Extremists including white supremacists and borderline livestreamers have descended on Los Angeles amid wildfires there to gain followers, juice social media engagement, solicit donations and, experts claim, recruit new members, while in some cases LARPing as emergency workers. weekend Ryan Sánchez and three other members of the Nationalist Network group which set up shop at the entrance to the Santa Monica Pier. Sánchez, who was caught on video giving the Nazi salute during the Conservative Political Action Conference last year, and his crew had driven overnight from Arizona, where they live. Rise Above Movement, is a white supremacist ally of Nick Fuentes and is sometimes known by the online moniker “Culture War Criminals.” Sánchez, who did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment, claimed on his social media account that his group “received more support than anticipated” and said that all the donations were given to the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall, a building that is said to be a shelter for veterans. as well as charities involved in military and veteran affairs. (It did not respond to requests to confirm whether Sánchez’s group made the donation.) While Sánchez and his friends claimed they were in LA to do good, experts who track the activities of far-right groups told WIRED that’s what they did. “disaster tourism” to further their own agenda by appearing to do good for society. that has happened more over the last year where far-right groups are involved in disaster tourism,” said Freddy Cruz, program manager for monitoring and training at the Western States Center. “We saw it with Hurricane Helene, and now we see it again. These groups basically just travel to disaster zones to make propaganda, ask for donations, and in some cases steal donations from people on the ground. still interested in meeting new prospective recruits. “We will no longer accept donations tomorrow, but if you are still interested in volunteering, contact us,” Sánchez wrote on Telegram and X on Sunday morning. A donation link Sánchez sent to his Telegram channel directly connects to his personal Cash App account, and does it is unclear where the donated money is going, although Sánchez suggests it is used to finance his group’s travel and accommodation. “The crisis in Los Angeles continues. , with high winds expected in the coming days. Thanks to your support, the Nationalist Network will be here for our American friends,” Sánchez wrote on his Telegram and X accounts on Monday, before asking for further donations “if you want to help our activists keep eating and fighting.” As well as Sánchez and the Nationalist Network, many MAGA streamers went to LA these days to start posting content after the fire while also soliciting money from their followers.
Far Right Extremists LARPing as Emergency Workers in Los Angeles
