Extremism expert explains why ‘fascists and neo-Nazis’ are infiltrating protests against police violence

Fears are growing over right-wing provocateurs exploiting the protests of police violence as they seek to start a second civil war in America, that they call the "boogaloo."

"The Minneapolis protests this week—which resulted in fires and broken windows and reports of at least one adjacent shooting death—aren’t just drawing racial justice activists. They’re attracting attention from heavily-armed forces on the right. Some of them, members of a growing white supremacist movement, openly hope to co-opt the protests to start a race war," The Daily Beast reported Thursday. "Others claim to make common cause with anti-police protesters, but may be inclined to turn guns on protesters when they appear to threaten private property."

"Both are a potential powder keg as protesters take to the streets in cities across the country, and hint at a new coalition of volatile right-wing ideologies," The Beast warned.

For analysis, The Beast interviewed Brian Hughes, associate director for the Polarization & Extremism Research and Innovation Lab at American University.

“On the far other side of the spectrum, you have accelerationist and dyed-in-the-wool fascists and neo-Nazis,” he explained. “They want to see ‘Civil War 2: Electric Boogaloo’ happen, and make it a race war.”

"'Boogaloo' is a reference to a far-right meme-turned-movement, in which white supremacists fantasize about a coming civil uprising that will lead to government overthrow and wholesale slaughter of their opponents, namely people of color. 'Accelerationism' is a tactic in which extremists sow discord in the hopes of destabilizing society," The Beast explained. "In private chat groups , Boogaloo sympathizers set up communication channels for peers at the protest, and discussed coordinating travel to Minneapolis."