Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
What's really having some motherfucking trouble getting adjusted to the
new year and coming back from vacation. My be Oh wow,
that see off balance from the get go. I'm Robert Evans.
This is Behind the Path Behind the Bastards podcast where
Sophie laughs at me for my foibles and we talk
(00:24):
about bad people. Yeah right now. I don't know when
this episode is gonna air, maybe in sometime in early February,
but this is the first episode we're recording in and
I have just come back, as has Sophie, from two
weeks of vacation, and I think I speak for both
of us when I say motherfucker um. It is hard
(00:46):
to get back into the swing of things, which is
why Garrison Davis is here today to read our episode
to me so that I get to skip out on
writing for a little while longer, and I don't know,
maybe play a fucking video game or some how. Are
you doing, Garrison great. I just woke up and I
have coffee in one hand and scrolling through my twenty
(01:08):
page monster essay. An the other hand. You've truly adapted
to the podcasting lifestyle, which involves waking up at twelve
thirty five frantically getting on a zoom call because Sophie
yells at you for being late, and then reading twenty
pages about a Nazi. Yeah. Now here's my question. So
you have the coffee you have? Do you have a
secret weapon near your podcast being station? I have about
(01:31):
twenties scream of sticks to my right and about I
don't know five bladed weapons to my left. Yar is
so so much better, it's so cool. I don't have
the machete. Roberts at me. Oh, I I have that
machete too. It's a it's a good one. It's a
good one. Yeah. Yeah, we need to get you a
(01:55):
get you a rifle garrison. But first let's talk about
the reason you might need a rifle. These Nazis you
wrote about today? Yeah not okay. Um, so I'm getting
I'm getting a little tired with Nazis, I'll be honest, Um,
all are That's kind of their thing. They just they
just keep being a problem. Um like this this should
(02:17):
have ended, I don't know, in the forties or something,
but no, um, we have we have so many other
kind of world ending problems to deal with, like common change, hunger, evictions, pandemic.
But the fascist just keep popping up and they're adding
on to all of these problems. And I am really
not excited about eco fascism. Yeah, that's the one I'm
(02:37):
most not excited about. Yeah, that's the thing I see
coming of the most. Um. We're not actually going to
be explicitly talking about eco fascism today, although it will
it'll probably come up towards the end because of some
of the influences that we'll be talking about. But we're
we're we're gonna be more focusing on good old fashioned
Nazi street fighting gangs. But we have we have a
(03:01):
fun we have a fun twist where it's not it's
not just street fighting gangs, it's also a weird kind
of active where lifestyle brand. Great. Hell yeah that's my
ship right there. Yoga pants, ethnic cleansing. Yeah, let's do
it's both. It's like this with this brand of like
lifestyle fascism with also street fights. It's great. Yeah, capitalize everything,
(03:25):
even genocide. Yes, So of course this means we're talking
about the not so fine folks at ram Or also
known as the Rise Above movement. Um. If if you've
ever seen protest footage, especially like a right wing versus Antifa.
Footage from like pre um you've you've probably seen RAND
(03:45):
members beating up people on the ground. Um. If you
saw footage from you probably saw RAND members beating up children. Um,
that's because that's kind of what they were doing for
a lot a lot of seen, especially on the West coast.
UM people who we now know to be a part
of RAM. We're popping up all all over. So today
(04:08):
we are going to look into the rise and the
fall and the sort of kind of grift resurgence of
the rise above movement. Um. Let this is just another
it's just a side note for me. Um. You know,
I know Robert, you talked about this, you talk about
this a little bit too. But when we try to
like cover these groups, there's always kind of a line
to want a draw between like giving them advertising and
(04:30):
like covering them in a responsible way so people know
it's like people have information about them and about what
threats they pose and how to oppose it. Right. So
I had a bit of I had a bit of
trouble on this one trying to find this line of
you know, what is too much information that's like making
it to advertise the versus you know, I think this
(04:51):
group is. I think that this group's ideology specifically could
be a real problem in America. UM. So we call
it the severe tri Devi paradox of like, Okay, how
how deep do you get into this thing that people
need to know about, but you really don't want to
just be platforming? Yeah? Yeah, and so it's it's it's this.
It was. This one was a bit tricky because I
think there's gonna be a lot of American youth that's
very susceptible to what this type of what this type
(05:13):
of group puts out. UM. So I'm going to get
into maybe a little little bit more detail than I
would usually want to for this group, but I'm gonna
try to keep it in context for you know, informing
people about what to look out for. Um, because I
think you know, this like is that this type of
group has never actually gotten a very good stronghold in America,
and I think they very well could, um because of
(05:34):
the weird kind of macho, kind of masculine lifestyle activism
with like athletics, the kind of thing that we'll we'll
be talking all all about that more later. Um. Um. First, First,
the kind of the origins of this group what what
we know as the Rise Above Movement, which I'll just
be calling RAM from now on. UM first first pop
(05:54):
onto the scene short shortly after Donald Trump's selection, alongside
a handful of other like all right groups, so late
late is when they first first formed kind of alongside
Richard Spencer in the Traditionalist Worker Party and like those
other first wave groups. Yeah, they initially so to tell
you kind of this, to get a little peak about
(06:15):
what these people actually believe, they initially referred to themselves
as the d I Y Division so nerds so division
hack into that two thousand twelve relevant stream, Yeah, but
also like division obviously being referenced in UM uh so.
But they quickly changed their name, realizing this was probably
(06:35):
a terrible name um so in in early in spring
of seventeen, they quickly changed their branding to RAM or
Rise Above Movement UM. They had about probably a few
dozen members who lived mostly around southern California. The most
efficient way to describe them is basically a white supremacist
street gang that exists to get into fiscal contents fiscal
(06:58):
combat with all of their ideological enemies. So that's really
anyone that isn't them or anyone they see as Antifa,
but it was it was very explicitly to get into
fights with people. This was like their main there, This
was their main focus. UM right RAM has two people
usually credited as leaders or co co founders, Benjamin Daily
and Robert Rundo. Uh. The inspirations for the group is
(07:20):
a mix of kind of Nazi skinheads like the Hammerskins
UM and UH, European Eastern European street fighting white identity movements,
which we'll get into more in the next episode a lot.
But I'm i kind of I'm gonna be kind of
calling that lifestyle brand fascism because of the kind of
weird the weird white identity mixed in with like this
(07:41):
like selling athletics equipment and stuff. It's also a real
good example of one of the things that Burt oh
Echo talked about in Our Fascism, his essay trying to
kind of explain what fascism is syncretism right, Like, fascism
in in the United States has particularly um spread in
like by kind of co opting aspects of consumerist culture
(08:02):
and like, like that's why you'll see a lot of
these like lifestyle brands that focus on like beards and
tactical gear and like coffee and ship like that, because
it's all part of this. It's an aesthetic as much
as it is an ideology. Yes, and they are very
into aesthetics. Um, they are a various aesthetically focused This
was you know, one of their actually on Runda. We'll
(08:23):
talk about this later, actually he'll he'll bring up this
kind of topic when he gives advice for how to
start these groups. And it's not like the o G
Nazis weren't snappy dressers, you know, have always been a
big part of fascism. Aesthetic, it's always been a giant part. Yeah. Um,
so the group is if you look at like if
you look back in, the group is kind of notable
for where it falls in the conservative to rights to
(08:44):
neo Nazi spectrum um. Online, they were much more open
about their whites fremasis views than say the Proud Boys Um,
but they weren't quite at like Adam Waffin levels. They
they're kind of this little in between between being like
super openly Nazi all the time, but also they're they're
beyond just doing dog whistles like you know, like they
would they would post Hitler memes on social media. Um,
(09:07):
and they would like share Daily Stormer articles. Um. But
when they're in like in the streets, um, they they
they fell back and hid behind the anti immigrant, pro
free speech, pro traditional masculinity thing, while also using a
myriad of anti Semitic dog whistles. Um. In an interview,
I think uh Rundo said that someone asked him about
(09:30):
quote the fourteen words, and one I was like, oh
ha ha, well, um, uh, I'll say I'm a fan
of the fourteen words. It's like he's it's like so
they were they were they were more we must secure
a future for it's a thing about how like we
have to make the world safe for white children. And yeah,
it's it's a phrase that's fourteen words. That's it's just
(09:52):
it's kind of a just a simple it's like it's
it's like it's it's it's almost almost like a code
that people was back and forth to signal their ideology. Yeah,
we've gone into detail with it about it in the
War on Everyone, in the the Rockwell episodes and a
few other places. Yeah. Continue, but yeah, so they're a
little bit more dogwistiley in the streets, more open online.
