Analysis of Far-Right Violence Extremism – March 2026

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INTRODUCTION

In March 2026, the global landscape was marked by an alarming presence of terrorism and extremism linked to extreme right-wing ideologies. This analysis underscores the paramount significance of this issue in the contemporary world order.

Terrorism and extremism, irrespective of their ideological roots, have long posed a grave threat to international peace and security. Recent times, however, have witnessed a distinct shift in this threat landscape. The ascent of extreme right-wing terrorism has introduced a new layer of complexity to the global security equation.

This report aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of extreme right-wing extremism in March 2026, offering insights into its evolution and current manifestations. By dissecting the trends, causative factors, and ramifications of this phenomenon, our objective is to foster awareness, inform policymaking, and spur international collaboration to counter this growing menace.

 

UNITED KINGDOM

Teen Built Online ‘Library’ of Far-Right Extremist Content Encouraging Violence

A jury at London’s Old Bailey has found that a teenager created and shared an extensive online “library” of extreme right-wing material that promoted violence and terrorism. Joseph Cope, now 20, carried out the acts between the ages of 16 and 17, using platforms like Telegram to distribute hundreds of extremist documents (1). These materials included instructions for causing public disorder and inciting attacks against racial groups, effectively providing others with access to content that could support terrorist activity.

Although Cope was deemed unfit to stand trial due to deteriorating mental health, the jury concluded that he had committed the alleged offences after a brief deliberation. The case emerged following his arrest in 2022, when police discovered extremist literature and related items in his home. A future court hearing will determine the appropriate measures, focusing on supervision rather than a conventional sentence.

AI-Generated ‘Amelia’ Meme Highlights New Tactics in Far-Right Online Propaganda

A fictional AI-generated schoolgirl named “Amelia” has become a viral far-right meme, spreading rapidly across social media platforms like X. Created as a character in a UK government-funded educational game designed to prevent online radicalization, Amelia has been repurposed into a symbol that promotes anti-migrant, racist, and Islamophobic narratives. Through memes and AI-generated videos, she is depicted engaging in stereotypical British activities while simultaneously endorsing extreme views, attracting attention from prominent far-right figures and online communities.

Experts warn that this phenomenon illustrates how easily digital tools—especially AI—can be exploited to amplify extremist messaging. The meme’s appeal lies partly in its irony, visual attractiveness, and “plausible deniability,” allowing harmful content to be dismissed as humor (2). Analysts emphasize that AI-generated personas like Amelia can blur the line between fiction and reality, making extremist ideas more accessible, relatable, and harder to regulate in the digital space.

 

UNITED STATES

Florida politicians condemn Miami-area young Republican leaders for antisemitic group chat

A WhatsApp group chat among Florida International University College Republicans and Miami-Dade GOP members contained numerous antisemitic and racist remarks, including use of slurs against Jewish people, Nazi references, and racist commentary about Black people. The chat was started by Abel Alexander Carvajal, secretary of the Miami-Dade GOP, and included participants such as Ian Valdes, president of FIU’s Turning Point USA chapter, and Dariel Gonzalez, former FIU College Republicans recruitment chair (3).

Florida GOP leaders, local politicians, and university officials have condemned the group chat and its content. The Miami-Dade GOP initiated removal proceedings against Carvajal, while FIU announced an investigation into the matter. This incident marks the second time in recent months that a Young Republicans chapter group chat has been revealed to contain antisemitic and racist content, reflecting ongoing divisions within the Republican Party over antisemitism.

CAIR-Pennsylvania Condemns Distribution of White Supremacist Propaganda in Carlisle

White supremacist flyers were distributed across Carlisle, Pennsylvania, late Friday or early Saturday, placed on vehicles and properties throughout the borough. Some materials were packaged in plastic bags with candy and contained recruitment messaging linked to a white supremacist group.

CAIR-Pennsylvania and CAIR-Pittsburgh condemned the distribution, stating that white supremacist propaganda is intended to intimidate, divide communities, and normalize hateful ideologies (4). The organizations called for community leaders and state and national officials to unite in rejecting racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of bigotry.

