLM activists. They get a prison sentence, community service and the payment of compensation from the court. Due in October 2021 WLM stickers sticking in the center of Breda, the three are guilty of spreading racist expressions.

WLM slogans are discriminatory insults

The court states that it is “definitely offensive” to distribute a “stop white replacement” sticker when done on behalf of WLM. Because WLM “from neo-Nazi- and so-called "white supremacy" groups" and the supporters of these types of groups believe "that the lives of white people are worth more and matter more than the lives of people with a dark skin color", this statement constitutes a criminal offense, the court said.

During the trial, WLM activist John Abrossimow (1998) no effort whatsoever to disguise his extreme right-wing background. So has he, probably unintentionally, made an extra contribution to the court's judgment that the message on the stickers had an extreme right-wing intention.

“The Population Theory”, Abrossimow informs the judge during the hearing, "is a proven fact." During the session, Abrossimow also shares his concerns about "white people" who he says are being demonized. When talking about WLM, Abrossimov speaks in the "we" form. But when the judge asks what he knows about the excesses of National Socialism, his attitude changes to that of a silent and denying suspect.. “I will not answer that”, let Abrossimow know. And Abrossimow distances himself from the stickers of the outspoken Nazi Volks Resistance found in his backpack. He would only want it for his private collection. By distancing himself from the National Resistance Nazism, Abrossimow apparently expected to stay within the bounds of the law.

Racist violence

The reason for this lawsuit is not so much in sticking stickers, but in a racist brawl. On the day in question in October 2021 the three activists have armed themselves with a large supply of stickers, a WLM banner and a spray can said to be kept busy all day in Breda with "activism and discussion." At the end of the afternoon, such a discussion gets out of hand. A man addresses the activists on their racist stickers. An altercation ensues in which the man is racially abused. This altercation ends in an assault and an arrest. The moment the man allegedly removed a sticker "the situation exploded", Abrossimow declares after being arrested at the police station. Abrossimow also tells police that this man "wanted to fight one-on-one with Daniel" and that Daniel did indeed hit him then. With Daniel, Abrossimow refers to Daniel Smirnov (1988), just like Abrossimow one of the most active WLM members.

Previous contacts with the Justice Department

Because Smirnov in 2014 has already been convicted of violence, he now has (in addition to his conviction for racism) a prison sentence 1 day for the assault. In in 2019 Smirnov has been convicted of insult. Abrossimow has also been arrested by the police before. Because of a graffiti and sticking stickers in Naaldwijk. And in addition, Smirnov and Abrossimow are of course the suspects in the case of the laser projection on the Erasmus Bridge. Whether the third WLM activist is also involved in this laser projection is not clear. During the trial he gives the impression that he is hardly involved with WLM. He tells the court that he was in Breda "just to have a drink on a terrace". He also pretends he doesn't really know what WLM stands for. But nothing is less true. Like the other two men, he was very active at WLM and with them formed the hard core of WLM in the Netherlands. In January 2023 he suddenly disappeared from the WLM scene. In the two years before that, however, he was present at dozens of WLM actions throughout the Netherlands and also in Belgium. During this period he also participates in an 'active club' with Abrossimow (see box Active Club Dietsland for more information about this phenomenon) of WLM where they do boxing training together. And in the living environment of this man a lot of right-wing extremist graffiti is found, for which he may be responsible. Also this guy is, just like his WLM friends, come into contact with the judiciary more often. In May 2021 he travels to a pro-Palestinian demonstration in The Hague, to argue with the demonstrators. Because of the turmoil it caused, the police intervened. When asked for his ID, he started cursing, punched an officer in the face and used a taser against this officer. Deze action earned him a suspended community service charge for insult.

International contacts
WLM is an international network. Dutch WLM activists regularly participate in WLM-Germany actions. This German chapter is a small WLM group. Until recently, one of the leading activists Steven K was. (1***). K. Lives near Landgraaf, the residence of WLM-Nederland leader Smirnov. In addition to Dutch activists going to Germany, is that also the case the other way around. The WLM laser action in Rotterdam was carried out together with WLM Germany, according to a statement from WLM Netherlands. A week before this laser action was performed, was there by k. and some others in Venlo performed a general rehearsal by projecting slogans on the UWV building. Two days after Smirnov and Abrossimow were arrested on suspicion of the laser campaign in Rotterdam Let K. Nervous on telegram knowing that he is "a few hours". “If I'm not inside 9 Hour reports "he continues" then wisphere all private chat histories with me. "

White Lives Matter actions are declining

After the controversial laser projection in Rotterdam, WLM received a lot of attention at the beginning of this year, awareness and support of other right-wing extremists. WLM clearly made itself heard much more during this period than in the previous period. However, the arrests of Abrossimow and Smirnov at the end of February and the convictions of three WLM activists at the end of March have had a major effect on the number of WLM actions. Despite the fact that no laser projector was confiscated from Smirnov and Abrossiow, no more WLM laser actions were carried out after their arrests. In maart 2023 WLM claimed to have carried out such an action in Utrecht, but that turned out to be made up. The number of sticker, banner and graffiti actions has decreased sharply. There have been no more WLM demonstrations and the international monthly WLM action days have been since March 2023 no activity observed in the Netherlands.