So there. It's kind of they fall into this weird
(10:13):
kind of in between. Um. I mean, the Proud Boys
are more open now than what they weren't play seventeen,
but even still, you know, they have it's it's it's
it's a little different because like ramed wouldn't allow people
of color inside inside RAM, whereas the Proud Boys do
UM for you know, whatever propaganda reasons. Um. Here's here's
how RAM described their group on an Instagram post from
(10:34):
seventeen in a in June quote. We want to rise
above all of today's destructive culture and see the rebirth
of our people strong and mental and fiscal capabilities as
our forefathers were. In a time when you can be
harmed for your political beliefs or shamed for your heritage,
we are here to defend our identity and shared goals.
So like that's the kind of that's the kind of
(10:55):
propaganda they put out in that kind of like the
phrasing that they use. Um, there's there's there's a little
bit of identity Europa kind of stuff, and this this
group ties into the Europa a little bit later on. Um.
But they're they're they're, they're they're more more more openly
by supremacists than than than the Proud Boys at this point,
definitely UM North California Anti Racist Action, which is like
(11:21):
an anti fascist information collective. UM. They put together a
really good piece on the early days of RAM back
in July, way way before the mainstream media started paying
attention UM, in the wake of the violence at Charlottesville. UH.
The Anti Racist Act Anti Racist Action article describes RAM
like this UM. Note they use some loaded terms here
(11:42):
that will try to kind of define later UM. But
here's how Anti Racist Action describes RAMS as as you know,
as a as an organization, UM. Rise Above movement is
a loose collective of violent neo Nazis and fascists from
southern California. That's or that organizes and trains primarily to
engage and fighting and violence at political rallies. They've been
a central participant in the recent wave of far right
(12:04):
protest movements in California during the first half of which
have attempted to mobilize a broad range of right wing
constituents under the banner of protecting so called free speech,
yielding on un yielding support for Trump, and apathy towards Muslims, immigrants,
and other oppressed groups. So you know, when like Berkeley
was happening and all these other things, you know, this
group was was right there in California trying to capitalize
(12:27):
on the new popularity that this kind of you know,
quote activism was doing with these you know, lots of
different right wing kind of rallies at this time. UM
back back back to the anti racist action kind of definition. Uh,
the group's ideology comes appears to be a mishmash mostly
equal parts of identity Europa's flaccid identitarian discourse inspired itself
(12:50):
by fascist organizations like Generation Identity from France and the
fetisisty and the fetishization of masculinity, physical fitness, and violence,
mixed in with shallow anti corporate, anti consumers themes like
in the film Fight Club. Propaganda by the overwhelmingly, but
propaganda by the group overwhelmingly contains the usual fascistic themes
of emasculated young men needing to reclaim their identities through
(13:13):
learning to fight and engaging and puring a purifying violence
so very theyre they basically are just a Nazi fight club.
One of the things that's really interesting about not just
ram but about kind of the way in which American fascism,
you know, starting like not starting in but ramping up
in sen and up through the Trump years. Is it
(13:34):
kind of recreated the process that we saw happen in
the early chunk of the twentieth century, like and and
ram is specifically that we talked about Gabrielle Benunzio in
an earlier episode, like that he's all about the aesthetics,
he's about manliness, he's about like like like the purifying
nature of violence, the sacredness of action for actions sake,
(13:55):
like they were at that stage of it. And obviously,
like the kind of mainstream of American fascism has moved
on and gotten much larger and more dangerous. But it's
interesting to me that the same pattern has kind of
repeated itself here. Yeah, and it was this was this
was all very intentional. Like, um, if you look at
like the anti racist action kind of brief definition or
(14:16):
not not suprief definition, Um, then compare that to like, so, um,
this was a ram. I'm gonna real A RAM post
from a GAB circa December to seventeen. Robert, did you
want to want to explain what GAB is to the
listeners that have a better life than we do. Yeah.
Gab was the first Twitter for Nazis before Parlor was
(14:36):
popular as Twitter for Nazis, and gab largely became defunct
after someone who had repeatedly talked about killing Jewish people
on Gab shot eleven Jewish people to death at the
Tree of Life Synagogue. Yeah, so here's here's here's the
post from RAM from from from gab um kind of
echoing some sentiments that the Anti Racis Anti Racist Action
article kind of laid out. The Rise About Movement is
(14:59):
the premier m M, a fight club of the altar
right representing the United States. Their dedication is to promote
an active lifestyle and common values among young people and
a future for European people. This is achieved through training,
creative thinking, and activism. The main task of RAM is
to revive the spirit of a warrior and see the
rebirth of the values of the Western civilization's forefathers warrior. So, yeah,
(15:26):
the warrior spirit is going to be a big reoccurring
theme here. Um I I was I. I've been familiar
with the warrior spirit kind of concept for a while
because actually that there's there's a sector of the Parker
community that talks about that. So like I've been and
I was always weary of that, even before I really
knew what fascism was. I always just felt weird to
me and felt a little problematic. Yeah. Um, but we'll
(15:51):
actually we'll be talking about warrior spirit later on, probably
more in in part two. Um, because there's a you know,
a whole bunch of fascist writing about the warriors bear
to the warrior lifestyle, warrior mentality or whatever. Of course,
this also ties into police training, which I'm sure is
just a coincidence. Um, I'm sure there's a correlation. I'm
sure there's no correlation between the aesthetics, the aesthetics of
(16:14):
violence and the warrior culture that Ram appropriated and capitalized on,
and the aesthetics of violence and warrior culture that is
hugely popular among law enforcement law enforcement trainers like Grossman. Um,
I'm sure there's there's absolutely no comparisons between any any
of those things. It is fun though, because Ram does
(16:35):
hate law enforcement, which is gonna be very funny later. Well. Yeah,
because and that's the like you've got the two chunks
of the right that are currently like the there's like
the hates cops because I'm an actual Nazi chunk of
the right, and then there's the back the blue chunk
of the right. And at the moment one we seem
to be watching the hates cops chunk of the right
(16:55):
eating the back of the blue type, which is which
is very fun. Yeah. Anyway, Yeah, we we will talk. No,
I'm fin was just watching from the sidelines. Um. Anyway.
So in late late seventen Pro Publica interviewed a quote
leader of RAM. So this is probably either Ben Daily
(17:16):
or Robert Rundo, but it doesn't identify who UM. And
here's what the article says on the actual origin of
the group UM. Quote RAM, the leader said, came together organically.
It started when he encountered a few other guys with
similar political beliefs, including two active duty U. S. Marines,
while exercising at different gyms in southern California. They all
(17:37):
liked Trump but didn't think his agenda went far enough.
The men began hanging out. Their numbers grew. Many came
from rough backgrounds. They've been strung out on drugs or
spent time behind bars, and currently labored at tough blue
collar jobs. Soon they had a name and a mission.
They would physically take on the foes of the far right.
