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  • Animal Liberation Front (ALF)

    The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) is an international resistance movement which fights against animal cruelty. The ALF is decentralised and leaderless due to the group’s anarchist ideology. Moreover, the Front has conducted operations in the past to remove animals from laboratories, farms, and related facilities, and to instead place them in safe houses, veterinaries, and sanctuaries. The ALF is active in over 40 countries around the world. Due to its leaderless and decentralised structure, ALF members around the world often operate clandestinely, between friend groups or as sole individuals (and simply affiliate their actions to the ALF). This characteristic of the ALF makes it extremely hard for global authorities to monitor and intervene. The ALF’s activists emphasise the non-violent, pacifist nature of the movement. Even more interestingly, one of the group’s main slogans is that “everyone is part of the ALF”. Essentially, this lies on the notion that anyone who conducts an act of animal liberation — without harming human or non-human life in the process — is an ALF activist. Despite this pacifist approach, countless critics categorise the ALF as “eco-terrorists”. On most occasions, these allegations stream from the ambiguity of who is an actual ALF member; if it is impossible to know who exactly is an activist for the group, it is also impossible to know whether an ALF activist has been involved in an act of violence. For instance in 2002, the Southern Poverty Law Center in the US made a report on the ALF’s involvement in the Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty political movement, which allegedly employer terrorist tactics. However, the SPLD later noted that no one had been killed during this campaign. Later in 2005, the US Department of Homeland Security included the ALF in its list of dangerous organisations. The UK also started monitoring the group in 2004 for accusations of domestic extremism. The ALF’s approach to resistance — despite being proclaimed as non-violent — has involved destruction in the past. This is because many of the group’s activists who are involved in direct action support property crime. In essence, these activists esteem that simply removing animals from a laboratory will lead to their rapid replacement. The laboratory’s destruction, however, would imply heavy costs and hence a probability that alternatives to animal research will come about. In 1996, for example, an ALF activist was involved in an arson attack on the University of Arizona. NOTE: This article will be updated soon.

  • Saraya Al-Mukhtar (SM)

    Insurgency Overview Saraya Al-Mukhtar (“SM”), also known as The Chosen Brigades, is a Bahraini militant group primarily comprised of Shi’a Muslims. The group formed in 2013 after the ruling Al-Khalifa regime led a crackdown on pro-democracy protestors during the 2011 Arab Spring (1). The group utilises sophisticated IEDs (improvised explosive devices) in pursuit of the ousting of the Al-Khalifa regime in order to bring about the end of Sunni minority rule in the country (2). History & Geopolitics The fundamental objective of Saraya Al-Mukhtar is to bring about the fall of Bahrain’s current regime through armed means in order to establish a Shi’a-led state (1). Followers of Shi’a Islam reject the first three Caliphs who came after the death of the Prophet Mohammad and instead only recognize the fourth Caliph, Ali Ibn Abi Talib. As a result, the largely Sunni population in the Middle East regard the Shi’a as Rafida (rejectors) (3). Saraya Al-Mukhtar acts against what they claim is the systemic oppression of the Bahraini Shi’a, in addition to condemning the regime's alliance with the United States. Presently, Iran is the only Shi’a-led state in the region (4). The current regime has close ties to the United States as Bahrain houses a naval base which is subsequently home to the United States Fifth Fleet (5). In 2018, the United States State Department classified SM as a terrorist group, stating the group is an Iranian-backed terror cell (6). In addition, Saudi Arabia seeks the maintenance of the Al-Khalifa regime in order to counter the spread of Shi’a and therefore, Iranian influence in the region (7). SM utilises Twitter and Telegram to display their support of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as well as their support of the Iraqi militant group Kata’ib Al-Imam Ali (6). Approach to Resistance Between the group's founding and 2015, it claimed responsibility for numerous IED attacks against Bahraini security forces (6). Furthermore, official SM Twitter posts allude to the regular training of its militants by the IRGC (6). However, since 2015 the group has not claimed responsibility for any attacks, with the US State Department also reporting that Bahrain has not witnessed a deadly attack since 2017 (6). Although Saraya Al-Mukhtar seems to be militarily dormant at the present time, the group -- as aforementioned -- regularly uses social media to illustrate their ideological solidarity with the Iranian regime, as well as with the Iraqi group Kata’ib Al-Imam Ali (6). Additional Resources

