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Flags and Other Symbols Used By Far-Right Groups in Charlottesville

The so-called “Unite The Right” rally organized by white nationalist Jason Kessler in Charlottesville, Virginia, has succeeded in drawing out a diversity of far-right groups ranging from white nationalists to armed “Patriot” groups.

What follows is a guide to some of the flags and symbols as spotted by Hatewatch analysts: 

The above is a poster for the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally derived from Benjamin Franklin’s famous “Join, or Die” cartoon.

The groups depicted include from left to right (K) “Kekistani,” (AC) “Anti-Communist,” (L) “Libertarian,” (N) “Nationalist,” (I) “Identitarian/Identity Evropa,” (SN) “Southern Nationalist,” (NS) “National Socialist,” and (AR) “Alt Right.” The National Socialist flags depicted include Traditionalist Worker Party and Vanguard America.

flag of kekistan

‘National flag of Kekistan’
The “national flag of Kekistan” mimics a German Nazi war flag, with the Kek logo replacing the swastika and the green replacing the infamous German red. A 4chan logo is emblazoned in the upper left hand corner. Alt-righters are particularly fond of the way the banner trolls liberals who recognize its origins.

Fascist/National Socialist Flags

national socialist movement flag

National Socialist Movement
The oldest and most likely largest NS group in the U.S. Run by Jeff Schoep.

roman legion flag

Roman Legion Flag
Flag depicting an eagle holding a fasces standing inside of a laurel wreath. Each of these symbols have been adopted by various elements of the far right.

schwarze sonne symbol

Schwarze Sonne (Black Sun)
Sometimes called the sonnerad, the Black Sun symbol has become synonymous with myriad far-right groups who traffic in neo-Nazi and/or neo-Volkisch ideologies. The symbol is based on the ancient sun wheel artifacts that were made and used by Norse and Germanic tribes as symbol of their pagan beliefs. Those sun wheels, made centuries upon centuries ago, do not usually resemble the complexity of this particular version. The version above is inlayed into the marble floor of the Castle Wewelsburg, the castle that Himmler made the spiritual and literal home of the SS during the reign of the Third Reich, and has significance within the occult practices of the SS.

traditionalist worker party symbol

Traditionalist Worker Party
A white nationalist group that advocates for racially pure nations and communities and blames Jews for many of the world’s problems. Even as it claims to oppose racism, saying every race deserves its own lands and culture, the group is intimately allied with neo-Nazi and other hardline racist organizations that espouse unvarnished white supremacist views.

traditionalist worker party shirt

Traditionalist Youth Network
A Traditionalist Worker Party shirt.

vanguard america flag

Vanguard America
Eagle carrying a fasces — symbol of authority in fascist Italy.

vanguard america-texas flag

Vanguard America-Texas
Incorporates the Schwarze Sonne (Black Sun) with star of Texas in middle.

Neo-Confederate Flags

southern nationalist flag

‘Southern Nationalist’ Flag
Designed by a former member of the Neo-Confederate League of the South (LOS), the "Southern Nationalist" flag is intended to evoke the St. Andrews Cross and the Confederate Battle Flag (CBF). Frequently carried by members of LOS and their allies in the south.

southern nationalist flag southern nationalist flag

‘Southern Nationalist’ Flag variation
A frequent variation of the “Southern Nationalist” Flag features the flag combined with a CBF.

Anti-Communist Action

A group whose name is an inversion of Anti-Racist Action (ARA), the first and historically largest (at one time) decentralized network of anti-racist and anti-fascist dedicated to confronting the far-right and disrupting their events and rallies through direct action, including violence.

anti-communist action

Anti-Communist Action
The black and yellow colors refer to libertarianism, typically depicted on web forums under a black and yellow banner. Variations of the flag often feature helicopters dropping a figure from the sky, a reference to Augusto Pinochet’s brutal tactics of suppressing dissent.

Identitarian

identity evropa flags

Identity Evropa
Based on the model of European Identitarian groups, Nathan Benjamin Damigo launched Identity Evropa from his grandparents’ compound in Oakdale, California. Identity Evropa focuses on recruiting college-aged, white students in order to discuss “race realism” and white interests, targeting disaffected young men by branding itself as a fraternity and social club.

generation identitaire

Generation Identitaire
European movement Identity Evropa based itself on.

American Guard

american guard

American Guard
American Guard is a group of hardcore nationalists (with aging/former racist skinheads and at least one klansman among its members) dedicated to physically opposing leftists at events and rallies. Augustus Invictus and Brien James are leaders within various state chapters. Some group members have connections to the Proud Boys and to the Fraternal Order of Alt-Knights, the Proud Boys “military division.”

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