So that's that's that's how they're kind of origin is
(17:58):
described in that article based on the interview they did,
just some dudes hanging out in gym's talking about politics
and realizing that they're all kind of Nazis um, which
they were. There's a lot of actually ties, there's lots
of ties to the to the actual Hammer Skins Um
which we'll talk more about later, which again are like
one of the first big Nazi skin head um gangs. Yeah,
(18:18):
and we're talking like nineties, early two thousand's. Actually the
first named US Antifa group, ro City Antifa form to
oppose a hammer Skin rally, and I think two dozens
six in Portland. Yeah, we Hammer Skins will will come
back here um very soon. Um. Rams combination of influences
makes it pretty makes it a pretty unique group inside
(18:39):
the States, and one I think that young men can
be especially susceptible to under the right conditions. UM in
their prime. Ram just utilized the same kind of meme
centric social media outreach common among the ault right, the
joke filled posts about white identity, victimhood, and heritage, while
also being very lifestyle focused and emphasizing the importance of
physical fitness, mascaline athleticism, and street combat training, drawing from
(19:02):
Skinheads in particular the hammer skin Nation um who who
also did combat training. Um. And actually they did combat
training alongside Ram and Ram and Hammerskins shared a few members. Um.
I know. One one thing Wonder talks about when like
he's when like now, when he's talking about, you know,
advice for how to start groups and why he started
this group is like he was upset that the al
(19:23):
right fell into a few kind of factions and feel
like he felt like his faction wasn't really represented. There
was like the whole like there was a total like
you know, the Richard Spencer kind of smart intellectual people
in suits doing debates type thing, um, And there was
like the very Mimi right, and then there was the
very kind of Larpe right where you know, dressed up
(19:45):
in in like tactical gear and ghost stand in front
of a building. And Runda thought all these were stupid. Um.
He's like, he's like kids, kids don't usually go dress
up in suits and do debates. That's not really what
That's not really what a lot of young kids do.
But you do watch UFC. So this so this is,
this is this is what his kind of big thing
was was like, if I can get the kids that
(20:06):
watch UFC, like, if I get like the young teens
that do that, I think that's going to be more
of a breeding ground than like the Richard Spencer dressing
up in suits trying to look all like cool. Um,
I mean, fucking Joe Rogan proves them right and that
that's not a dumb tactic. No, it's not, which is
why I want to talk about this and we need
to like watch out for this in the next few years,
(20:26):
because he is right about that. I mean I would
dress up in suits and do debates, but that I'm
I'm me. Yeah, So it's it's I'm I'm a little
different there. Um yeah, yeah, that's that's that's that's where
it comes from, you know. Um. Anyway, um, let's see.
(20:50):
Oh yeah, here in in a in a in a
YouTube video which we'll talk more about his rundo's YouTube
videos later, but here's here. Uh. This is uh, this
is a quote from one of his YouTube videos. Um.
I can't remember what chapter it is in mind Comps,
but the one that he says that we needed we
need more people to take a boxing than we need intellectuals.
(21:12):
Uh yeah, so I mean and kind of perfectly embodying
that by saying, I don't remember where in mind comfit was,
but somewhere somewhere that there's a quotes apparently when when
Runda was in jail, he was like allowed a copy
of mine. Compea not a not a good not a
(21:33):
good idea. But people can't have dice to play dungeons
and dragons. That's satanic, Robert, it might use it to gamble.
Oh and that yeah. Um so. One one key element
that separates RAM from skinheads is their aesthetic. Um, instead
of shaved heads, bomber jackets and boots, they have you know,
(21:53):
taper and fashion haircuts that became a common among half
skull masks, populized by popularized by him often and um
as California or Anti racist Action perfectly puts it. Quote
Richard Spencer in activewear kind of look, which does does
really kind of describe what these guys look like. I
just hate that. That's a sentence somebody wrote. Yeah, and
(22:15):
it's it's frustrating how accurate it is. Um, the active
ware thing will be circling back to multiple times. Um,
because as seemingly, another big influence for the group is
the Russian white supremacist mixed martial arts clothing company called
White Rex, which we'll we'll we'll talk about a few
more times later on. On the note of one other
note on the lifestyle brand element from the anti anti
(22:39):
racist action article quote. The group's propaganda also emphasizes an
anti drug or straight edge message, which is again a
common theme among certain segments of the neo Nazis, who
view substances um excluding alcohol apparently um as part of
the global Jewish conspiracy to weaken the white race. Despite this,
many members use the wide reaches a stances and have
(23:00):
histories of being arrested for like drunken fighting and possession
in the past. Um, just a ton of them. Yeah yeah.
One rand member, um, tylor Lob, has a long history
of arrests for driving on under the influence, drunken fighting,
carrying a switchblade, and robbery. And he also he actually
managed to get himself shot during a drunken fight. Um. See,
(23:22):
these are the kind of people who need to hear
the gospel of my favorite drink, the actual lifestyle beverage
that I pushed for Behind the Bastards high Ball, which
I'm now rolling over into high ball, which my my
New Year's recipe for this is you get a pint glass,
you fill that pint class up eight of the way
with four oh nine and then no, just just a
(23:44):
dash of medical bleach, and you gotta make sure it's
medical bleach. Stealing from a hospital. Break into a hospital
with a gun, steal some medical bleach, and a dollarp
of that on top of the four oh nine, and
then just a scouch of women. Don't do any of that.
I think I think it will cure the Nazi problem.
It'll do Yeah, exactly. If we can get the Nazis
drinking highballs, we'll have less of a problem with them
(24:08):
because it make the part where people have to go
guns blazing into a You don't have to go guns.
That's the most American thing you can do, Sophie. If
you carry out an armed robbery in a hospital, they'll
probably let you take the bleach. Okay, this is not
Batman movie. This is Behind the Bastards and it's time
for an ad break. Don't do any of that. Ships
(24:33):
that support this podcast, all right, we're back. Please continue Garrison. Ya,
no drugs for these Nazis, so so they say except
for drinking and driving, except for a lot of alcohol. Um.
But I mean, like Rundo does truly believe in the
(24:54):
straight edged thing like they like in terms of like
drugs and stuff, they really are anti drug Um. You
show was Hitler except for all the meth amphetamy. Yeah,
and also like a Tyler Tyler lob. The guy that
got into a who got shot during a drunking fight
was like was in like a Zanex club when that happened.
So like come on, like, come on, come on, buddy, Like, yeah,
(25:18):
medicinal drugs don't count, bro. Yeah. Um, but like they
actually a series about the whole um stranger stranger thing
in terms of like in terms of propaganda at least,
um yeah. Yeah, and it's definitely like that's a pretty
common stream among Nazis, Like you have to keep yourself
pure and healthy for the race. Yeah yeah. Speaking of propaganda,
(25:40):
Ran themselves relied heavily on social media propaganda for recruiting.
They would often produce videos of them doing combat training
or working out for the SPLC, the Southern Property Law Center. Um.
Their promotional media is quote targeted towards men who find
the idea of a real world fight club appealing. White
supremacy supplies and justification for violence, and ultimately this group
(26:01):
has been about street fighting, um, which I don't fully
agree with the last part there. I spent way way
too much time reading about RAM and watching their videos
this past like two weeks, um, and they absolutely care
about wite supremacy maybe above all else. UM. But I
can see truth, elements of truth in this sentiment. Um.
And we'll come back to this topic later. We talk
about RAMS co founder Robert Runda Moore, because I think
(26:24):
there is definitely a little bit of that violence above
everything in him. But I mean it is very you know,
there's there is a lot of white supremacy. It's not
it's not just finding a justification for violence. It is
also they just really care about white supremacy. Back to
back to social media propaganda, um, from from from from
the remem account, they would post videos, pictures, and memes
(26:45):
posting over the people they beat up, usually showcasing footage
or photos of the assaults. And of course this would
all kind of This wasn't a great idea. I mean,
it was good for recruiting, but this would absolutely contribute
to their um downfall um because you know, they're just
bragging about all the crimes they're doing and very explicit detail. Um.
(27:05):
So the ironic thing is that they stress that people quote,
get offline and get active and to quit NonStop meming
despite their incriminating, NonStop meming about the people that they've
beat up and they and their NonStop producing and propaganda videos,
which I mean I get yeah, yeah, I know you
need to recruit and stuff, but you know when you
have such a such a they have such a such
(27:28):
a focus on, like the getting offline type of thing,
despite their heavily mostly online presence um to for for recruiting.