  • Al-Shabaab

    Introduction & Overview Harakat al-Shabaab al-mujahideen (حركة الشباب المجاهدين) or more commonly known as al-Shabaab (The Youth) is a fundamentalist Islamic insurgent organisation based in Somalia but active in the rest of East Africa. The majority of al-Shabaab’s support base within Somalia is strongly nationalist in nature and there is a greater focus on establishing a “Greater Somalia" by uniting the Somali populations of Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti (Petrich, 2019). This has changed from a focus on the globalist framework within which the group was founded in order to view incursions on Islamic territory by non-Muslim nations such as the USA and UK as well as other mainly Christian African nations such as Ethiopia and Kenya (Downie, 2011). These invasions would be viewed by the population of Somalia as further attempts at colonization and Western assimilation and be used to aid in support and recruiting efforts for al-Shabaab in the Horn of Africa. Organisation Roots & History The exact origins of al-Shabaab are unclear. It is widely agreed that the organisation formed as a part of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) which was a legal and political organisation set up in the wake of the fall of the Siad Barre regime in 1991 during the Somali Civil War. The ICU was embraced by large amounts of the Somali population and following the expulsion of CIA-backed warlords in 2006 (Mazzetti, 2006), it resulted in what was widely considered the most productive era in recent Somali history since the fall of the Barre regime. Following the dissolution of the ICU in 2007 due to internal disputes resulting from the Ethiopian occupation in the War in Somalia, al-Shabaab established itself as an independent actor and began an armed campaign of resistance to foreign invasion forces. After having made large territorial gains during the 2007-09 period it suffered significant losses at the hand of the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM). However, this success by the AU (African Union) forces didn’t last long and during the 2009-10 period the insurgent group made significant gains in the south of the country. This resulted in al-Shabaab controlling much of central and southern Somalia whilst also forming administrative functions to govern the areas that it controlled. Post-2013 the group launched further guerrilla attacks on AMISOM forces due to losses that the group had suffered and since 2018 the insurgency has seen a resurgence in terms of not only organisation but also membership numbers (Raghavan, 2022). Objectives & Ideology Ideologically, the insurgent group has been centred around the principle of Salafism in which the main goal is to establish a global caliphate (much like ISIS) through armed struggle or Jihad. However, this goal of establishing a global caliphate is not shared by large amounts of al-Shabaab’s support base within Somalia (International Crisis Group, 2022) and therefore an effort has been made to advocate for a form of Salafi Jihadism that runs alongside Somali nationalism. This would allow the group to sympathise with the perceived struggles of Muslims and Islamic nations worldwide and to also pursue its idea of a ‘Greater Somalia’. Military & Armed Capabilities Al-Shabaab’s military abilities are linked heavily to its funding which has gone through several changes. This changed from a focus on international funding through the Hawala network in which individuals who support the Islamist group can donate money through a set of intermediaries to avoid detection. The insurgency also used to fund its activities through charcoal exports due to its control over several port cities such as Kismayo. However, due to the Kenyan military engaging and removing al-Shabaab from the port city the Islamist group was forced to find other means of funding such as local taxation and the trade of illicit substances such as ivory (McCoy, 2015). Due to this large and established source of funding, the insurgent group has access to weapons such as assault rifles, mortars, anti-personnel mines, and also rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). This access to high explosive devices has also led to the capability to create and produce locally made IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) and VBIEDs (Vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices). Approach to Resistance Due to a recent resurgence in the group's capabilities, more direct actions are being undertaken by the insurgency group. Al-Shabaab is suspected of being behind the Mogadishu Truck bombings in 2017 in which 270 people died. However, due to a large number of civilian deaths they are suspected to be reluctant to claim the attack due to the possibility of degradation of local support (Mohamed, Ibrahim, and Schmitt, 2017). This has now typified the strategy that al-Shabaab uses to oppose forces that it considers opponents in its journey to establish an Islamist presence in Somalia which include the forces of the African Union and the Federal Government of Somalia. This strategy includes not only attacks against opponent armed forces but also attacks against foreign aid groups and local civilians who oppose the methods of al-Shabaab (Sheikh, 2022). International Relations & Alliances Al-Shabaab has been linked to several internationally- and regionally-active Islamist terrorist organisations but most importantly al-Qaeda (AQ). The relationship between al-Qaeda and al-Shabaab was fraught and they interacted mainly online before 2008, praising each other’s actions but not cementing a cooperative relationship. However, after Osama Bin Laden's death in 2011 the Somali-based insurgency group became an official al-Qaeda affiliate (Staff, 2012). This led to close cooperation in areas such as indoctrination and training with a focus on basic skills and also more importantly advanced explosive creation training which has allowed al-Shabaab to utilise more lethal tactics in its war against opposition forces. However, there has also been conflict with other Islamist organisations such as ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) which in early 2015 called upon al-Shabaab to switch allegiances from AQ to ISIL. Al-Shabaab rejected and consequently released an 18-page treatise in which they rejected the newly formed Islamic State in Somalia’s (which is an ISIL branch) ideology and listing the crimes which they had committed under the Quran (Hummel, 2019). Gallery Additional Resources