White supremacist disrupts webinar for Jewish teens featuring anti-Semitism envoy

On March 24, 2020, a webinar hosted by the Greater Boston chapter of NCSY, a Jewish youth group, featuring U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism Ellie Cohanim, was disrupted by white supremacist and hacker Andrew Alan Escher Auernheimer, also known as “weev” (5). As the webinar ended, Auernheimer appeared in the video conference and pulled down his shirt collar to display a swastika tattoo on his chest. The incident lasted approximately one minute and was captured by teenage participants who filed a report with local law enforcement.

This incident exemplifies what the Anti-Defamation League has termed “Zoommodbing,” in which extremists exploit video-conferencing platforms to target vulnerable groups and spread hateful messages. According to the ADL, while some such incidents can be attributed to internet trolls, Auernheimer’s actions demonstrate the potential for organized extremists to systematically exploit these systems. The incident prompted Zoom to issue security recommendations and prompted an investigation by law enforcement and the FBI.

Texas man and convicted rapist pleads guilty in neo-Nazi child exploitation case

Kaleb Christopher Merritt, 26, of Spring, Texas, pleaded guilty to leading an online neo-Nazi group called CVLT that operated since 2020. The extremist enterprise coerced children, primarily young girls, into producing child sexual abuse material and self-harm content, utilizing Nazi symbols and nihilist ideologies to groom and degrade victims. Merritt, known online as ‘eTerror,’ admitted to harming at least five minor victims as the group aimed to create an ‘army of sadist followers’ (6).

The investigation into CVLT was international in scope, involving Homeland Security Investigations and law enforcement agencies from France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Europol. Three co-defendants also faced charges, with two pleading guilty in late 2025 and another in custody in France awaiting extradition. Merritt, already serving a 33-year sentence for a separate conviction, faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years and a maximum of life imprisonment at his January 2027 sentencing.

Man arrested for livestreaming while touching women’s hair on the subway

Bryan Betancur, a 28-year-old resident of Silver Spring, Maryland, was arrested after videos circulated on social media showing him touching women’s hair without their consent on Washington, D.C., Metro trains. The main incident occurred Sunday night on a Silver Line train near the Clarendon station, and Betancur livestreamed his actions on the platform X. The Metro Transit Police charged him with assault and battery (7).

Betancur has an extensive history of extremism: according to the FBI, he is a self-proclaimed white supremacist who participated in the January 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol, where he was photographed holding a Confederate flag and wearing a Proud Boys T-shirt. Investigators described him as someone who expressed a desire to be a “lone wolf killer,” voiced homicidal ideation, discussed carrying out school shootings, and expressed support for James Fields, who was convicted of killing Heather Heyer in Charlottesville. Betancur was sentenced to four months in prison for his participation in the January 6th events, but was pardoned by President Trump in 2025. He also has a history of harassing women spanning at least 14 years

 

CANADA

Canadian white supremacists paid Nigel Farage for video trolling Hamilton mayor

A Canadian neo-Nazi group affiliated with the Diagolon extremist movement commissioned Nigel Farage to create a personalized video promoting their 2024 ‘Road Rage Terror Tour’ across Canada. The Diagolon founders Jeremy MacKenzie, Derek Harrison, and Alex Vriend, paid approximately CAD $260 for the video, which was intended to counter criticism from Hamilton mayor Andrea Horwath. The video featured Farage opening with the white supremacist slogan ‘They have to go back’ and encouraging attendance at the event.

After receiving the video, the Diagolon group rapidly distributed and repurposed it across multiple platforms, integrating Farage’s message alongside white supremacist, antisemitic, and racist content. According to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, this tactic represents a deliberate strategy by far-right extremists to associate themselves with mainstream political figures to amplify their influence and legitimize their extremist ideology. The incident is part of a broader pattern in which Diagolon leaders have sought proximity to prominent politicians (8).

White supremacist groups are using pedophilia conspiracies to grow support

The neo-Nazi group Nationalist-13 (also known as NS13) gathered in front of Hamilton City Hall dressed in all black, wearing masks, performing Nazi salutes, and holding a banner reading “no mercy for pedo scum.” A McMaster University professor, Ameil Joseph, warned that white supremacist groups are deliberately using emotionally charged issues — such as pedophilia conspiracies — and disinformation to recruit new members and build public support, and that these demonstrations should not be viewed as isolated incidents but as part of a growing, organized movement.