Another gab gab post from January says, uh, a new
year and a new direction for the alt right. Time
to leave behind the online memes and countless our ship
posting and act like we really do want a world
that exists beyond discord. It's an etty websites, train organize,
(27:52):
get active, repeat, So I mean, I get it right
that they want to recruit new members and to get
away from the right. It's kind of Keyboard Warrior gamer
Gate kind of history. They're not the ones who like
being associated with fucking pep's and ship. No, they find
it very annoying, um. And they find a lot of
people spend that too much time doing that instead of
(28:12):
beating up children in the streets or killing Jewish people
or whatever. Um. So be like this type of propaganda
is the easiest way to encourage and influence people to
take real world action. But I still appreciate the irony
and the complete lack of security culture that they have,
UM in terms of NonStop posting about people they've beat up,
like they would they would constantly make memes about the
people that they like be beat up in the streets,
(28:34):
like NonStop. It was. It's amazing, and it's I mean,
part of that is like it's silly that they did that,
But it's not as unwise as I guess it might seem,
because again, the cops never went after those people for
a long time along time, I mean the cops never did.
They got in tob with the with the FBI later,
but we'll let we'll let we'll talk about why. But yeah,
(28:55):
it's that there's a reason in general why they're right
is so bad at security culture, and it's because the
cops tend to like them. Yeah, yeah, it doesn't. Yeah.
Um So, in the vein of like moving beyond online
posting and into real real world action, it's time to
discuss what RAM actually did at rallies. Um and who
these and who these people are? Um so. Rams public
(29:19):
debut was in March at a MAGA rally in Huntington Beach, California.
At this point they were probably about a dozen people
and they were still calling themselves the d A D
D O I Division. UM. They held a massive banner
that read Defend America UM. Holding above it there was
a sign that that read uh dag do i um no,
which is a variance of of that phrase or a
(29:40):
popular anti anti Semitic phrase among the right. Um. I'm
not gonna explain what it means, but believe you me,
it's very anti semitic. Um so. At the Huntington Beach rally,
RAM members were the first ones to start fights with
anti fascists that soon turned into a very messy brawl.
UM fights initially started when a RAM member later identified
as Tyler Lobb, the same guy who got into a
drunken UM street fight and got shot at a Xanex club. Um,
(30:04):
the same guy. Um, he's he's he started stuff by
attacking a POC journalist and punched them repeatedly in the face.
Then RAM cout co founder Robert Undo, who also leads
all like their fight training. Um. He's predominantly seen in
the pictures unmasked UM and in videos pummeling a Black
Block protester on the ground with his fists and elbows.
(30:26):
Footage of the attack becomes a meme for the alt
right and is used heavily in recruitment propaganda. UM. At
this time, we have terrible nicknames being given to a
whole bunch of right wing kind of street people. So
he got nicknamed Based elbow Man, which is very stupid. UM.
But you know again this is used for meming and
propaganda and recruiting, UM, despite clear evidence. Yeah it's not
(30:50):
it's not fun. I mean, well, we're gonna will probably
got his nickname alongside such luminaries as Based Stickman. We
don't don't worry about. But we're talking about stick Man. Good.
I love Kyle Chapman, He's coming, don't worry. He ties
into RAM two. Everyone does, even even UM, even Joey
Gibson ties into RAM at some point. It's great that
(31:13):
the names, the nicknames of all of these chudds, who
are only noteworthy for hitting people in the face and
not getting arrested, will be stuck in my head unto
legend of my days that I don't know the name
of I don't know, like the sniper who tried to
kill me. It's very, very fun. I love America. Despite
clear evidence of the assault, please do not rust, Please
do not arrest Rondo, nor would he ever face city
(31:35):
or stage charges. Um no, I would he yeah? Um. Alternatively,
police were quick to arrest three anti fascists and Huntington
Beach who defended themselves from them defended themselves, POC journalists
and others from RAMS attacks. The three anti fascists were
charged with quote felony a legal use of pepper spray.
(31:56):
M hmmm, yeah, that'll really fun. Yet that peppers ray.
They charge with the felony for music pepper spray for
defending themselves against Nazis. Um thankfully, yeah, thankfully Three months later,
the d A. The d A dropped the charges because
they were stupid. Um, yeah, because they were because it
was lunacy. Yeah. But the police decided to arrest three.
(32:18):
I t fascists that day and let all the Nazis
go and charge them with their lives up with I mean,
like if it forever, if it gets dropped, but it
sucks you up while those charges are on you, Like yeah,
I mean I just applied for citizenship, and if I
was ever charged with something it was dropped, I would
have to put that on my application. I was charged
with felony right at this one point. Cheers later dropped,
but I still have to say that that that you
(32:39):
have to you have to put that in a lot
of stuff. It's terrible. That's why I'm glad you're much
faster than the cops. And I'm glad that I got
my stuff paper, all papers, all submitted now, um, which
is which is good? Um? Anyway? Um. Felony illegal use
of pepper spray because maybe one of the funniest felonies
that I've ever heard. Besides lost count of the number
(32:59):
of people who have pepper sprayed me at rallies so
many August twenty two alone, there was so much mace
in the air. Yeah, so I got I got maced
by DHS like four nights ago. They had giant they
had mace cannons. Yeah, yeah, they had supersokers. I would
constitute that a felody illegal use of pepper spray. But whatever. Anyway,
(33:23):
See it's been months since I've been maced by DHS.
Now you've got me jealous. It was great. Actually, the
tear gas was a little pleasant. It was a little
nostalgic because because it was only a little bit and
it was it was it was almost fun, just just
a with So let let's flash flash forward to April fifteen.
It's like a month after this mega rally in Huntington Beach,
(33:45):
but April Berkeley, California. UM. This is when RAM first
came under the eyes of anti fascist researchers. UM. This
was the second big Berkeley rally with upwards of a
thousand people. UM. This is when RAMS started making connections
with other neo Nazi al right groups. Rammed themselves attended
the rally with the neo Nazi quote race realist group
(34:08):
Identity Europa UM and they actually like car pooled with
its leader and of an leader who is a former Marine,
Nathan Domingo. Which side note here, I always thought Domingo
was like in his fourties or fifties because he looks
very old, but he's like thirty four. It's shocking. I
was so also cocaine, which they don't talk about because
(34:29):
they're a little too smart to usually talk about it.
But all of these guys are doing a funkload of blow,
especially the proud boys like it ages these motherfucker's. It's amazing.
He was born in nineteen eighties six, which he looks
fifty years old. He's two years older than me. Shocking,
I was. I was very surprised anyway, Um ram car
pulled with this asshole, UM who's also who's also a
(34:51):
convicted felon for doing a racist arm robbery of a
Middle Eastern cab driver, and he's also a former marine.
Um Domingo got national tension on April fifteenth after footage
went viral of him sucker punching pound woman Um. This
not only turned Domingo into an alt right meme Sashiro,
it gave Identity Rope a lot of free press and
led to a harassment campaign against the victim um mother
(35:12):
Jones reports quote. After the punching video went viral, the
right unleash a doxing campaign against the victim and her family,
publishing their home address, phone numbers, home address, and phone numbers. Online,
she received rape threats and other abuse and messages and
images of pornography work that she'd done were turned into
memes and posted on her grandmother's Facebook page. So that's
(35:34):
not great that they assaulted someone and then uh harassed
them online for a long time afterwards. Yeah. But in
in said viral footage right behind Domingo, Um, you can
see a young man in a gray shirt have skull
mask shaved sides and black goggles with orange lenses. This
is Robert Bowman RAND member wearing what would become the
(35:57):
RAM uniform gray active where skullman ask goggles and that
Richard Spencer haircut. UM members would also usually have their
hands taped up m M A style. Uh. Earlier that day,
RAM co founder Robert Rundo attacked anti fascist demonstrators after
they insulted him about skipping leg days at the gym.
