'Active clubs' are all over Canada. What are they?
White nationalist groups are recruiting young men to their cause
The CBC's visual investigations team has found out where some of Canada's most notorious fascist fight clubs are training for violence.
The members of these groups, known in white nationalist communities as "active clubs," are hiding in plain sight. They obscure their faces and locations in social media posts, but a months-long investigation, in collaboration with The Fifth Estate, has uncovered exactly where they are operating.
What are 'active clubs'?
Active clubs tend to be male-focused groups that promote white supremacist ideals. Their activities range from public protests to vandalism campaigns to social media posts. They expect the current political order will be swept aside, potentially by force, for a new white-focused society.
Antisemitic and anti-immigrant themes are common, and some groups use Nazi iconography.
Names of the specific groups include Second Sons and Nationalist-13. Second Sons was founded by Jeremy MacKenzie, creator of the controversial right-wing network Diagolon, which the RCMP has labelled an "extremist, militia-like organization."
However, these groups are not a singular movement. They are part of a decentralized white supremacist and neo-Nazi network.
Where did they come from?
The idea was started by two neo-Nazis, according to the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. One is a Russian. The other is American Robert Rundo, who is responsible for spreading the concept of setting up racist fight clubs.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in California says Rundo has been doing it since 2017. He called it the Rise Above Movement, and spent the next few years setting up an international network of such groups in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and elsewhere. These are what became "active clubs."
Last December, Rundo was sentenced to two years in prison for planning and engaging in riots across California.
"This defendant sought to further his white supremacist ideology by plotting riots and engaging in violence at political rallies," said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada.
Not just boxing clubs
They appear to be groups of men interested in fitness and martial arts, and they recruit others to join them. But that hides a dark reality, says Mack Lamoureux at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a London-based think-tank that studies authoritarianism, hate and extremism.
"The minute you peel back even the slightest layer of this onion, it becomes far more insidious," he said. "These are virulent white supremacists."
In Nationalist-13 videos, their faces are hidden with the Totenkopf, the grinning death mask used by the Nazi SS. In one video, a member shows off a lighter emblazoned with a Nazi swastika.
The black, grey and white banner of the Second Sons is a deliberate echo of the Red Ensign, Canada's original colonial flag, which was replaced by the maple leaf in 1965. White nationalists call the Red Ensign Canada's "true" flag, representing the country before they say it was spoiled by immigrants.
These guys hide their faces and locations. How do we know where they are?
Covered faces and blurred parts of videos were not enough to fully conceal the identities and locations of Nationalist-13 and Second Sons members.
The CBC visual investigations team was able to uncover the location of their training sessions by matching up distinctive features of the inside of boxing clubs, such as padded walls, as well as the specific shape and position of windows.
Some prominent group members also have clearly visible tattoos that can be compared with other photos of them, which allowed the CBC team to confirm their identities even though their faces were obscured.
What's been the reaction?
Owners of gyms who CBC News approached said they were unaware some of the people using their facilities were actually fascist fight clubs.
John Moran, the manager at Amazing Fitness, said "we have no affiliation whatsoever with these individuals or their ideology, and we categorically reject any form of hate or discrimination."
Rob Barham, the owner of Hammer BJJ, said "I don't affiliate myself with … any sort of white supremacy groups."
Kevin Mans, owner of Niagara BJJ in Welland, said that as soon as he saw the photos CBC shared, he called his staff and told them these individuals couldn't come back.
Hamilton City councillor Nrinder Nann is alarmed.
"I think it's a serious public safety concern. The rise of extremist organizing is a national security threat and it isn't an issue to take lightly."
Lyndon George, executive director of the Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre, said given the violent nature of this ideology, these groups shouldn't be able to operate with impunity in public places.
"We shouldn't have to wait for that violence to happen for there to be a response," said George.
Is this just happening in the Hamilton area?
No. Active clubs can be found in various locations across Canada and in dozens of places throughout the U.S. One in Tennessee has been widely reported on.
There are 187 active clubs in 27 countries, according to the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism.
They are seen as the next generation of white nationalist organizations in Canada, and they are in touch with similar groups elsewhere.
"[Canadian active clubs] have very, very deep connections with other far-right and extremist organizations," said Lamoureux. "This includes America Patriot Front, which is probably the largest and most active white supremacist organization."