  • Atomwaffen Division (AWD)

    Overview & Ideology The Atomwaffen Division (German for “Atomic Weapons”) is an international Neo Nazi accelerationist network. The group was founded by members of a now-defunct Neo Nazi internet forum, called the 'Iron March', which catered to younger Neo Nazis hoping to take to real life activism. Much of Atomwaffen’s ideology is derived from a Neo Nazi named James Mason and his newsletter called “SIEGE”. SIEGE heavily embraced the idea of going underground and creating small networks which would result in 'lone-wolf' style attacks (1). Members of the group are also strict followers of the ideology of the Order of Nine Angles -- an esoteric Satanic group with Neo Nazi ideologies. The group’s goal is to create an apocalyptic societal collapse which will result in a race war that would lay the foundation for a national socialist society (2). Organisation Roots & Radicalisation There has been much speculation on the exact date of the founding of the organization. Claims range from 2013 to 2017, although the organization itself can be traced from the now-defunct Iron March forum which began in 2011 and was later shut down in 2017. In fact, a post on the Iron March forum made by Brandon Clint Russell from Florida announced the formation of The Atomwaffen Division on October 12, 2015, in Tampa (1). Roughly around the same time, AWD literature started appearing on the University of Central Florida's campus. In 2016, the same literature appears on the Old Dominion University and then Boston University. After this, AWD members began making appearances in public. Members were spotted protesting a vigil in San Antonio, Texas regarding the Pulse Nightclub shooting. After that, members were in Houston, Texas as part of a “White Lives Matter” rally. AWD propaganda was then spotted at eight different universities around the US (2). AWD had grown to 80 members with various “initiates” waiting to gain approval to become full members. These 80 individuals and initiates were spread across the United States in secretive cells which trained and planned for “lone wolf” style attacks. AWD even conducted various “hate camps” in Texas, Washington, Nevada, and Illinois. These “hate camps consisted of firearms training, explosives training, clearing houses, and production of propaganda videos (3). Objectives The objective of AWD is the collapse of modern civilization. Their belief is that various terror cells would be able to execute catastrophic “lone-wolf” attacks which would incite a race war and hence bring down the US government. The AWD's objectives are influenced by serial killer Charles Manson, as well as prominent white nationalists William Pierce and James Mason. AWD went as far as even establishing a relationship with James Manson. AWD made his Neo Nazi newsletter, SIEGE, a required reading for all members. SIEGE heavily promotes the idea of “leaderless resistance” in which an individuals would operate in secrecy and conduct “lone wolf” attacks. Examples of these types of actions which inspire AWD is the Oklahoma City Bombing and the shooting conducted by Dylann Roof (2). Another ideology that became intertwined with AWD was Satanism. John Denton became leader of AWD after Brandon Russell was incarcerated for the possession of a high-powered firearm and explosives after being pulled over in 2018. Denton himself was heavily influenced by a British Satanic Neo Nazi organization -- The Order of Nine Angles (ONA). ONA writings then became required readings for members and the AWD began to take on many of their beliefs. Approach to Resistance The danger of the AWD comes from their propensity and desire for violence. They have been known to actively recruit military members; AWD founder Brandon Russell himself was a member of the Army National Guard. Members with military experience play an important role within the AWD as they share knowledge of firearms training, paramilitary structure within training, and explosives training. Various cells will conduct trainings on their own, sharing the knowledge that had been