(36:20):
So okay, well, he's right on that you never insulted
man squads. So so some teenagers insulted him about his
leg about him him not doing leave days, and then
also apparently they insulted him for having a presumably small
penis um Triggered by the jokes, Rundo crossed over police
barricades and started attacking random people. I bet he suffered
(36:40):
serious legal consequences for breaking across the police arricade to
assault people. Rundo was briefly arrested and then let go
the same day, released without charges. UM, oh cool, why
would you charge? No? Like he he went over a
police barricade to beat up teenagers after they insulted his leg.
I don't know how to respond to this without being petty.
(37:03):
So that's but I love how often police have like
shoved and threatened us with the rest for standing in
a street instead of a sidewalk when the street was
closed to traffic. Um, but he gets to charge across
a police barricade and punch people. It's fucking rules America. Um.
If the anti racist Action article points out quote, Rundo's
(37:24):
actions clearly show it desired to not only escalate the
situation to violence, but also desired to physically provoke an
attack anti fascists at all costs. Um. Nathan Demingo of
Identity Europo was also never arrested or charged over his
assaulting of a very small woman. Um, despite bragging about it.
On like mainstream news outlets, like he bragged about his
his assault and nothing ever happened to him because again
(37:46):
why um. Later that day, other RAND members, including Tim Gillen,
Robert Bellman, Spencer Curry, and co founder Benjamin Daily can
be seen in their M uniform assaulting various anti fascists
and then bragging about it on social media while posting
pictures of the attacks. Um what what? What? What made
RAM different in these street brawls was their ability to
(38:07):
attack as a unit because they all trained together on
a weekly basis, Like they actually you know, like they
actually did physical combat training together. Um. So like they
they attacked not as just individuals, but they attacked as
a group. Um. They're described by ProPublica as quote fighting
as a pack. Whilst attacking someone. RAND member Robert Bowman
got pepper sprayed in the face with his goggles down. Um,
(38:29):
and then he was ushered a wave out. He was
ushered to safety by Joey Gibson above patriot prayers A
fun a little tie in um for people in the
Pacific Northwest. That that Yeah, so Joey Gibson saved one
of the RAM people after getting pepper sprayed, even though
he had goggles, they just weren't on. I guess I
don't know. Um, but yeah, this whole whole fighting is
(38:52):
the pack thing which made them a little bit more
formidable in combat versus like the Proud Boys, which generally
do not attack as a group and they mainly attack
us intivid jewels. UM. So that that that's what made
them a little bit more effective in combat. Um. We
we still have a few more Nazi crossovers to get to,
hear um. At the Berkeley rally, Ram also teamed up
(39:12):
with white nationalist videographer and live streamer Vincent James Fox UM.
Vincent woodstream the ra rallies via YouTube and his website. UM.
Vincent previously was friendly with Ram at the Hunting to
Beach rally. Um he's the one that dubbed Rundo as
based elbow man. Great Vincent James would not only happily
cover these far right tacks, he would also like incite them.
(39:34):
He can be heard yelling get the fucking cock as
five Round members jump a Black Block protester and began
beating on them. So basically, the guy with the video
camera would like be behind Ram people you like point
out different people to attack, and then ran would attack
that person, and then they would go back and tack
someone else. Um. After after rallies, Vincent would make propaganda
videos for RAM UM and he hands them all of
(39:56):
his footage for RAM to make their own videos and
memes and stuff. So we had they had. They had
like this kind of like relationship circle here for like
they would protect him at a rally and he would
give them footage to do propaganda stuff with. Um. Yeah
not not not not great again. No, none of these
people really got in trouble for this with the city
police or state police at all, and they would only
(40:18):
get in trouble like many years later after like dozens
of articles are posted about them, you know, beating up
random people, and even still their charges miniscule compared to
what anti fascists get. The thing that is should be
clear to everyone about the Nazis is that, like this
current swarm of Nazis that are about to descend on
the will have descended on d C for the third
(40:38):
time by the time this this episode air's is that,
like if one of two things had happened, either one
the first time they beat up a bunch of people,
several of them had received serious felony charges and had
been prosecuted, or if the first time they had come
out to beat up a bunch of people, they had
been surrounded by a swarm of counter demonstrators and pummeled. Um,
they would not have kept coming out, and none of
(40:59):
this would still be a problem. It would have looked
like ship for them, and they wouldn't have kept going
out into the street because it wouldn't have been there there.
Like the fact that they were not um, the fact
that they were able to continue doing this and have
positive experiences getting to beat people up, getting it on video,
getting their fun nicknames, getting shipped go viral, and they
didn't suffer consequences from law enforcement, and they weren't there
(41:21):
just weren't enough people at a lot of these rallies
to like really beat them into the fucking ground, or
if there were, the cops stopped them from doing it.
Like that's why they're still here. That's why this is
still a problem. Very frustrating. Yeah, still still a problem. Um,
it's it's going to be for for at least a while. Still. UM.
(41:41):
Eagle eyed anti fascists noticed ram CO founder Ben Dailey
doing a particular salute at the Berkeley rally. UM A
closed fist Roman salute that moves and that moves into
an X with both arms and both fists clenched, which
is from a history NERD. Yeah, so I know, I
mentioned Homiskins a few times already. We've I guess we
we've already kind of um talked about them a little bit.
(42:02):
But they're there. They're considered to be the largest or
most widespread Nazia skin hood organization. UM. They have numerous
ties to brutal white supremacists, assault, speedings, and murders. UM
twelve of a coach, fully patched hammer skin member, UM
an Army veterans. If you see a pattern here, I
keep mentioning all a lot of these people are in
the Marines, are in the Army because this is a
(42:25):
pattern here. UM, but fully patch hammer skan member and
an Army veteran, Wade Michael Page massacre at six people
inside a sick temple inside a Sikh temple in Wisconsin.
UM in in a yeah, so he he what this
is the Yeah, twenty twelve six people died in this attack.
There's been about probably like a it's been like around
like a dozen other hammer skin murders UM. In the
(42:48):
past few decades across UH the globe, um Ben Dalien
Rams started actively recruiting hammer Skin members um Uh, Skylar,
seig Burg whatever stupid name UM, Matthew brands to letter
also dumb name, and Spencer Curry. Anyway, there's three three
three three noted hammerskins and anti fascists have like repeatedly
(43:10):
identified joined RAM into seen UM with Skyler and Spencer
being part of a hammer skin band, because again, these
are the type of Nazis that have like quote quote
quote unquote punk bands, which you know any punk will
say is actually, you know it's not punk, it's anti punk. Um, yeah,
you kind of can't be punk, and also in favor
of the state using massive force two institute genocide that's
(43:31):
not super not really punk. Yeah. Yeah. So like these
people were in like you know, skinhead bands, and a
Matt Bronze Setter or whatever his stupid name is UM
and an accomplice beat UH beat a Jewish man unconscious
and robbed him in Orange County Park back in twenty eleven,
(43:52):
which was like a noted like Hammerskin attack. So like
the same guy now active in RAM and all these
guys are like in their twenties now, right, So this
this is they they're they're not like old guys. They're
like they were doing this as teens and they're doing
you know, and they were doing stuff like ram in
their twenties. They're still they're still in their twenties. Um
Brand Stater or whatever his name is, was convicted of
(44:14):
aggravated assault and with the hate car enhancement and sent
to prison for twenty months for beating this Jewish man
unconscious back again, back back in like um. The anti race,
anti racist action article notes quote many of these individuals,
such as Skylar also connected with Neonazi members of groups
such as the Golden State Skinheads, who estabbed six anti
(44:34):
fascists and anti racist protesters in Sacramento, UM in uh
June of like under the banner of the Traditional Workers Party, UM,
Traditionalist Workers Party. So it's clear that, yeah, it's clear.
