Regional Overview
United States & Canada
July 2023

United States: Ongoing far-right militia, militant social movement, and white supremacist training events and other activities

Far-right militia and militant social movement activities decreased by roughly half in July following a spike in June, reaching their lowest single-month levels so far in 2023. In Arizona, far-right activity dropped by nearly half, largely as a result of a decline in the number of Veterans on Patrol patrols along the border with Mexico. Nevertheless, the Lions of Liberty, the Chino Valley Preparedness Team, Yavapai County Preparedness Team, and the Verde Valley Preparedness Team continued to hold regular informational recruitment meetings in July. The California State Militia held an informational recruitment meeting in Turlock, marking the group’s first recorded activity since early February 2023. Meanwhile, activity involving the Proud Boys decreased by roughly 75% compared to June, with members participating in a small number of anti-LGBTQ+ demonstrations.

Openly white supremacist activity also decreased by roughly half in July. The Goyim Defense League distributed antisemitic fliers in California, Georgia, and Michigan, with more than half of the fliers being distributed in San Diego County, California. Similarly, the Ku Klux Klan distributed white supremacist fliers in Ohio and Tennessee, while the National Socialist Club also distributed fliers in Connecticut. The Rose City Nationalists held a training in Oregon, while Active Clubs – a network of groups loosely affiliated with the Rise Above Movement (RAM) – held trainings in Tennessee. Meanwhile, numerous white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups participated in demonstrations across eight states in July. Among these groups were the Blood Tribe, Rose City Nationalists, Order of the Black Sun, the National Justice Party, New Jersey European Heritage Association, National Socialist Club-131, and various RAM-affiliated active clubs. Patriot Front’s activity decreased by roughly 40% in July, though the group held trainings in Charlotte and Colorado, distributed fliers in five states, and dropped banners in seven states. The group also marched through Austin, Texas on 4 July, coinciding with US Independence day.

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United States: Labor group activity spikes as a result of Teamsters ‘practice pickets’

The summer of 2023 has seen an elevated number of large labor-related strikes with accompanying demonstrations in the US, leading it to be referred to as ‘Hot Labor Summer by organizers and supporters on social media.¹Tyler Foggatt, ‘The Historic Battles of “Hot Labor Summer,”’ New Yorker, 27 July 2023; Erica Werner and Lauren Kaori, ‘Worker strikes grip Los Angeles as nation faces ‘hot labor summer’,’ Washington Post, 14 July 2023 In July, demonstrations led by labor groups calling for better pay and benefits increased by nearly half compared to June, reaching the second-highest level of labor-related activity in the US since ACLED began recording data in 2020. The primary driver of labor group activity in July were so-called “practice pickets” led by UPS workers unionized with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (referred to as Teamsters), which accounted for more than a quarter of all labor-related activity. These practice pickets were organized across the country to threaten strikes if UPS workers did not receive improved contracts, as their previous agreement was set to expire on 31 July. Teamsters held practice pickets across 29 states, with the most active being Texas, Pennsylvania, and New York. As a result, Teamsters and UPS reached a tentative agreement on a five-year contract on 25 July, avoiding the strike action that Teamsters had threatened to begin in August.²Lauren Kaori Gurley, ‘UPS and Teamsters reach agreement, averting Aug. 1 strike,’  Washington Post, 25 July 2023 Teamsters-led activity reached by far its highest single-month levels since ACLED began collecting US data in 2020, nearly four times higher than the previous peak.

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