given from the military members within their ranks. Examples of these trainings are the “hate camps” that AWD was known to conduct (1). The AWD has been involved in many violent incidents. For instance, in 2017, former AWD member Devon Arthurs killed his two roommates who were active AWD members, stating that they were plotting attacks and that he would not be able to live with the guilt if they were to follow through (1). The plot that Arthurs was referring to prompt the arrest of AWD founder, Brandon Russell. Russell had been stating on Neo Nazi online forums that he was going to blow up various infrastructure and kill random individuals. Police pulled over Russell and another AWD member and discovered explosives, bulletproof vests, and automatic rifles in their possession. In 2018, AWD member, Samuel Woodward murdered his former high school classmate, Blaze Bernstein, after attending an AWD “hate camp”. Bernstein was Jewish and part of the LGBT community. Many AWD members praised Woodward for his actions on online forms after his arrest (2). The AWD has the propensity to be violent, as seen with the murders and assaults associated with the organization. However, law enforcement has been relatively effective in the prevention of any major threats; many leading AWD members have been incarcerated or put under scrutiny from law enforcement. This has consequently caused the organization to become more secretive. The organization is very savvy with encrypted communication and its distribution of propaganda. This is perhaps the real defining source of danger within the AWD’s promotion of “lone wolf”attacks that could be carried out by individuals who are simply inspired by AWD teachings. James Mason declared that AWD had to disband due to pressures from law enforcement, although many members remain active. The members that remained active rebranded themselves as the National Socialist Order (NSO) (3). The name has changed, but they essentially have the same beliefs and activities as the AWD, although they are keeping a lower profile. International Outreach The AWD has been noted to have cells throughout the United States. By admission, Brandon Russell mentioned on his aforementioned Iron March post that proclaimed the formation of AWD included a “large concentration in Florida, various smaller chapters throughout the US, such as Chicago, Texas, and New England, Boston, New York, Kentucky, Alabama, Ohio, Missouri, Oregon, Virginia, and a few others.” (3). The AWD was also noted to have international links and affiliates. Affiliate groups have been discovered in the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Russia and allegedly in Ukraine as well (2). The UK affiliate of the AWD -- The Sonnenkrieg Division (SKD) -- further blended tenants of Satanism along with ideas of pedophilia and rape. The SKD became an affiliate of the AWD in 2018 and it attracted attention all over the UK due to threats made against Prince Harry’s life for his marriage to Meghan Markle. The AWD’s German affiliate, AWD Deutschland, emerged in 2018. They became known nationwide due to their threats against Muslim and Green Party politicians. In 2022, a cell connected to AWD was discovered in Quebec, Canada. The cell was eventually raided by authorities after a perspective member was arrested for defacing LGBT support centers throughout the area (3). Another incident involved the members of the Washington branch of the AWD and their connections to a far-right terrorist organization -- the Russia Imperialist Movement. The ties between these organizations were so deep that AWD members Aiden Bruce-Umbaugh and Kaleb Cole travelled to St. Petersburg, Russia to receive military training from them (4). The AWD affiliates were noted to be in Ukraine as a propaganda video emerged in 2019, although any further evidence to confirm the authenticity of this has not been found (2). Many of these groups have been crippled due to law enforcement scrutiny but it proves that the reach of the AWD’s structure and propaganda is a new trend in white supremacy. Additional Resources