An explanation for this decrease lies in the lawsuits in which the hard core of WLM has become involved. The pre-trial detention of Smirnov and Abrossimow for the laser actions has been suspended. One of the conditions of this suspension is that these men until May 2023 not allowed to communicate with each other. They are also forbidden to take actions. Smirnov and Abrossimow seem to have adhered to that. And on the sentencing of the other trial is next to the cell- and community service also imposed a restraining order. The three WLM activists are not allowed in any way for the next two years – directly or indirectly -" seek contact with each other. This has a major impact on the organization of WLM. In addition, the court simply states that the distribution of WLM material (and WLM related material) punishable. This combination of factors explains the strong decrease in WLM campaigns. Admittedly, WLM stickers are still being distributed. And Abrossimow is (contrary to the court order) as well still active at the WLM-affiliated Active Club Dietsland. But it's less than before. To create the appearance of a more active organization, WLM places videos and photos of old actions in their Telegram group, where there is asked that they are recent. The activists are currently far removed from the ambition described in the WLM manual to have people “in every region” of the Netherlands who “can operate autonomously and leaderlessly”..

Active Club Dietsland
In 2022 is the WLM-affiliated 'Active Club Dietsland' (ACD) Founded. Such a club focuses on increasing the physical fitness of far-right activists, combined with spreading racist propaganda. ACD organizes running sessions and boxing under this heading- and strength training, because exercising in the fresh air, instead of watching "porn and Netflix" would lead to the emergence of the "real strong man." ACD requires members, among other things, to have a “pro-white worldview” and practice martial arts. Like WLM, ACD is inspired by activists from the United States.

In the US it becomes clear why the Active Clubs want to transform the far-right activist into a “real strong man”.. In addition to the fact that great physical fitness and the associated hypermasculinity fit well within a neo-Nazi image of man, (and thus serves a socio-cultural purpose) prominent members of the American Active Clubs have been involved in politically motivated physical violence.

To understand the nature of Active Clubs, is it necessary to go back to 2017. That year, the city of Charlottesville plans to remove a statue of a Confederate general from the American Civil War. In Front Of- and opponents of this plan are demonstrating in the city, leading to mutual confrontations, which degenerate into massive riots. The organized and intense (deadly) violence from the extreme right is very striking. After the end of the riots, several members of Rise Against Movement (RAM) arrested. The members of this right-wing extremist fight club are convicted because of their violent share in the riots. Robert Rundo, which is recent arrested in Romania is the leader of RAM. He decides 2020 change the concept of his organization to a decentralized network of independently functioning groups. “Even if the system and their dogs manage to put out one fire, will lead to minimal results” writes Rundo. Active Club was born. Rundo's violent ideal takes on a new one, more difficult to prosecute. And about two years later, a Dutch department joins this network.

Holocaust and Sinterklaas

With the disappearance of Smirnov and Abrossimow as leaders of WLM, another activist has come into the picture much more prominently. John van de Kar (1993) from Gouda has been since the beginning of 2022 involved in WLM actions. In both the Netherlands and Germany, he uses stickers just like the other activists- and banner campaigns and he is present at demonstrations. In 2023 he comes, also due to the forced absence of other activists, most prominently featured in the propagation of the WLM ideology in the Netherlands. At the beginning of April, for example, he protested with a WLM slogan against the establishment of an AZC in Haastrecht. And in the same month he is present with a large “pro-white” banner at a demonstration in Rotterdam, where several extreme right-wing groups are targeting one reading afternoon of drag queens. These promotions are prominently shared via the WLM-Telegram channel. The anti-Semitism that has always been present at WLM is more explicitly brought to the fore by Van de Kar. From the Cart, just like other WLM activists, inspired by the Hitler-glorifying film 'Europa: The Last Battle’. However, he is much more active in promoting this film than the other WLMers. Both online and by handing out flyers on the street (Van de Kar did this in the summer of 2022 even on veterans day on the Malieveld) he promotes this movie. Van de Kar's explicit anti-Semitism is also clearly visible on his personal Twitter account, where he compares Jews to parasites, makes many more hateful comments about Jews and also denies the Holocaust. It just "happened", late Van de Kar in May 2023 inform Het Parool. “Just like Sinterklaas exists,” he adds.

In addition to his Twitter account, Van de Kar also has a personal website, rife with anti-Semitism. And in addition to that anti-Semitism, Van de Kar shows his interest in the extreme right-wing terrorist Brenton Tarrant on this website, die in 2020 has been sentenced to life imprisonment for an attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. Being there 51 people died. Van de Kar has conspiratorial thoughts about Tarrant. According to Van de Kar, Tarrant's attack did not take place at all. Tarrant would also have “Jewish roots” and be “Zionist”.. The "alleged attack" would be a means to criminalize the far-right movement, to tighten gun laws and serve as a “distraction” from an Israeli bombing of Gaza. Nevertheless, Van de Kar finds Tarrant "a striking figure". And in the manifesto that Tarrant has written, he says, “ideas sound good in themselves.” The manifesto is good enough for Van de Kar to get a place on his own website, so that any visitor can easily consult Tarrant's seditious and terrorist manifesto.

With the arrests and convictions of the hard core of WLM, the organization has clearly been dealt a major blow. The amount of actions has decreased enormously. And the organization also seems to have lost a lot in numbers of active supporters. At the same time, it can also be seen that the lead has now been taken over by Jan van de Kar and John Abrossimov remains active in the background, WLM is rapidly radicalizing further. The ideas have since shifted to explicit National Socialism, Jew-hatred and Holocaust denial. And with Abrossimov's continued interest in martial arts through the Active Club Dietsland, combined with the interest in the far-right mass murderer Brenton Tarrant by Jan van de Kar, there are also other serious threats in the picture.

Met dank aan Capitol Terrorists Exposers for supplying and interpreting information.

Naschrift
Jan van de Kar says in a response to this article that he does not support the mass murder of Brenton Tarrant in New Zealand and that he only proposes peaceful solutions. According to Van de Kar, the attack in New Zealand did not take place at all, but has it been an Israeli-directed operation to discredit right-wing extremists like himself. The victims would not have been murdered at all, it would be about actors.