Extremists, including white supremacists and borderline live streamers, have flocked to Los Angeles amid the fires to gain followers, garner social media engagement, solicit donations and recruit new members, experts say, while in some cases LARPing. They work as emergency workers.
Last weekend, Ryan Sanchez and three other members of his Nationalist Network group set up shop at the entrance to the Santa Monica Pier. Sanchez, who was in a video giving a Nazi salute at last year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, and his crew had driven overnight from Arizona, where they live.
Sanchez, who was a member of the now-defunct white supremacist club known as The Risen Movement, is an ally of white supremacist Nick Fuentes and sometimes goes by his online moniker “Culture War Criminal.”
Sanchez, who did not respond to WIRED’s requests for comment, claims on his social media accounts that his group has received “much more support than expected” and said all donations went to the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall, a building that said . Sheltering veterans as well as military and veterans related charities. (He did not respond to a request to confirm the financial contributions of the Sanchez group.)
While Sanchez and his colleagues claim they’re in Los Angeles to do good, experts who track the activities of far-right groups tell WIRED that what they’re really engaging in is “disaster tourism” by showing up to do good. Good deeds for society, advance their plans. .
“Based on a lot of their past activity, this is probably being used as a recruitment effort, something that has been happening a lot more in the past year, where far-right groups have been engaging in disaster tourism,” said Freddie Cruz, the program. Director of Supervision and Training at the Western States Center. We saw it with Hurricane Helen and now we’re seeing it again. “These groups basically travel to disaster areas just to generate publicity, ask for aid and in some cases actually steal aid from the people.”
On Monday, Sanchez said that while his group is no longer collecting goods for the relief effort, it is still interested in meeting potential recruits.
“Tomorrow we will not accept any more donations, but if you are still interested in volunteering, contact us,” Sanchez wrote on Telegram and X on Sunday morning.
The donation link that Sanchez posted to his Telegram channel links directly to his personal Cash App account, and it’s not clear where any money donated will go, although Sanchez has suggested it be used to cover travel and lodging expenses. Its group is used.
The crisis in Los Angeles continues and strong winds are expected in the coming days. Thanks to your support, the nationalist network will be here for our fellow Americans, Sanchez wrote on his Telegram and X account on Monday, before asking for more donations “if you want to help our activists feed and fight.”
In addition to Sanchez and the Nacionalista network, several MAGA live streamers traveled to Los Angeles in recent days to begin posting content about the aftermath of the fire while soliciting money from their followers.