Nationalist-13 is described as a white nationalist “active club” or fight club, part of a decentralized global white supremacist and neo-Nazi network (9). Experts warn that the group’s use of anti-pedophilia messaging is a deliberate tactic to garner sympathy while advancing a white supremacist agenda, and that similar messaging is weaponized by such groups across Canada and the U.S. Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath condemned the gathering, while the executive director of the Hamilton Anti-Racism Support Centre warned that the provocative framing is designed to deepen social division and erode trust in institutions.

Canadian Military Personnel Identified on White Supremacist Dating Site

An investigation discovered multiple profiles of Canadian Armed Forces members on WhiteDate, an exclusive dating site promoting white supremacist ideology. The investigation identified over 500 Canadian-based accounts on the site, with approximately 200 linked to real individuals. Three identified military members include a Naval Reserve sailor who shared white supremacist symbols and slogans on social media, a Royal Canadian Air Force Communications Engineering officer involved in the fighter jet acquisition program, and an Infantry soldier. The site explicitly prohibited non-white individuals and promoted fascist and Nazi ideology, with users sharing Nazi symbols, evasticas, and calls for biological weapons against non-white populations.

The Department of National Defense stated it is investigating the identified individuals. Security experts expressed concern that military personnel with extremist beliefs have access to training, weapons, and classified intelligence. Experts noted that while armed forces generally conduct screening upon entry, they often lack continuous monitoring of members for radicalization, a concern that extends globally (10).

 

GERMANY

AfD hails court injunction on ‘extremist’ label as victory

A German court in Cologne issued a temporary injunction stopping the country’s domestic intelligence service (BfV) from referring to the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party as a “right-wing extremist” group. The far-right party had challenged the classification announced by German intelligence in May 2025, and the court’s decision allows the party to operate without the extremist designation until a final ruling is issued. Party co-leader Alice Weidel described the interim ruling as a “major victory” for democracy and the rule of law (11).

The AfD came second in federal elections in Germany with 20.8% of the vote and 152 seats in parliament. The intelligence agency’s original classification was based on the conclusion that “the ethnicity- and ancestry-based understanding of the people prevailing within the party is incompatible with the free democratic order.” The designation as an extremist group would have given authorities greater surveillance powers, which the party successfully challenged in court.

 

GREECE

Greek court upholds criminal organisation verdict on neo-Nazi Golden Dawn

An appeal court in Athens has upheld the 2020 convictions of 42 defendants linked to the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party. Founder Nikos Mihaloliakos and six other leading officials were found guilty of belonging to and running a criminal organisation under the guise of a political party, with another 24 defendants, including 11 former MPs, found guilty of joining the organisation. Convictions were also upheld for the 2013 murder of left-wing musician Pavlos Fyssas and the savage beating of Egyptian fishermen in Athens, with defendants facing sentences of up to 15 years in prison (12).

Golden Dawn emerged during Greece’s economic crisis in 2012, exploiting public discontent over corruption, austerity measures, and immigration. The party’s popularity declined following Fyssas’ murder in 2013. The prosecutor described Golden Dawn as a “genuine child of Nazi ideology” motivated by Nazi ideology in carrying out criminal actions against political dissidents and immigrants.

 

AUSTRALIA

White supremacist accused of terror attack plot

A 20-year-old man named Jayson Joseph Michaels has been charged in Western Australia over an alleged plot to carry out a “mass casualty” terror attack targeting public buildings. Police raided his home in Bindoon and seized seven rifles, knives, a ballistic vest, gas masks, lock-picking equipment, and a manifesto notebook detailing his alleged plans to attack WA parliament, police headquarters, and mosques. Michaels is described as self-radicalised and motivated by white supremacist ideology, anti-Muslim sentiment, and antisemitism (13).