  • St. Pauli Football Club Ultras

    Group Overview St. Pauli FC is a football club in the district of San Pauli, Hamburg, in Germany. It was founded in 1910 and is often considered to be one of the most political clubs in the football world (1). In addition to its far-left ideology, the club is also the first sports entity in Germany to have integrated a charter of 'guiding principles' (2), which outlines the core elements of the St. Pauli ultras’ common political ideology. Values, Ideology, & 'Guiding Principles' The Sankt Pauli ultras engage in a phenomenon referred to as “Sankthpaulismo”, a term which encompasses the St. Pauli ultra’s responsibility to be a militant for the club’s values, on and off the pitch. The ultras consider themselves to be anti-racist, anti-homophobic, anti-fascist, and anti-sexist (3). Their militancy for these values, as aforementioned, is not restrained to simple chants and tifos in football stadiums. Rather, St. Pauli ultras have a reputation for participating in protests, assemblies, and other political events in the Saint Pauli district. In fact, the ultras have even organised their own events in the past to rally support for the causes they support. The yearly Anti-racist Football Tournament, for example, is a competition organised by the ultras since 2004 which promotes diversity within sports and society (4). Popular Roots St. Pauli is a football club which has very deep ties with its supporters. In 1998, their stadium was renamed from “Wilhelm Koch Stadion” (former club president) to “Millerntor Stadium” after the ultras discovered that Koch had collaborated with Nazi authorities during WWII. Outside of politics, the club is also profoundly characterised by its subculture of punk music and countercultural values. St. Pauli’s close affiliation to the radical left has often coincided with the integration of pro-LGBT and anarcho-communist themes in this subculture (5). Approach to Resistance St. Pauli’s approach to resistance is very similar to other hooligan movements in football. However, the club’s omnipresent mixing of politics and football has made its confrontations with rivals (i.e Hamburg SV) very violent. Every year, police supervision is enforced during St. Pauli’s marches and hooligan movements. Most of the ultras’ messages are spread and displayed through giant leftist tifos, stickers across the city, or even graffiti art (6). Gallery Manifesto & Additional Resources

  • Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF)

    The Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF) are a paramilitary organisation which fights for the independence of Ambazonia. Ambazonia is a self-proclaimed independent state in the Southern Cameroons. The ADF is fighting since the 9th of September 2017 — the same day that the Ambazonian separatists declared independence. The Southern Cameroons refer to the Anglophone regions of Cameroon, mostly located in the south of the nation. Most separatist groups within the region have gone to war against regional forces, yet the ADF has declared war against the Cameroonian national government as a whole (as well as its forces). The group’s only official political ideology is Ambazonian Nationalism. Moreover, the ADF is allied with the Indigenous People of Biafra. In June 2018, the ADF has claimed to have 1500 soldiers fighting for Ambazonian independence. Moreover, the Cameroonian government has officially admitted its weakness in fighting the Ambazonian guerrillas outside of the main cities within the Southern Cameroons. This is most likely because of the poor infrastructure which is familiar to the guerrillas. Since the beginning of the war in 2017, there have been thousands of casualties and around half a million internally-displaced people. In 2019, the ADF entered a formal dialogue with the Cameroonian national government. These talks led to a the Anglophone regions gaining a special, partly-autonomous status. However, this has not stopped the war; in 2020, extreme escalations of the conflict took place when the national government sent more troops to the region and the ADF became more politically organised. The ADF’s approach to resistance is very similar to that of a typical guerrilla group. The ADF’s main attacks against national forces take place through rapid hit-and-run offensives, surprise ambushes, as well as raids. NOTE: This article will be updated soon.

  • Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE)

    Collaboration with Meridian News Just yesterday in Ecuador, the federal government and the CONAIE found an agreement in order to end the 18-day long violence-filled riots. These agreements have marked the start of a 90-day dialogue between both parties. The recent protests have led to the death of 4 people due to clashes between police and protestors and have frozen the country’s domestic affairs. The CONAIE is the largest and most influential indigenous rights organisation in Ecuador. The confederation represents 14 native populations and pursues social justice and social change through the advocation of indigenous rights. Unlike some other emancipation groups, however, the CONAIE has a history of using direct action and popular uprisings to pressure the federal government. CONAIE is renowned for its blockades of commercial infrastructure and its seizures of government buildings. On more political grounds, CONAIE proclaims in favour of the recuperation of land rights, environmental sustainability, and a strict opposition to neoliberal ideology — particularly a fierce rejection of US military involvement in South America. The recent protests have risen due to deals made between the Ecuadorian government and polluting transnational corporations. CONAIE’s current discussions with the government seek reductions in oil prices, as well as the closing of oil and mining projects within protected lands. The Ecuadorian government is facing extreme pressure as its oil production continues to be stalled by the confederation. NOTE: This article will be updated soon.

