During the extensive reporting on the infamous neo-nazi Unite The Right rally in Charlottesville, VA, in August 2017, a crucial piece of evidence surfaced: the contents of a Discord chat server used for event planning. This revelation, brought to light by Unicorn Riot, exposed the underbelly of alt-right organization, highlighting how platforms like Discord, initially marketed to gamers, became instrumental tools for white supremacist groups. Figures such as Jason Kessler and Eli Mosley (Eliott Kline) heavily relied on this app to orchestrate the Charlottesville event, underscoring the platform’s unintended role in facilitating extremist activities.
Among the trove of Discord communications uncovered, the ‘Charlottesville 2.0’ server gained initial attention. However, numerous other servers played a significant role in the broader alt-right organizing efforts before, during, and after the Charlottesville events. One such server, previously undisclosed to the public, is ironically named ‘Vibrant Diversity.’ This server, teeming with over 250,000 messages, has now been fully published by Unicorn Riot as part of their Discord Leaks database, offering an unprecedented look into the digital infrastructure of hate.
The chat logs from the Charlottesville planning servers have already been admitted as evidence in civil litigation against the rally organizers, filed by survivors of James Alex Fields’ deadly car attack. Furthermore, the legal scrutiny extends to Discord itself, as a federal judge recently approved a subpoena to compel the platform to reveal the identity of at least one individual involved in the Charlottesville planning chats. This legal pressure underscores the severity of the issues stemming from online platforms being used to organize real-world violence.
The ‘Vibrant Diversity’ chat server appears to have been under the administration of ‘D’Marcus Leibowitz,’ a pseudonym for an alt-right organizer also implicated in leaked planning calls for Unite The Right. This individual, along with others, utilized the server as a central hub for communication and coordination within the movement.
Brian Brathovd, known online as ‘Caerulus Rex,’ was another prominent voice in the ‘Vibrant Diversity’ server. Brathovd, an anti-semitic podcaster and a member of Richard Spencer’s security detail, also served as a security organizer for Unite The Right. Unicorn Riot’s past investigations revealed Brathovd’s active duty status in the National Guard while simultaneously engaging in neo-nazi organizing, a stark illustration of the infiltration of extremist ideologies into mainstream institutions.
Brathovd’s heavy participation in ‘Vibrant Diversity’ suggests a disturbing level of comfort and perhaps a sense of invulnerability within these online spaces. He reportedly lauded ‘Vibrant Diversity’ as “the most elite discord server in the Alt Right,” a sentiment echoed by ‘D’Marcus Leibowitz,’ who proclaimed it ” this is a safe discord, only hyper-vetted goys.” These quotes reveal a closed-off, self-congratulatory environment where extremist views were not only tolerated but amplified.
Eli Mosley (real name Eliott Kline), already facing legal repercussions for his pivotal role in organizing Unite The Right, was also deeply enmeshed in the Vibrant Diversity chat room. His involvement further solidifies the server’s central role in the alt-right network.
Similar to Brathovd and Mosley, ‘Gray’ (alias of Cody Elkin), an alt-right neo-nazi and IT specialist, participated in the Vibrant Diversity chats and was also involved in the Charlottesville planning. Even after being removed from the ‘Charlottesville 2.0’ chat due to disagreements, his presence in ‘Vibrant Diversity’ indicates the interconnectedness of these online organizing efforts.
‘Zeljko Stajnovic,’ the online handle for Marcel Stein, a former Marine and member of the neo-nazi group Patriot Front, was another participant in the server. The chat also included key figures from the notorious neo-nazi hate site Daily Stormer, including owner Andrew Anglin, systems administrator Andrew Aurenheimer (aka ‘weev’), and Texan Daily Stormer writer Robert Ray (aka ‘Azzmador’), all of whom were also involved in planning for Charlottesville. This overlap in membership highlights the server as a melting pot of various factions within the extremist landscape.
Other notable alt-right neo-nazis whose messages appear in the newly leaked chats include holocaust denier Mike Enoch, of the Daily Shoah podcast, and Nebraska neo-nazi Dan Kleve. The presence of these individuals further cements the ‘Vibrant Diversity’ server’s status as a crucial communication hub for prominent figures within the movement.
Greg Johnson, publisher of the neo-nazi website Counter-Currents, also apparently frequented the Vibrant Diversity chat. The Discord username ‘Counter Currents,’ believed to be Johnson, was addressed as ‘GJ,’ his initials, by another participant. Despite rumors of living abroad, Johnson was later exposed as residing in Seattle, further illustrating the often-hidden, yet digitally connected, nature of these extremist figures.
To explore the newly released Discord chat logs, including ‘Vibrant Diversity,’ users can visit discordleaks.unicornriot.ninja and navigate to the server title in the lower left corner. This database offers a critical resource for researchers, journalists, and the public seeking to understand the inner workings of these online extremist communities.
Unicorn Riot’s ongoing publication of unreleased Discord chat logs continues to provide invaluable insights into the clandestine world of neo-nazi, white supremacist, and far-right movements. Further releases are anticipated, promising to shed even more light on these critical issues.
UPDATE (8/31/18): Additional leaked chat logs from two more alt-right Discord servers, obtained alongside Vibrant Diversity and Charlottesville 2.0, have been added: ‘4th Reich’ and ‘Safe Space 3’. These additions expand the scope of available data, offering an even broader understanding of the digital ecosystems that enable extremist organization.