The investigation began in January after counter-terrorism teams received intelligence about encrypted communications revealing extremist ideology and abhorrent conversations about minorities and races. Michaels appeared in Perth Magistrates Court facing five charges, including acting in preparation for a terrorist act. Police Commissioner Col Blanch expressed concern about how easily individuals can be radicalised online with no prior history, and Michaels was remanded in custody pending reappearance in court on March 23.

 

SPAIN

Real Madrid Fined After Fan’s Nazi Salute at Champions League Match

Real Madrid was fined €15,000 by UEFA and received a partial stadium closure for one match after a fan was observed making an apparent Nazi salute before the start of a Champions League playoff match against Benfica on February 25, 2026. The club immediately expelled the supporter from Santiago Bernabéu stadium following the 2-1 victory (14).

The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Committee sanctioned the Spanish club for “racist and/or discriminatory” fan behavior during the match. The closure of 500 seats during a UEFA club competition match was suspended for one year on a probationary basis, with the understanding that any similar incident would activate the stadium closure.

 

COLOMBIA

Balloon with Nazi Images Crosses Runway at Medellín Airport

A balloon displaying Nazi symbols and imagery of German soldiers from World War II appeared over the Olaya Herrera Airport in Medellín on Sunday morning, March 22, 2026, at approximately 10:30 AM. The aircraft crossed the runway area and eventually landed on it, triggering alerts among airport operators. Although the incident caused concern, the balloon did not result in significant disruptions to the airport’s flight operations (15).

Investigations suggest the balloon was launched from the Santa Elena district in eastern Medellín, though the responsible parties remain unclear. Authorities opened an investigation into the incident’s origin and issued a warning to the public about the dangers of launching balloons near airports, as they pose significant risks to aircraft operations, including potential engine damage and visibility obstruction for pilots.

 

ROMANIA

Romania arrests American neo-Nazi leader charged with conspiracy to commit riots

Robert Rundo, 33-year-old founder of the Rise Above Movement, was arrested by Romanian police in Bucharest on March 29, 2023, acting on a U.S. extradition request (16). Rundo is charged with conspiracy to commit riots for his role in attempting to provoke violence at political rallies in California and other U.S. states between December 2016 and October 2018. He allegedly trained members of his white supremacist group to fight and is known to display a framed Adolf Hitler portrait in his home.

Rundo had fled the United States in 2018 when first charged, initially going to Central America before being extradited. After a judge dismissed the charges, he traveled to Eastern Europe using false documents. The dismissal was reversed in 2021 and Rundo was re-indicted in January 2023. The Rise Above Movement, which he founded, uses fitness and martial arts to spread neo-Nazi ideology and participated in the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017.

 

PORTUGAL

Dismantling of Neo-Nazi Organizations: Group 1143 and Lusitano Armillar Movement

Portugal’s National Counter-Terrorism Unit (UNCT) launched Operation ‘Irmandade’ (Brotherhood), resulting in the arrest of 37 suspects with extensive criminal records and ties to international hate groups. The operation involved 300 police officers executing 65 search warrants across multiple Portuguese locations, seizing propaganda materials, riot shields inscribed with ‘1143’, prohibited weapons including American brass knuckles, a 7.62mm firearm, and a sawed-off shotgun. The suspects are charged with membership in a criminal organization responsible for discrimination, incitement to hatred and violence, aggravated threats, coercion, assault, and possession of prohibited weapons (17).

Group 1143, founded around 2000 by Mario Machado within a Sporting CP ultras faction, evolved from a skinhead group known for racist violence into a paramilitary organization. The Public Ministry alleges the group was preparing for a ‘racial war’ and had planned two operations in 2026.

 

INTERNATIONAL

Canadian website helps white supremacists, Nazis monetize hate

A Canadian company called Entropy, founded by Emmanuel and Rachel Constantinidis and David Bell, created a livestreaming platform that allows white supremacists and neo-Nazis to monetize hateful content. Within two years of its 2019 launch in Calgary, the platform processed over $3 million in transactions and has become an essential service for dozens of extremists banned from mainstream platforms like YouTube (18).