  • Polisario Front (PF)

    The Western Sahara remains one of the most disputed territories around the world, with Moroccan authority being challenged by the Al-Sahrawi People. Morocco has long claimed the territory as its own on constitutional grounds, yet global recognition over the Western Sahara remains ambiguous. The Polisario Front is the group of resistance fighters formed by the Al-Sahrawi people to fend off Moroccan forces. Historically, the Polisario Front was formed in order to liberate the Western Sahara from Spanish colonial rule. When Spain had left West Africa, however, it offered the Western Sahara to be partitioned by Mauritania and Morocco. Despite liberating the territory from Mauritania in 1979, the Polisario Front has been in a stalemate with Moroccan forces since the 1991 UN ceasefire. Just two years ago in 2020, however, the Polisario declared the ceasefire as over and outdated. Armed conflict between Moroccan forces and the Polisario Front has since resumed. The Western Saharan question is one of the most ignored geopolitical conflicts globally. Although the United Nations has emphasised the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination, it has not truly enforced this right. In fact, it remains illegal for the Sahrawi people to cross the Berm Line (a large sand-made border between Moroccan-occupied land and the Sahrawi people's land). It is also illegal for the Western Saharan flag to be waved in the occupied territory. What remains of the Sahrawi-claimed land is relatively unstable. Humanitarian aid is scarce and the outstanding majority of the Sahrawi people live in refugee camps. The headquarters of the Polisario Front are located in similar refugee camps in the Tindouf Province of neighbouring Algeria. All in all, the Western Sahara has often remained ignored and isolated by the international community.

  • Libyan National Army (LNA)

    The Libyan National Army is a component of Libya's national military forces which are under the command of Khalifa Haftar. The LNA is based in Tobruk and opposes the GNA (the internationally-recognised government of Libya). Moreover, this insurgency is backed by Egypt, France, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, mainly due to its strong stance against the Muslim Brotherhood. The LNA’s commander — Haftar — was nominated as the commander of the LNA by the House of Representatives of Libya. Haftar is a heavily authoritarian figure that also despises the sharing of power, a factor which leads to speculation by numerous political scientists that the LNA is seeking dictatorship. The current situation in Libya has led to a severe internal conflict between the LNA and the GNA. The United Nation’s direct support and involvement in the creation of the GNA often leads to the classification of the LNA as “illegitimate”. In 2019, the LNA’s army was composed of around 7,000 regular Libyan soldiers, as well as around 18,000 Salafist militias, Sudanese, Chadian, and Russian mercenaries. The LNA’s army even has its own airforce as most members of the original Libyan airforce and navy have remained loyal to the GNA. The LNA’s approach to resistance involves direct confrontation with the GNA forces. However, the LNA was also heavily involved in the Libyan regime change, as many of its initial founders were involved with the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. In 2016, the LNA also replaced elected municipal councils, elected mayors, and have even allegedly kidnapped Seham Sergiwa (a member of the House of Representatives), despite denying this. NOTE: This article will be updated soon.

  • Women Democratic Front (WDF)