It's clear that the Day Division, as it's known back then,
is a political collective of working hard to bridge the
gap between the more Internet based al Right brand of
white nationalism just targeted to appeal to a younger which
(44:56):
generally educated, upper class white man and the more traditional
boots and they ground and street violence tactics characterized by
neo Nazi skinhead politics. So again they're trying to kind
of bridge this gap between kind of getting into the
street and doing fighting. Will also still recruiting young people online. Um,
which is why I am particularly concerned with what this
you know, what a similar organization could do in the
(45:17):
next few years. Um. So after this big rally in Berkeley,
um uh Ram also connected with far right figure Kyle
Chapman um, who I don't know. I don't know if
he deserves his own Bastard's episode because he's just incredibly stupid,
but this is he just like he punches people a lot. Yeah,
this is basic. He was part of the Proud Boys
(45:41):
for a little bit. He started the Fraternal Order of
the Old Nights again super nerves. Like it's like like
Ram actually hates all these people, like Ronder will talk
about this like he hates nerds, right, So it's very
funny to watch his videos because I'll be insulting all
these like idiots who are like Lar Big. It's very funny. Um.
But yeah, this Kyle did this Fraternal Order of the
Old Nights. Um. He started a resist Marxism was turning
(46:05):
into super happy fun America, which did that Boston Straight
Pride parade. All the same guy who basically was behind
all these things. He's very very funny. UM, also very dangerous. UM.
And also I think more recently of Proud Boy stuff,
but that's a known at the moment. Um. Yeah, Couchatman
all this stuff. He got connected with Ram after the
Berkeley rally. UM and the next few months, Ram also
(46:27):
connected with various other people affiliated with the Proud Boys,
including Juan cavitid a Ka, Johnny Benneatz um and quote
Luke based Skywalker Dennis, which I find offensive as as
I Luke Skywalker fan, I don't appreciate that. Um. But
these are all Proud Boys noted for beating up people
(46:48):
in streets during the same time. UM, so they all
they they all got acquainted. UM. In the spring and summer,
Ram and the Proud Boys would put on little like
monthly get togethers on the different like California beaches. UM.
One of these meetups was named America First, remembering the
victims of illegals and refugees. UM. It's like they would
(47:10):
just do like basically monthly beach parties with the beach
first of all, Like they all live at the beach,
like had like Robert Undo had, like a beachside house.
I mean, and there's a conversation to be said about
some of the intersections of fascism and surfer culture, like
(47:30):
it is. It is a thing that's been written about.
Yeah that that math does add up, but I don't
appreciate it. Very frustrating, very frustrating. Which is great because
when we had a not super Nazi, but like a
noted all right figure from Portland's moved to a beach
town like last year, and then Andy fascists got her
(47:53):
fired from her job at the beaches. Yeah, and she
was like working at the Safeway bakery and she got fired.
She got she got fired because she took a leave
of absence because they were giving any worker who was
scared of the coronavirus a leaf of absence, and she
took a leave of absence claiming she was scared of
the virus, and then immediately organized an anti mask rally
(48:13):
um in the same Yeah, it's it's great, it's good. Yeah,
you know what else is great and good and hopefully
helps keep us employed. Robert highball No Shot four nine
in hospital Bleach with Yeah, now you want to drink
it real fast, you can get a second one in
you as quick as possible. It's the doubling up that
(48:35):
really makes it work. I'll take I'll take some notes. Yeah, Garrison,
you're you're a growing man. You know you need a
four o nine cocktails. You do not need that. You're
particularly done my coffee, And that means it's time to
listen to these maybe coffee ads from maybe a Oh yeah,
I hope we get another Black Rifle. I swear to
(48:56):
God if we get a nice another Black Rifle coffee, yet,
I will the only coffee company that's been repeatedly forced
to disavow Kyle Rittenhouse because he likes their product, and
has also been attacked by its primary customers for disavow
and Kyle Rittenhouse because they made their brand fascism coffee?
Are you tired of masturbating with a cup of normal
(49:17):
coffee while watching watching Hitler speeches? In that case, by
Black Rifle coffee, the only coffee that makes sense to
masturbate to Hitler too, Thank you, Black Rifle. I resign
here we go. Well, that was a great coffee. Thanks
Robert for sending me my Christmas coffee. Um this year. Anyway,
(49:42):
we're back from the ad break and I did not
get black Rifle coffee because it probably seems terrible. Um,
we drink death wish coffee in this house. You have
not given us money. But who I quite like you
know what I miss? Robert is going to the beach
to look at the ocean, um, which Nazis got to
do a lot with it with the Proud Boys, um.
(50:04):
Which is weird because you know, Graham was very like
openly Nazi at this point, and Gavin McGinnis was still
trying to get convince people that he that his gang
wasn't racist or fascist at this point. Um. And you
know McGinnis would insist neo Nazis don't exist anymore. There's
a bit it's it's it's it's a bit too hard
depart when Ram was doing monthly beach hang out with
(50:24):
with the Proud Boys. So real interesting thing there, um.
But an observation that the antiras section article makes is
um quote. What's clear is that both these groups need
each other. The Proud Boys need the numbers and muscle
of the of the neo Nazis, where the neo Nazis
need the cover of the pro Trump groups. I think
(50:45):
it's a really good UM observation at this time in
you know, for for for how this was kind of
a symbiotic relationship that they kind of both needed to
survive at the time. UM speaking speaking of Nazis. At
the beach, um back in back in Huntington Beach and
maybe seen Red members gathered around a beach fire at
(51:06):
a at a at a at a public beach, mix
the ocean with a splastica son and rad and iron
cross and cultic rooms for scribble lunch of the fire
pits Huntington Beach is so nice. This is so And
they were also flying an American, a Confederate and iron
cross and a black sun flag requa garrison. I can't
(51:32):
care whatever anyway, we all we're all flying. So what
what do you um? So unmasked RAND members are seeing Uh,
Tim Gellen and Ben Dailey are seen the pictures. Um,
So what do you think these free speech crusaders are
doing near a big beach fire in the middle of
the day. What what do you what do you think?
(51:52):
What do you think they're They're up to I don't know,
maybe burning crosses. They're doing a burning burning. Oh good, okay,
what book do you because I have the script, I
am your overlord? What what book do you think that?
What do you think that that? What do you think
they're burning? Oh? Geez? What book? Would then this is
the game? Oh man, there's there's like five right answers.
(52:15):
So yeah, yeah, okay, I'm I don't know. I really
don't know. There's too many possibilities catcher in their eye. No,
they probably like that book, actually, Robert More, I think
more fucked. What's like looks like something that like is
(52:36):
really fucked. What's something that twenty year old neo Nazis
are going to burn at the beach? Oh? Probably like
the Torah? Maybe? But anyway, among the books being tossed
in the fire were Um and Frank's The Diary of
a Young Girl. Yeah, that makes sense. It's a novelization
(52:57):
of Sinless listep so the novelistation. Okay, that's creative of
the Jewish. Uh, the Jewish book of why um, cultural pluralism,
um traffon Hitler's Hell. And also they burned the nine
eleven Commission report. But wow, that makes sense, because you
(53:19):
don't have to be a Nazi to know the jet
fuel can't melt steel beams. Uh but yeah, um, they weren't.
At least twenty other books though that they deemed culturally
Marxist or Jewish enough to be burned. Um. So yeah,
they had theirselves and a little a little book burning
in May on the beach, flying a black sun flag
back when no one knew what a black sun flag was. Like,
(53:39):
I still, I'll still a lot a lot of people don't. Um,
but yeah, that's what they were doing. Shooter put on
his body armor. Yeah, I mean, I'll mention this later,
but Robert Rundo eventually gets a black sun elbow tattoo.
Okay cool. Yeah anyway, Um, quick quick run down to
(54:00):
some of Ram's activities pre pre AUGUSTE. UM. Well, Los Angeles,
California May Feet members attended the May Day actions, hoping
to get into fights with left wing activists. UM. San Bernardino,
California June members participated in a quote anti Sharia law
protest in protesting a bill that would make quote property
(54:24):
protesting in support of a bill that would make a
quote practicing Sharia law illegal. It's just very very dumb. Um,
that's not how laws work. UM. They held signs that
read rape fugees, stay away, not welcome. UM. Another sign
that was like defend America, Islamists out. UM. Within that
(54:45):
that that that depicted a lance lance wielding crusaders on
horseback chasing away fleeing Muslims. So that's that's that's in June. UM.
