Vanguard America
| Formation | ~2015 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Dillon Irizarry |
| Type | Neo-Nazism White supremacism |
| Location | |
| Affiliations |
|
Vanguard America is an American white supremacist and neo-Nazi organization. The organization is also a member of the Nationalist Front.[1][2] The group gained significant attention after it was revealed that James Alex Fields had marched with them at the Unite the Right rally before being arrested on murder charges.[3][4] The group has its roots in the alt-right movement.[5]
History
Vanguard America was founded in 2015, in California. The group was founded and is ran by Dillon Irizarry. In 2017, Irizarry claimed membership of 200+ members. Irizarry also states that local branches exist in Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. In July 2017, it also created a women's division.[2][1]
The group had a presence in the Unite the Right rally in August 2017. James Alex Fields, who was later responsible for killing a counterprotester and injuring 19 others in a vehicle-ramming attack, was seen marching with the group. The leadership later disavowed him, stating that he was not a member of the group.[1][3][4] The group took part in the "White Lives Matter" rally in October 2017.[6]
The group supports the right-wing nationalist concept of Blood and Soil.[citation needed] The group has put up racist and anti-Semitic fliers at various universities.[7] On December 18, 2017, its account was suspended by Twitter.[8]
References
- ^ a b c "Alleged Charlottesville Driver Who Killed One Rallied With Alt-Right Vanguard America Group". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
- ^ a b "Vanguard America". Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
- ^ a b "Vanguard America has increasingly become a neo-Nazi voice - NY Daily News". www.nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
- ^ a b "Vanguard America, a white supremacist group, denies Charlottesville ramming suspect was a member". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
- ^ "Deconstructing the symbols and slogans spotted in Charlottesville". Washington Post. August 18, 2017.
- ^ "Neo-Nazis held rallies in Tennessee. They were drowned out by hundreds of counter-protesters". The Independent. 2017-10-28. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
- ^ "Racist posters found on Rutgers campus and bus". New Jersey 101.5 – Proud to be New Jersey – New Jersey News Radio. Retrieved 2017-10-31.
- ^ Luckerson, Victor (December 18, 2017). "Twitter Cracks Down on Hate-Mongerers". The Ringer.