    The Women Democratic Front (WDF) is a socialist-feminist political protest organisation which is based in Pakistan. The WDF seeks to unite women in Pakistan and help them revolt to what they view as sexist and systematic oppression. It aims to do so by building a socialist-affiliated feminist movement strongly opposed to capitalism, patriarchy, religious fascism, and authoritarianism. The WDF was created on International Women's Day in 2018 after a large number of students, working women, intellectuals and political activists gathered and participated in the Aurat Azadi March. The WDF esteems that Pakistan is a country filled with systematic sexism — a form of oppression which they claim finds its roots in the country’s division genders and mass exploitation of the working class. The group consequently vows to continue its struggle until Pakistan emancipates women to the largest extent and until its government prioritises societal development. The WDF — being a legitimate political protest organisation — has four national units. These units are located in Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces. As a result, most of the women allied to the movement are from these regions. Interestingly, the WDF’s unit in the Kashmir region remains unrecognised due to the disputed nature of the territory. This has made it significantly more difficult for women in the region to protest for their emancipation. Despite its radical stances and political views, the WDF is a peaceful protest organisation and has no record of violence or rioting. As stated in the Front’s manifesto, this willingness to remain peaceful during its protests comes from the group’s prioritisation of democracy and legitimate political action. NOTE: This article will be updated soon.

  • Free Republic of Liberland

    The Free Republic of Liberland, referred to casually as Liberland, is an unrecognised micronation which claims an uninhabited and disputed territory of 7 km2 (2.7 square miles) on the western bank of the Danube, between Croatia and Serbia. The sovereignty movement began in April 2015 and is continuing to this day under the leadership of Vít Jedlička — a Czech right-libertarian politician. Liberland’s official website highlights that the micronation was birthed after the Croatian-Serbian border dispute. Jedlička emphasises that this dispute led to a legal loophole which left a small parcel of land west of the Danube river unclaimed by either country. This unclaimed territory was then claimed by Jedlička in the name of Liberland under the Terra Nullius doctrine. As aforementioned, the Liberlandian territory only spans a small 7 kilometres square, making it approximately the same size as Gibraltar. Not a single country in the world recognises Liberland and — internally — it is almost completely undeveloped. The micronation has a population of 0 people (as even Jedlička doesn’t live in Liberland, despite being its self-proclaimed president). Interestingly, the currency of the micronation is the Liberland Merit — a cryptocurrency. In 2015, 30 people signed up for Liberlandian citizenship on the micronation’s website, yet none of them managed to enter the territory as they were initially detained by Croatian police officers. These people were later on also denied by Serbian fishermen who refused to take them across the Danube by boat. Crazily enough, Liberland received 200 thousand citizenship applications in a single week in 2015, during the European refugee crisis. The vast majority of these applicants were Libyan and Syrian individuals. This motivated Jedlička to host a Liberlandian recruitment programme in Istanbul that same year. Evidently, numerous journalists and reporters who have covered the Liberlandian cause esteem that Jedlička is simply conducting a publicity stunt and that his claims are not genuine. However, the micronation’s self-proclaimed leader re-assured that he was very serious about his motives and that he esteemed Liberland to be the ultimate example of ‘peak libertarianism’. NOTE: This article will be updated soon.

  • Paraguayan People’s Army (EPP)

    The Paraguayan People’s Army (EPP) is a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group active since March 2008 in Paraguay. Nonetheless, the EPP’s political struggle traces back to the 1990s, where its members served as the armed wing of the leftist political party Patria Libre. The EPP is active in northeastern Paraguay and its members are trained by other regional guerrilla groups, one of which is the FARC. The EPP’s ideology is very far-left oriented. The group seeks to overthrow the Paraguayan government and establish a de facto socialist state. The overall revolutionary socialist motives of the EPP are guided by Guevarist principles and Foco theory. In essence, the EPP considers the past Paraguayan governments (those or Fernando Lugo and Nicanor Frutos) to have implemented an oligarchical system which led to social alienation and harmed the agrarian sector. These objectives and core motivations have made the Paraguayan government classify the group as a terrorist organisation. However, numerous Paraguayan analysts claim that the EPP is widely popular amongst the country’s poorer social classes as their respective populations feel that they’ve been abandoned by their state. In fact and as Galeani Perrone (former Paraguayan minister) states, the EPP’s members are often seen as the Paraguayan “Robin Hoods” as they redistribute wealth. The EPP’s approach to resistance is almost identical to that of other South American guerrilla groups. Essentially, the EPP targets businessmen, bankers, and even ranchers and has conducted numerous kidnappings and expropriations thereof. The EPP has also orchestrated armed attacks where they conducted arson attacks, bombings, and shootings. NOTE: This article will be updated soon.

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