So not super historically accurate because let's just say crusader
cavalry didn't have shipped on saladine. M. But I don't
think people really care about history, that about what happened
(55:09):
during the actual Yeah, not really um. Uh. Tourist California
July seen remembers hung a quote secure Borders, Secure Future
banner over the UH one ten highway or freeway. I
don't know how to say local local. You know, there's
(55:29):
like certain ways to say the numbers. You were you
were cool and hippy, dude, I know all the California
highways now allowed further south than reading. UM and uh.
Finally um. And also in July seventeen in in Santa Monica,
(55:52):
remembers attempted to disrupt a Committee for Racial Justice meeting. UM.
Also at the time, a lot of remembers were working
at a tree trimming business that was run by Benjamin Daily,
so like they were all working at their gang. Yeah yeah,
Um it's fun looking. I mean their business is currently
(56:14):
shut down because Benjamin Daily is currently in prison for
things he will do later. Um, but um, it's fun
going to you can get but his yelth page is
still up so you like read reviews of like people
saying hey, you're a fucking Nazi um, and he's like, oh,
how rude that is. Yeah, it's real, real, stupid, real dumb. Um.
(56:35):
So anyway, this this leads up to August seen and
the Unite the Right rally. UM. At this point, rain
Ramp claimed to have over fifty members, although it was
way more likely they had around end of fifteen guys.
And we're just lying about their numbers to make them
seems seem bigger than what they actually were. Um. But
due to their social media presence, UM, they had gained
(56:58):
a national reputation as like an intense white supremacist street
fighter group. Uh. Tim Gellen and Ben Daily are front
and center in one of the most widely circulated photos
of the Tiki Torch rally. They're like, right, there you
can see, you can see their little little faces because
they have both have they both have very unique heads UM.
So yeah, they're they're frontal center UM. On August eleventh
(57:22):
and the night before you know, the big the big
day on August twelve UM, both men Gillen and Daily
had a gun charges from actually Um and Gilan had
been jailed for a legal possession of an unserialized tanggun
and Daily was arrested and convicted of illegally carrying a
concealed snub nosed UH seven magnum revolver. So they both
(57:44):
these guys here apparently had gun charges. So I don't
think they were carrying at this time, but a lot
of people made that note. So I'm like, okay, I
guess I'll put it into sure, and a lot of people,
a lot of these guys who can't legally carry or
own guns still do because again the police very rarely
punished them for breaking the law. Yeah, so these guys
(58:04):
were chanting, you know, you will not replace us choos
A lot replaces Chance Um alongside fellow remember Cole White,
unfortunate name for a Nazi UM and hundreds of other
UM young man. So they were there was. There was
at least three or four people from RAM there that night.
UM of chanting UH. The RE members in Charlottesville participated
(58:26):
the attacking the anti racist, anti fascist protesters at the
University of Virginia campus when the hundreds of Nazis surrounded
a few dozen people holding an anti racist banner. So
the RAM was a part of the attack on the
people in front of the statue that night. UM. The
next day, August twelve, at the main Unite the Right event,
at least four remembers were present and can be seen
(58:47):
attacking anti fascist counter protesters starting very early on in
the day. UM. When I was, I mean, I was
looking through old footage for this for writing, and I
was able to actually, like I was, I I've been
reading enough about these guys and watching enough other videos
that I was like able to like pick out people
just like just with my own eyes without having to
pause or anything. I can like track certain people throughout
the crowd because they were very active in beating up
(59:07):
a lot of people. UM on on August twelve, UM,
Ben Daily, Tim Gellen, Um Cold White, and Michael miss Less,
UM all these guys were attacking people this day. UM
the ladder, which is also a documented attacking people back
in Berkeley. Um. Uh, that's Michael miss Less, who is
also a PhD student at the u c l A
(59:31):
and possessed government security clearance for work on sensitive research
at defense contractor Northrop Grunman. UM. So that's good. It's
not like that. It's not it's not it's not ideal
at least it's at least it's not our dear friends
over at that would really break my heart. But Raytheon
(59:51):
is still pure and one of the best LGBT employers
in the nation because at ray Theon, we don't care
what you believe or who you love. We just care
that you will to make a missile guidance chip that
we can use to detonate a school bus and yeomen
filled with thirty three children. That's all that matters to Raytheon.
And I think that's beautiful. I think it's beautiful. Garrison.
Maybe maybe you can given a good word for Michael
(01:00:13):
uh Misless. No, they won't hire or nazis it Raytheon? Um. Yeah.
So eventually he was fired from north gunn right what
following reporting of him, you know, being a Nazi. Um.
But yeah, kind of concerning. He had government security clearance
to work on like sensitive research. So that's not ideal.
(01:00:34):
I don't like it, guys, I don't. I don't. So
after Unite the Right UM and the murder of Heather Higher,
scrutinty was finally put on these new right groups. UM
RAM leader interviewed by Republica stated that after August, he
uh the group is coach trying to stay away from rallies,
UM because you know, they killed somebody, um and beat
(01:00:58):
up you know, dozens of other people. UM. So for
over a year after Unite the Right, the only legal truggle,
the only legal trouble RAM had gotten into was when
uh Rob Rundo was briefly detained in Berkeley. But so
far they had faced no no, no actual consequences for
their assaults, despite bragging about them all over social media. Well,
that slowly started to change a little bit. UM. Between
(01:01:21):
October seventeen. October seventeen and August, UH pro Publica and
PBS Frontline had begun reporting on RAM and their involvement
in the violent activities and violent attacks. UM. A lot
of the research UM done on RAM was first actually
done and made public by North California Anti Racist Action
(01:01:42):
UM and they're really good article that they put out
on RAM from July twenty seventeen, which I've already quoted
from a lot UM And unfortunately, I mean ProPublica front
Line did a good job getting this reporting out into
the mainstream, but unfortunately most of their work is actually
heavily plagiarized. UM between it's play drives mostly from all
all the RAM stuff is played drives mostly from the
(01:02:03):
Anti Racist Action article UM and they also did stuff
on Adam often which they played drized a lot of
work from Jake han Ohan um on and I know,
like a like Frontline one like Emmys for this work
and stuff Perre initially left off the Yeah, it's very
frustrating and they stole most of this work actually, UM
(01:02:26):
extremely frustrating, but it did get the reporting into like
the mainstream, so we got people upset about it, so
that pressured the FBI to actually take some action. But
again they didn't really credit who did the actual work.
And it's very very, very frustrating, but we will. Yeah,
that's UM, I mean for for RAM North California, Anti
Anti Racist Action, UM did amazing, amazing work identifying all
(01:02:49):
of these RAM people finding out lots of information about them. Um.
They were they were like, I mean again, they all
did this like before before, like um, like before the
Charottes VI rally, Like they did this before it was
you know popular to start naming these people. Um, so great,
great work their guys. Um. So, with with a mounting
(01:03:12):
evidence against RAM for multiple sources, including more and more
mainstream outlets, because I mean the Guardian and other you
know articles from mainstream uh publications started you know, referring
to the propublic of stuff. So like you know, it was,
you know, it went through the cycle, Guardian, CNN, whatever. Um. So,
with meunting evidence, the FBI started to pay attention. Um.
