Boogaloo movement gains traction amid civil unrest
AX INTEL BULLETIN: Boogaloo movement gains traction amid civil unrest
DATE: 19JUN2020
Similar to how Black Lives Matter (BLM), ANTIFA and other left-wing extremist groups have used the civil unrest to gain traction, Boogaloo-affiliated right-wing, anti-government extremists are likely leveraging the current civil unrest across the United States to expand…
AX INTEL BULLETIN: Boogaloo movement gains traction amid civil unrest
DATE: 19JUN2020
Similar to how Black Lives Matter (BLM), ANTIFA and other left-wing extremist groups have used the civil unrest to gain traction, Boogaloo-affiliated right-wing, anti-government extremists are likely leveraging the current civil unrest across the United States to expand their movement beyond the Internet, recruit new members, and conduct real-world action. The Boogaloo movement originated and primarily functioned online. Recently, members have started operating nationwide, resulting in several deaths, injuries, and arrests.
- On May 29, Steven Carrillo and Robert Justus Jr. ambushed two Protective Security Officers standing guard outside a courthouse during a protest in Oakland, California, killing one and injuring the other. Prior to the shooting, Carrillo and Justus discussed their desire to target federal officers on a Boogaloo-affiliated social media account. Additionally, Carrillo shot and killed a Santa Cruz, California, police sergeant and injured a deputy and an officer while authorities investigated a report that Carrillo’s van was found and contained weapons, ammunition, and explosives. Prior to his arrest, Carrillo wrote Boogaloo movement phrases in blood on a vehicle he hijacked.
- On May 30, authorities arrested self-identified Boogaloo movement affiliates Stephen Parshall, Andrew Lynam, and William Loomis for conspiring to use Molotov cocktails to incite violence between law enforcement and protesters in Las Vegas. They sought to exploit outrage over Floyd’s death for their own radical agendas, according to a Department of Justice press release. The three men began planning an attack in April, targeting protests related to the reopening of states. They changed their target to take advantage of ongoing anti-law enforcement sentiment.
- As early as January, individuals wearing and displaying Boogaloo-related paraphernalia have attended several rallies and protests around the United States, focusing on a wide array of issues such as gun rights, COVID-19 government shutdowns, and law enforcement brutality. Affiliated individuals attempt to latch onto civil unrest during these events to propagate their message to disillusioned populations and recruit others into the movement while acting as a show of force against the government.
The Boogaloo movement is a loose collective of individuals and groups that identify with anti-government, anti-law enforcement, and militant ideologies. A wide variety of extremists use the term “Boogaloo” to reference a perceived future civil or race war primarily against the US government that will cause the eventual collapse of society. The term originated from a 1984 film, which Internet users have adapted in recent months to covertly and jokingly reference violent action or a willingness to engage in violence.