Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Concern for UK security as anti-vaxxer groups evolve towards US-style militias

Concern for UK security as anti-vaxxer groups evolve towards US-style militias

While more and more Western countries are adopting Chinese style state-control policies and forcing their public to get vaccinated again and again, with punishments and limitations of those who refuse to be vaccinated, the citizens of those Western countries who question the vaccines policy, adopts American-armed style resistance, trying to protect their independence and what they believe is their exclusive rights to their bodies. This tension produces frustration on both sides, who radicalize their attitude towards each other. This may develop into a violent “fights for independence” - confrontation between vaccine believers & beneficiaries, and "freedom-fighters" opponents. Counter-terrorism officials are monitoring movement amid military-style training and lurch towards violent extremism.

Counter-terrorism officials and police are increasingly concerned over the trajectory of the UK’s anti-vaxxer movement as it evolves towards violent extremism and the formation of US-style militias.

Boris Johnson is among those receiving direct security updates on individuals prepared to “undermine national health security”.

The movement’s more extreme elements are recruiting and strategising over the encrypted social media messaging app Telegram, with one UK anti-vaxxer channel asking for “men of integrity” to “fight for our children’s future”.

Anti-vaxxers have targeted scores of schools and recently stormed a Covid testing site. They were led by Britain’s most visible activist, Piers Corbyn, who subsequently urged people to burn down the offices of MPs who backed new restrictions.

Health experts warn that their false claims have had an impact on the vaccination programme, with Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, blaming “misinformation” for vaccine hesitancy.

Among the government organisations now mobilised to monitor the anti-vaxx movement are the Home Office’s office for security and counter-terrorism (OSCT) and its research, information and communications unit (Ricu) which covers public safety issues, including counter-terrorism.

Also tasked with documenting the anti-vaxx threat is the Home Office’s counter-extremism analysis and insight (CEAI) programme, whose work informs strategic and operational decisions, as does its extremism analysis unit (EAU), and the counter-disinformation unit, which is part of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Latest intelligence assessments describe the anti-vaxxer movement as ostensibly a conveyor belt, delivering fresh recruits to extremist groups, including racially and ethnically motivated violent extremist organisations.

“It’s a growing concern and it is being monitored at the highest level,” said the Whitehall source. “No 10 is among those getting the reports direct: the PM is seeing them in his inbox. The consensus is that we didn’t win [the disinformation war] as cleanly as we need to do next time.”

Of chief concern is that Britain’s anti-vaxx conspiracists are moving offline, with the UK-based Alpha Men Assemble (AMA) group organising military-style training in preparation for what it has termed a “war” on the government and its Covid policies.

Recent posts from the AMA’s official Telegram channel, which has 7,000 subscribers, encourage members to adopt anti-surveillance techniques by using “burner phones” and advise people to “communicate off line” with CB and ham radios.

Other posts seen by the Observer promise supporters that “you will be taught self-defence at each AMA meeting” with “professional men” and told to “aquire [sic] a black style uniform”.

Ciaran O’Connor, analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), a London-based thinktank studying extremism, said AMA had many similarities with US anti-government militia groups and it was clear it hoped to create a type of paramilitary force.

Stewart Rhodes, leader of a US extremist militia, was charged with seditious conspiracy over the 6 January Capitol attack.


Last Thursday, the leader of a US extremist militia, the Oath Keepers, was charged with seditious conspiracy over the 6 January Capitol attack.

The AMA is also openly seeking UK veterans, an approach that overlaps with US militia activities. Telegram messages suggest a number of ex-service personnel have already joined. One, referencing a scene from the dystopian film The Matrix, calls himself a “red pilled veteran”. Another states: “I’m English. Ex RAF. My mission statement was a ‘force for good’. I believed in that.”

Another group, Veterans 4 Freedom, and which is understood to have around 200 members, has hosted Telegram conversations referring to a violent insurrection in which vaccination centres are targeted.

Milo Comerford, ISD’s head of research and policy, added: “Governments across Europe and North America are struggling with the growing prominence of a set of highly ideologically eclectic movements emerging at the intersection of Covid conspiracy and extremism.

“Traditional counter-extremism policy paradigms are geared towards threats from organised groups with clear political objectives. However, these loose online conspiracy movements represent a much more ‘hybridised’ challenge, not just to public safety, but also to rights and democratic institutions.”
Advertisement

Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which briefs UK officials on the evolving anti-vaxx threat, said: “We’re seeing the convergence of anti-vaxxers into other fringe movements.

“They’re adopting what they have learned about marketing strategies and communications, when they have sought new markets and how to converge their audiences and hybridise their ideologies, similar to the way the ‘great reset’ has replaced QAnon as the cohering conspiracy narrative for fringe elements.”

Comerford cited recent data from Prevent, the UK government’s counter-extremism programme, that reveals one of the fastest-growing extremism challenges in the UK are “mixed, unclear and unstable” (MUU) threats, ideological drivers of extremist violence beyond the traditional categories of far-right and Islamist extremism.

Ahmed added that the prominence of figures such as Piers Corbyn at UK anti-vaxxer and anti-lockdown rallies alongside far-right supporters articulated the coming together of traditionally opposed ideologies.

Despite their attempts to quash online coronavirus disinformation, Whitehall officials are dismayed that prominent anti-vaxxers are still hosted on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Telegram, reaching almost 1.5 million people. The most popular use the name of David Icke, a high-profile British conspiracy theorist who promotes the false belief that coronavirus is spread by 5G.

Internationally, protests and demonstrations against coronavirus lockdowns, so-called health passports and vaccine mandates have turned violent.

Throughout Europe, an anti-vaxx ecosystem has prompted real-world violence. In Italy, anti-vaxxers linked up with far-right gangs to plan an attack involving explosives. Last month, German police foiled a plot that involved anti-vaxxer violent extremists allegedly targeting a high-profile politician.

The Home Office has been contacted for comment.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
×