The John Brown Gun Club: Unmasking Pro-Palestinian Extremism Behind Anti-Fascist Rhetoric
How a left-wing militia network celebrates Hamas and PFLP while posting, "Hey Fascist, Catch!" recruiting posters across elite college campuses
The recent appearance of recruitment flyers at Georgetown University has thrust the John Brown Gun Club back into the national spotlight, revealing disturbing connections between this armed leftist organization and pro-Palestinian extremism that extends far beyond their publicly stated “anti-fascist” mission. The flyers, bearing the phrase “Hey, fascist! Catch!” - the exact words inscribed on bullets used in Charlie Kirk’s assassination - signal a troubling escalation in domestic extremist recruitment tactics. Days later, the group put up more posters, this time stating, “Follow Your Leader,” above a picture of Charlie Kirk with his eyes blacked out.
This development comes at a critical moment when President Trump has designated Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. The designation exposes the John Brown Gun Club’s deep entanglement with anti-fascist networks. The group has also embraced radical pro-Palestinian activism that celebrates Hamas’s October 7th attack on Israel. This extremist rhetoric has spread throughout multiple chapters across the United States.
Documented Violence and Criminal Enterprise
The John Brown Gun Club’s track record of violence extends across multiple incidents involving federal facilities and law enforcement personnel. Most notably, Willem van Spronsen, a confirmed member of the Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club, conducted a firebombing attack on the ICE detention center in Tacoma, Washington in July 2019. Van Spronsen was killed during the attack after opening fire on responding officers.
More recently, the group’s violent activities escalated dramatically with the July 4th attack on the Prairieland ICE facility in Alvarado, Texas. Benjamin Song, described by authorities as the ringleader of the Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club chapter, orchestrated an attack involving eleven members who opened fire on the facility.
According to the Washington Post investigation, Song had been training left-wing activists in “hand-to-hand combat and large-scale gunfights.” The FBI arrested eleven suspects in connection with this coordinated assault on federal immigration enforcement infrastructure.
Rhode Island Chapter: Celebrating October 7th and Targeting Jewish Hostages
The Rhode Island John Brown Gun Club chapter has demonstrated perhaps the most explicit pro-Palestinian extremism within the network. In a particularly disturbing social media post, the chapter celebrated Hamas’s October 7th attack on Israel, revealing their ideological alignment with designated terrorist organizations. This celebration of mass violence against Israeli civilians exposes the true nature of their “anti-fascist” rhetoric.
Even more troubling, the Rhode Island chapter actively encouraged vandalism targeting images of Kfir Bibas, the youngest hostage taken by Hamas on October 7th. Kfir, who was barely nine months old when kidnapped, became a symbol of Hamas’s brutality after tragic confirmation that he and his family were murdered in captivity. the Rhode Island chapter of the John Brown Gun Club made a social media post instructing followers to use paint scrapers to remove hostage posters of Kfir.
The chapter has also documented its participation in pro-Palestinian protests, though it remains unclear whether they provided armed security for these events. This pattern of activity suggests coordination between armed militia training and pro-Palestinian activism.
Vice City Chapter: Direct Terrorist Organization Connections
Even more concerning are the activities of the Vice City chapter, whose internal communications reveal explicit sharing of propaganda from the official channels of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.
The chapter explicitly promoted what they called their “leftist militia that is towards the Palestine Movement to stop the genocide of Palestinians,” directing followers to a specialized channel called “Crimson Honor.”
Crimson Honor, operating under the tagline “Militia for the left. Free Palestine,” serves as a clearinghouse for terrorist propaganda and coordination materials. The channel has systematically distributed PFLP videos and statements alongside content from Iran’s official news agency IRNA. Most significantly, Crimson Honor has shared official Hamas documents from their English Telegram account, including strategic communications materials from the Hamas Media Office regarding their October 7th attack operations.
Denver Chapter: Antifa Manual Distribution & Pro-Palestine Protest
The Denver John Brown Gun Club chapter has maintained direct operational connections with established Antifa networks. The chapter distributed materials titled “Exposing Fascists: Best Practices,” which was originally produced by Colorado Springs Anti-Fascists and bore official Antifa logos. This distribution network demonstrates how John Brown Gun Club chapters serve as bridges between various extremist organizations, facilitating the spread of tactical knowledge for targeting perceived political opponents.
The Denver chapter regularly posts about pro-Palestinian events and activities through their social media channels. Their content includes announcements for Gaza solidarity rallies, protest coordination, and sharing materials from pro-Palestinian organizations including one calling to, “Globalize the Intifada.”
Connecticut Chapter: Justifying October 7 and Anti-Fascist Operations
The Connecticut John Brown Gun Club chapter demonstrated immediate and explicit support for Hamas terrorism in the days following the October 7th massacre. On October 14th, just one week after Hamas’s brutal assault that killed over 1,200 Israeli civilians, the Connecticut chapter issued social media posts celebrating and justifying the terrorist attacks.
Beyond their celebration of Hamas terrorism, the Connecticut chapter has engaged in systematic fundraising operations through what they describe as auctioning “anti-fascist history.” This included auctioning off a 1932 German Iron Front flag, which was displayed with a weapon in front of it. The three arrows on the flag are also common symbols of the modern Antifa movement.
Operating Under New Legislative Framework
These revelations about the John Brown Gun Club’s activities have gained urgency following President Trump’s September 22nd executive order designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization and his comprehensive directive on countering domestic terrorism and organized political violence.
The September 22nd order specifically targets Antifa’s “militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government” and its “coordinated efforts to obstruct enforcement of Federal laws through armed standoffs with law enforcement.”
The accompanying National Security Presidential Memorandum directs Joint Terrorism Task Forces to investigate networks that “foment political violence” and organizations that “promote organized violence, violent intimidation, conspiracies against rights.”
These directives appear tailored to address precisely the type of coordinated extremist activities documented within John Brown Gun Club chapters, particularly their statements expressing support for foreign terrorist organizations, their attacks on federal facilities, and their role in radicalizing individuals for political violence.