Four white supremacists face federal charges during attacks in California: NPR

Four federal prosecutors charged four men in southern California, who belong to a group of extremist white supremacists, for violently attacking counter-protesters, journalists and a police officer at political rallies across the state. .

Three of the four are in detention.

The New York Times reports that Robert Rundo, 28, was arrested Sunday at the Los Angeles International Airport after escaping to Central America earlier this month.

Robert Boman, 25, and Tyler Laube, 22, were arrested on Wednesday morning. The authorities are looking for the fourth man – Aaron Eason, 38 years old.

The criminal complaint, filed by the FBI in Los Angeles on Saturday and unsealed Wednesday, alleges that the four are part of the white supremacist Rise Above movement.

RAM adheres to a strong anti-Semitic and racist ideology and trains its members in combat. The group "publicly presents itself as a militant group ready for action in a new nationalist movement of supremacy / white identity," the complaint said.

"The allegations describe an orchestrated effort to stifle freedom of expression as conspiracy members have traveled to multiple locations to attack those with different points of view," said US lawyer Nick Hanna. in a press release.

The videos recorded by journalists, bystanders and surveillance cameras, as well as the group members' Internet messages and private communications between them on social networks, helped the Justice Department to defend its case.

The DOJ alleges that the four men violated federal laws on conspiracy and riots in a series of incidents that occurred from March to June 2017.

At the "Make America Great Again" rally in Huntington Beach in March, the DOJ said in its criminal complaint that members of the RAM had attacked two journalists and several counter-protesters.

The video footage shows Laube having hit a reporter three times in the face, after the reporter was jostled by other participants in the rally and stumbled back.

The Daily Stormer – a neo-Nazi website and an online community – praised the violence. "The first page of the storm we made it fam", a member of the RAM sent a text message to another.

In the weeks following the attacks, members reportedly celebrated the attacks and recruited others to attend a future rally in Berkeley, as well as a training session at melee before the rally.

At this April rally, Rundo, Boman and Easaon assaulted people at the rally. Videos show members of the group with recorded hands – like boxers – hitting counter-protesters. During one attack, a member of the RAM held a counter-protester while another landed. Rundo was arrested for hitting a "helpless person" and a police officer.

"Total Victory in Aryan", a RAM member sent a message to another member the next day.

RAM members again celebrated their assault, according to the complaint. They posted photos of members waving a banner celebrating the theft of the counter-protesters. On social media, Boman has posted several photos of himself attacking other people and RAM members engaged in combat training.

In June, the white supremacists participated in a rally in San Bernardino under the theme "Anti-Islamic Law", where they multiplied the attacks. Three RAM members not charged in this case were arrested.

Wednesday's charges follow the arrests of four other RAM members, Benjamin Daley, Michael Miselis, Thomas Gillen and Cole White, who were charged with conspiring against the riot for attacking counter-terrorists. protesters at the Unite The Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The charges in California describe the links between the two groups of accused.

Between April and August 2017, the complaint alleges that members of the RAM "participated in regular combat training sessions" prior to participating in the Unite the Right rally.

They also "used the Internet to coordinate combat training for events, to organize their travel, to coordinate participation in events and to celebrate their acts of violence in order to recruit members for future events," he said. declared the complaint. .

Members have documented their extremist ideology in public publications on the Internet, including their affinity with the "14 words" – "a mantra known and used by white supremacist extremists and neo-Nazis," the official said. Special FBI, Scott Bierwirth, in the complaint.

Also according to the California affidavit, Rundo and two men charged in the Charlottesville case went to Europe last spring to celebrate Adolf Hitler 's birthday. There, they met other extremist groups of white supremacy.