Robert Rundo, the founder of the infamous U.S.-based neo-Nazi fight club known as the Rise Above Movement, penned an essay on the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, calling on white supremacists to stay strong in the coming days.
Rundo published the article on his Media2Rise website, which acts as an alternative media source promoting the “nationalist lifestyle” with the goal creating a counter-culture to “mainstream toxicity.” In his latest essay, Rundo took an affirmative tone in his discussion of the insurrection attempt, stating that “millions are coming to terms [with the idea] that the government and their agents are not on our side.”
Rundo, who was previously arrested on rioting charges in relation to a rally in Huntington Beach in 2018 only to have the charges dismissed by a district judge, explained that the lack of faith in democratic institutions of government serves as an opportunity to radicalize disenfranchised Americans.
“They are losing control of the reins,” Rundo wrote. “The harder they repress us, the more we will grow. The worse the living conditions get, the more people will turn to us. And finally, when a significant percentage of the American people have nothing left to lose, actual victories will be won. When people have nothing left to fear, they no longer feel the need to pretend.”
Since being released from federal custody, Rundo has taken to writing blog posts espousing his violent ideology. His posts include “Combat Sports For The Future of Nationalist,” where he referred to mixed martial arts as a “weapon” for white supremacists. He also published a series of YouTube videos teaching people the benefits of activism, street propaganda techniques, and tips for traveling incognito.
Rundo also founded the white nationalist propaganda outfit known as the International Conservative Community, which boasts a network of neo-Nazis around the world, including groups in Greece, Poland, Sweden, Hungary, Russia and Canada. The ICC is behind the propaganda campaign for Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old charged with the fatal shooting of two protesters during a demonstration in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Author note: Read Right Wing Watch’s in-depth reporting on Kyle Rittenhouse here.)
Rundo’s campaign included spreading artwork depicting Rittenhouse with the caption, “Kyle was Right.” The ICC has planted stickers, large-scale graffiti work, and banners emblazoned with Rittenhouse’s image across Europe and North America. In Serbia, where Rundo is currently based, the group painted a picture of an armed Rittenhouse standing proud with a Schwarze Sonne (German for Black Sun) as his backdrop. The Black Sun (also known as the sonnerad) is synonymous with far-right groups that traffic in neo-Nazi ideologies. The painting in Serbia was featured alongside a Confederate flag and a picture of a deranged Homer Simpson aiming a gun, with the caption “KILL YOUR LOCAL ANTIFA SCUM.”
Rundo’s latest essay is a reflection of his overall ideological standing, which is rooted in the creation of a white ethnostate. In his opinion, the Capitol insurrection laid the foundation for the eventual demise of institutional democracy in the United States.
“The cage they put us in breaks down, and once free, we can stand upright once again and reclaim the torch of destiny our ancestors bestowed upon us,” Rundo wrote.
