A terrifying movement has begun to gain a following in Europe; a right-wing anti-Islam group Generation Identity have been making headlines after their controversial, crowdfunded plans to “Defend Europe.” Generation Identity are part of a larger movement named the “Identitarian Movement,” whose motives serve to reduce immigration, “Islamisation” and “Defend ‘native’ Europeans from becoming a minority“.
Having established a group of aggressive whites on land, with fiery demonstrations in Berlin, Paris and Vienna, the group decided that their next step would be to take their violent stupidity to the seas.
In their crowd-funded campaign put up barely a month ago, Generation Identity managed to raise over £50,000 to buy their own boat for their “Defensive” movements against unarmed refugees in rescue boats.
According to their website, they aim to prevent the “deadly immigrant invasion” by setting up boats, coast-line watches and “Search and Rescue” missions to send refugees back to Libya. Toeing a bit of an odd line, their mission statement states that NGO boats are part of a human trafficking ring which they are valiantly trying to break-up by sending refugees back to a war zone.
UK charity Save The Children has had one of its boats targeted by the terror group for its “involvement in human trafficking”.
But this month wasn’t the beginning. In May, a Canadian alt-right YouTuber posted a live video of herself and other members of the terror group from across Europe in a small boat off the coast of Italy. The video was shared with the caption “Generation Identity vs Migrant Boats,” and shows her and her fascist friends doing what “Politicians won’t do”, namely prevent search and rescue operations for refugees. After using intimidating flares and horns against a Doctors Without Borders boat, the group were detained by the coast guard and then set free.
The fundraised boat, called the C-Star, was sold to the group by a Cardiff based company named Maritime Services Ltd which provide private armed security at sea. The man who sold the boat stated that he was aware of the motives of the group, but that his company, “[…]don’t take political places or stance in a commercial business for any grounds.” and, “don’t see any problem with the vessel being in the area conducting legal research.”.
Anti-racist charity Hope Not Hate, who have been monitoring the boat, reported today that the ship’s crew has been removed, and its captain arrested, in Northern Cyprus. The news comes from Cyprus newspaper the Kibris Postasi.
Also this week, members of the group had their Patreon accounts blocked. When the group were issued a statement, Patreon stated that the accounts were removed for encouraging a loss of life. Two group members are currently said to be on the run from Italian police.
Generation Identity fits within the textbook definition of terrorism, with their use of intimidation against refugee civilians in the Mediterranean Sea, with their plans to “defend Europe” from the innocent, and with their dangerous eugenicist view of who “belongs” in Europe.
The citizens, leaders and lawmakers of Europe have a responsibility to tell these alt-right terrorists that their hatred is not welcome. That no matter who funds them, they do not represent the people here. That no matter the amount of money they have, they cannot carry out acts of terror against refugees and migrants. This movement needs to be stopped, and its leaders arrested, before alt-right and neoliberal support against “illegal immigrant invasion” reaches dangerous levels, and further endangers the lives of those seeking refuge in Europe.
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Find out what more you can do to aid refugees here: Refugee Crisis: What Can You Do To Help?