The Goyim Defense League used Entropy to fundraise during a July 2024 harassment campaign in Nashville, Tennessee, where members paraded with Nazi flags, shouted antisemitic slurs, and assaulted a Jewish man and biracial bar employee. One GDL member, Ryan McCann, was convicted of assault and civil rights intimidation. The group’s leader, Jon Minadeo, regularly livestreams multiple times weekly, collecting $1,000+ US per stream in donations through the platform, with funds enabling members to travel and conduct harassment campaigns.

White Supremacist Content Ensnares Teenagers Planning Attacks in Southeast Asia

Police across Southeast Asia have identified at least 97 youth, including children as young as 11, who have been radicalized through white supremacist content distributed primarily on Telegram. An Indonesian teenager arrested for a November 2025 bombing of a high school in Jakarta that injured 96 people was found with a toy rifle inscribed with “welcome to hell” and the names of white supremacist mass murderers. At least two other youth were planning violent acts following the Jakarta bombing, and authorities fear this represents the beginning of a broader trend.

White supremacist ideology has been adapted to local Southeast Asian contexts, with extremists creating coded language and imagery that targets regional minorities. Singapore’s intelligence agency has detained four youths since December 2020 for planning attacks inspired by far-right extremism, while authorities across Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines report increasing cases of radicalization through social media algorithms and online communities. The radicals involved are not themselves white but have adopted supremacist ideologies and messaging to justify attacks against local ethnic and religious minorities (19).

 

Graphical Analysis of Far-Right Terrorism in March 2026

In March 2026, the geographical distribution of incidents linked to terrorism and right-wing extremist violence shows a pattern of continuity with subtle signs of diversification. While the United States remains the primary hotspot, activity continues to be concentrated across North America, Western Europe, and parts of the Anglosphere, reinforcing the idea of a stable transatlantic ecosystem of extremist activity.

However, compared to January and February, March introduces a slightly broader geographical footprint, with the appearance of additional countries such as Portugal, Romania, and Colombia. This does not suggest a structural expansion of the threat into new regions, but rather sporadic manifestations within contexts where underlying drivers—such as political polarization, identity-based tensions, and online radicalization—are already present.

Overall, March reflects a dynamic yet contained landscape, where incidents fluctuate across a familiar set of countries, with occasional spillover into new locations. This reinforces the importance of sustained monitoring not only in core countries but also in peripheral contexts where early signs of radicalization may emerge and consolidate over time.

In March 2026, the distribution of incident types further consolidates the trend observed in previous months, with incitement to violence clearly dominating the landscape. This continued prominence highlights the central role of discursive and mobilizing environments, particularly online spaces where extremist narratives are amplified, legitimized, and used to encourage hostile action.

At the same time, the sustained presence of arrests points to ongoing preventive and disruptive efforts by law enforcement, suggesting that authorities are actively identifying and intervening in early stages of radicalization or operational planning. In contrast, categories such as trials and legal acts remain present but secondary, reflecting longer-term judicial processes rather than immediate threat activity.

Notably, the absence or marginal presence of direct acts of violence reinforces a pattern already visible in earlier months: the threat landscape is currently shaped more by preparatory behaviors, ideological dissemination, and institutional response than by completed attacks. March, therefore, underscores the need to prioritize early-stage detection and intervention, particularly in environments where incitement can evolve into operational intent.

In March 2026, the ideological configuration of incidents reflects both continuity and internal rebalancing within the extreme-right spectrum. While Neo-Nazi frameworks remain highly significant, white supremacist narratives take a more prominent role compared to previous months, indicating a slight shift in emphasis within the broader ideological ecosystem. These continue to be reinforced by related narratives such as racially motivated violence and antisemitism, which together form the core architecture of exclusionary and identity-based extremism.

At the same time, March consolidates the trend toward ideological diversification already observed in February. Alongside traditional doctrines, there is a visible presence of Islamophobic and xenophobic narratives, reflecting the continued relevance of migration and identity as mobilizing themes. In addition, the persistence of child abuse material–related extremism, although limited in scale, points to the existence of overlapping digital subcultures where extremist content circulates beyond strictly political frameworks.

