Proud Boys member Jeremy Bertino wearing a Right Wing Death Squad patch in Raleigh (2020 Nov)

Right Wing Death Squad, often abbreviated to RWDS, is a slogan used in the 21st century by U.S. far right extremists. The term was first used in the 1970s to describe Latin American paramilitaries who targeted their left-wing opponents.

Historical usage

See also: Augusto Pinochet's arrest and trial

The term was first used in the 1970s to describe Latin American paramilitary death squads who targeted left-wing opponents.[1]

Jeremy Bertino wearing a T-shirt with "RWDS" and "Pinochet Did Nothing Wrong" slogan, 2019, Pittsboro

From the 2010s onwards, the term was used in the U.S. by far right extremists. The term, often abbreviated to RWDS is used in memes,[2] in online forums, on clothing, patches, and stickers.[1] The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism attribute the terms' popularity to usage by the American neo-fascist organisation the Proud Boys. The slogan is often accompanied by the words "Pinochet Did Nothing Wrong"[3] and the abbreviation RWDS is used as a hashtag #RWDS.[4]

The slogan was used by attendees of the 2017 Unite the Right rally white supremacist event in Charlottesville, Virginia.[1]

A 2019 Facebook group called Right Wing Death Squad was monitored by the FBI due to the violent, anti-semitic, and white supremacist content being posted.[5]

Mauricio Garcia, the perpetrator of the 2023 Allen, Texas outlet mall shooting wore a RWDS patch when he killed eight people.[6] After the shooting, former Proud Boys regional leader Jeremy Bertino[7] spoke of his regret about wearing a Right Wing Death Squad patch.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Richer, Alanna Durkin; Kunzelman, Michael; Whitehurst, Lindsay (2023-05-09). "The meaning behind the far-right symbol Texas shooter wore as he killed 8". AP NEWS. Archived from the original on 2023-05-18. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  2. ^ Ecarma, Caleb (2023-05-08). "Texas Mall Shooter Wore "Right Wing Death Squad" Patch, Officials Probing Possible Neo-Nazi Ties: Report". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 2023-05-23. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  3. ^ Feuer, Alan; Goldman, Adam; Bohra, Neelam; Albeck-Ripka, Livia (2023-05-08). "After Texas Mall Shooting, Searching for Motive and Grieving for Children". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-05-19. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  4. ^ Stan, Adele M. (2016-04-20). "As GOP Reconsiders Trump as Standard-Bearer, Candidate Retweets White Supremacist". The American Prospect. Archived from the original on 2023-07-04. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  5. ^ "Missouri soldier connected with others in 'Right-Wing Death Squad' group". FOX 2. 2021-07-01. Archived from the original on 2023-05-14. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  6. ^ Roush, Ty. "What To Know About 'Right Wing Death Squad'—Phrase Linked To Texas Shooter, Proud Boys". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2023-05-18. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  7. ^ "Ex-member: Proud Boys failed to carry out 'revolution'". AP NEWS. 2023-02-22. Archived from the original on 2023-07-04. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  8. ^ Roche, Darragh (2023-05-09). "Ex-Proud Boy regrets wearing "RWDS" patch after Texas shooting: "Horrified"". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 2023-05-25. Retrieved 2023-05-26.


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