(01:03:33):
On Tuesday, October two, So this is four hundred and
sixteen days after the Unite the Right rally, the FBI
arrested four RAND members for their rule in the violent
August rally. So four hundred days after Unite the Right,
FBI arrests for people. Um that's Ben Daily, Tim Gellen, Uh,
Cole White, and Michael Misless uh propublic article uh quote
(01:03:57):
quoting another propublic article post the attack, um quote that
the four men were charged with having traveled to Charltsville
with the aim of inciting a right and conspiracy to
incite a riot, and prosecutors submitted an array of photographs
and videos capturing the men pummeling and choking protesters over
the two days. UM. After after a few months, the
four men eventually all pleaded guilty, admitting their actions were
(01:04:19):
not in self defense. UM And in July th nineteen,
three of the four men who pleaded guilty to federal
charges for their role in the violence UM were sent
to prison, with terms ranging from twenty seven months to
thirty seven months. The fourth man, Kyle White, was let
off easy for UM quickly cooperating with authorities and because
(01:04:39):
he quote disavowed his hate Vali ideology. So he he
got to avoid federal prison for disavowing his his hate
fl ideology. Yeah, only only serving seven months in like
a jail after his arrest, you know, but before the trial. UM.
So yeah, I mean, I would disavow if I could,
(01:05:00):
if I could get me out of federal prison. But whatever. UM.
But hey, three out of four Knatzies ain't bad. The
justice system prevails gay not Actually not so fast. UM.
In late October, FBI brought charges against four other RAND members,
including co founder Robert Rundo, Tyler Lob again, the the
Zanex Drunken Fight guy, Um, Robert Bowman, and uh Aaron
(01:05:24):
um Easan I don't know how to say his name,
who cares Um, But the FBI brought charges against these
four guys for their involvement in the Mega rally in
Huntington's Beach. So this was like, I don't know, five
hundred almost six hundred days after the Huntington Beach rally.
Great work FBI, real timely. But you know, the FBI
(01:05:46):
is bringing charges against teenagers with umbrellas in Portland, though
at much faster rate. They're No, they're bringing charges for people,
you know, in August. They brought charges for you know,
back in October, so it's like two months against that
teenager with with an umbrella. So they're really on the
on the on on the on the front line there.
But it takes six hundred days to get the Nazis
(01:06:08):
um too bright about their assaults anyway better than yah um. Yeah,
So for for the people who got brought chargers against them, Um,
for the for the hunting to Beach stuff, as well
as the various others you know, events around the time
been daily and through the Red members were arrested in
uh you know, so like the Charlotsville people were arrested
(01:06:30):
in like early October UM. Around the same time, Robert
Rondo's house and Hunting to Beach got rated by the FBI,
deploying flash bangs into his bedroom. But Rundall wasn't arrested
that day. He was there, but they didn't arrest him,
so they raided at his house. They're like, all right,
we didn't find it. You think you're free to go? Um.
(01:06:52):
Shortly after this, he typed to flee to He attempted
to flee to Ukraine, where there's like a white national
still stronghold, but because of travel restrictions put on him
by American authorities, he got flagged as a Tier one
operator of domestic terrorism UM and so he was turned
back to the US after tempt attempting to transfer flights
in London. UM. Weeks later, he made his second attempt
(01:07:15):
to flee. He walked across the border into Mexico and
made his way to Al Salvador to quote take a
vacation and see the beaches. UM. Late late later this month,
while getting on a flight from Al Salvador to Argentina.
He was arrested and sent back to the States. So
he tried multiple times to flee to other countries UM
too because like he he he knew that like people
(01:07:35):
were gonna come to get him eventually. UM. So he
tried to get away and did not do it very secesfully.
And to take a vacation. He wasn't. He wasn't fleeing.
He was taking a vacation. Yeah, it's a good time
to take a vacation. Look, that's not bad. So three
of the RAND members got arrested as well. This new
(01:07:57):
group of rests follows similar charges as the previous set
of arrests, citing felony rioting violations UM. This time, only
one of the members pleaded guilty. This was Tyler Law.
The other three did not plead guilty to the charges,
and in June of twenty nine, United States Drift United
States District Court Judge Cormack J. Kearney it's just a
(01:08:19):
funny name, UM dropped all of the federal rioting charges
UH for all of the RAND members UM in this
in this latest bout of arrests on the grounds that
the statute used to prosecute the men infringed upon their
First Timent rights to free speech. So the idea that
you can't assall people, UM and then brag about it,
(01:08:41):
I guess was a violations First Amendment. UM Judge Judge Carney,
a conservative Republican appointed by George W. Bush, wrote the
charges were unconstitutionally overbroad in violation of the First Amendment.
It's easy to champion free speech when it advocates a
viewpoint in which we agree. It's much harder when the
speech promotes ideas we find abhorrant. But an essential function
of free speech is to invite dispute. I don't care
(01:09:02):
what idiots Antifa are. You're both young men. You don't
want to be in custody for years. So that's just
speaking to Rundo and few other people being like, I
don't care if you want to be to Pantifa. You're
both young men. You should not be in prison for
a long time. UM. So that's great that they were
let off the hook from that UM poor per court,
per court host news lawyers, UM. But Chorus is like
(01:09:25):
a law website. I guess I don't know. UM. Lawyers
for RAM members stated the charges the men faced uh
conspiracy to commit writing and travel or use of the
interstate commerce with intent to write do not pertain to
the actual philosical fiscal violence that took place. The law
can't go and suppress everyone's First Amendment rights, adding quote,
people who commit crimes will continue to be punished, which
(01:09:48):
makes no sense because these people committed crimes and absolutely
got punished in no way got let off. Um So
in total, I guess four members of RAM got arrested
by the FBI actually got charge arged and the other
four did not. So yeah, I I don't I don't know.
So it's very stupid because these guys got arrested by
(01:10:08):
the FBI and then a federal judge dropped the charges
for half of them exciting First Amendment violations, I guess.
But this was about felony writing and beating people up.
So it's a weird, and it's it's very common for
if you know how the FBI works, they don't generally
charge people unless they are very confident. It's like weird
(01:10:30):
for them. It's one of the reasons why federal charges
very rarely don't get convicted, right, Like it's they generally
put stuff out when they're fairly confident. So it's weird
that they dropped so many charges against these guys, and
it kind of suggests maybe, I don't know, maybe there
was pushed back behind the scenes to security right wing vigilantes. Yeah, yeah,
(01:10:51):
I don't know. Not not great. So four got arrested
and sent to prison for at least a little bit
of time, and the other four did not. Um, But
the story of RAM is not over yet. While while
one of their leaders, Ben Dailey, is still in federal prison,
the other, Robert Rundo, is out frolicking around Europe trying
to establish a new brand, which we will have the
(01:11:12):
not pleasure of hearing about in part two. So yeah,
more more fake brands of clothing coming up soon. Stay
stay tuned, great, stay tuned awesome. Well I feel great,
So I want to go to the beach. I would
love to go to the beach again sometime and not
(01:11:34):
do a book burning, which seems like a waste of
time in the beach. Go to the beach. Mason people
you know spray, Yeah, well, I only like to use
it legally, um, which is why I put on a
swastika before I pepper spray. People there you go. Great. Well,
that's that's the episode. I don't know what else to
(01:11:55):
say here. Um not to suck Garrison. Where can people
follow you? Oh yeah, this is the end of a podcast. Um. So.
I have a Twitter account that I occasionally post videos
on from protests I guess called at Hungry bow Tie. Um,
I guess. I have a YouTube page where I posted
some of the same videos but edited, edited together with
(01:12:16):
funny music now which I'm doing more of. It's more
fun and less depressing. Um yeah, And I guess I
also have a have a I work on a podcast
called Uprising a guy from Portland. If you've heard of that.
It's about the Portland's BLM uprising in that sounds fascinating.
Oh you you will love it, Robert. It's great. You
have a whole bunch of stuff about protests and makes
(01:12:38):
yeah good great fans of the show wonderful. You listen, Sophie,
that's good. Yeah yeah, but those are those are those
are the main things. That's so cool. Absolutely, but glad
to know about all that, Robert. I'm I think this
is where we bet everybody good bye. Yeah, you know,
I would like you all to just kind of you know,
(01:13:01):
I think, think a lot about where this nation is heading,
about kind of what we've seen since two thousands seventeen
with groups like RAM and then pick up a gun,
go to your nearby nearest hospital. Fight called I think
gets into the episode h