Rather than indicating fragmentation, this pattern suggests a progressive normalization of hybrid ideological environments, where actors draw simultaneously from multiple narratives—racial, cultural, conspiratorial, and anti-system. Overall, March reinforces the idea of an increasingly flexible and networked extremist landscape, where the boundaries between ideologies are blurred, and radicalization processes are shaped by interconnected online ecosystems.

 

REFERENCES

1. Associated Press. Multan al Real Madrid tras saludo nazi de un aficionado en partido de Champions. https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/cleveland/noticias/2026/03/06/multan-al-real-madrid-tras-saludo-nazi-de-un-aficionado-en-partido-de-champions
2. Azenón, Yoni. Arrestan hombre que transmitía en vivo tocaba pelo a mujeres en metro. https://www.telemundowashingtondc.com/noticias/local/arrestan-hombre-transmitia-en-vivo-tocaba-pelo-mujeres-metro/2370614/
3. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3dmgpn7z2no
4. BBC News / Radio-Canada. Personal militar canadiense identificado en un sitio de citas supremacista blanco. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/rci/es/noticia/2236223/personal-militar-canadiense-identificado-en-un-sitio-de-citas-supremacista-blanco
5. CAIR. CAIR Pennsylvania condemns distribution of white supremacist propaganda in Carlisle. https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-pennsylvania-condemns-distribution-of-white-supremacist-propaganda-in-carlisle/
6. Carreño Rosas, Aura. Nationalist 13 Hamilton. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/nationalist-13-hamilton-9.7105982
7. CNN. Ronald, Issy. Amelia meme AI far right. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/31/uk/amelia-meme-ai-far-right-intl-scli
8. El Colombiano. Globo con imágenes nazis atravesó la pista. https://es-us.noticias.yahoo.com/globo-imágenes-nazis-atravesó-pista-201407347.html
9. Fawcett-Atkinson, Marc. Canada white supremacy Diagolon Nigel Farage video. https://www.nationalobserver.com/2026/03/18/news/canada-white-supremacy-diagolon-nigel-farage-video
10. Fox 26 Houston. Kite, Amber. Texas man convicted rapist pleads guilty neo nazi child exploitation case. https://www.fox26houston.com/news/texas-man-convicted-rapist-pleads-guilty-neo-nazi-child-exploitation-case
11. González Francisco, Luis Antonio. La desarticulación de las organizaciones neonazis portuguesas grupo 1143 y movimiento armilar lusitano. https://observatorioterrorismo.com/actividades/la-desarticulacion-de-las-organizaciones-neonazis-portuguesas-grupo-1143-y-movimiento-armilar-lusitano/
12. JNS. Romania arrests American neo nazi leader charged with conspiracy to commit riots. https://www.jns.org/antisemitism/romania-arrests-american-neo-nazi-leader-charged-with-conspiracy-to-commit-riots
13. JNS. Richman, Jackson. Teen webinar disrupted by white supremacist featured US deputy envoy on anti semitism. https://www.jns.org/antisemitism/teen-webinar-disrupted-by-white-supremacist-featured-us-deputy-envoy-on-anti-semitism
14. JTA. Lapin, Andrew. Florida politicians condemn Miami young Republican leaders for antisemitic group chat. https://www.jta.org/2026/03/06/united-states/florida-politicians-condemn-miami-young-republican-leaders-for-antisemitic-group-chat
15. Kola, Paulin. BBC News article. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyg10ek7r7o
16. Marketscreener / Reuters. Contenido de supremacismo blanco atrapa a adolescentes que planean ataques en el sudeste asiático. https://es.marketscreener.com/noticias/contenido-de-supremacismo-blanco-atrapa-a-adolescentes-que-planean-ataques-en-el-sudeste-asi-tico-ce7e5fdedd81f522
17. National Observer. Uguen-Csenge, Eva; Ward, Rachel; Roumeliotis, Ioanna. Canadian website helps white supremacists nazis monetize hate. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canadian-website-helps-white-supremacists-nazis-monetize-hate-9.7134485
18. The New Daily. White supremacist terror plot. https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/state/wa/2026/02/28/white-supremacist-terror-plot
19. Gozzi, Laura. BBC News article. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c89kkykg39yo