Organizational History

The aim of Volksfront, a racist skinhead group, is to build a “folk homeland”. The group follows a political line similar to Tom Metzger, leader of the White Aryan Resistance, known as the Third Position, a blending of left and right-wing rhetoric with neo-fascist ideology. This ideology translates into a support for seemingly left-wing views such as support for the proletariat and rejection of capitalism while at the same time backing white supremacist rhetoric. Many members have also mixed an already eclectic Third Position ideology with elements of paganism or Odinism. Volksfront members are known to embrace a racist version of Asatrú, a form of Scandinavian paganism dating to the Middle Ages.[1]

Volksfront was originally conceived in prison in Oregon by Randall Lee Krager, who was serving three years for beating an African-American man in 1992. Volksfront became public in 1994 and began a violent campaign that included the spread of flyers depicting the beating of minorities, a practice that has spread to current and former Volksfront members. The association with violence gave Volksfront a bad reputation with law enforcement that, by 1998, caused the group to go “underground” as soon as the group’s leadership realized it was necessary to renovate the organization. Three years later the group resurfaced. Volksfront has grown in recent years, counting chapters in foreign countries as well several states. Along with starting an annual Aryan Fest in 2004 (a gathering centering around hate bands and group networking), they have become one of the most influential white supremacist groups currently in operation. 

Structure

Volksfront has no one particular leader; it is operated by a Board of Officers who oversees the daily operations; members are allowed to vote on major decisions of the group. 

Recruitment

When Volksfront first emerged in 1994, many recruits were taken from local organizations who suffered from the fallout of the Tom Metzger law suit for the murder of an Ethiopian immigrant; Volksfront has also profited from the woes of other organizations including the World Church of the Creator, the Aryan Nations and the National Alliance, all of which have suffered legal problems and have pushed recruits to Volksfront. Oregon’s economy has also been cited as contributing to the group’s recruitment structure. The state has among the worst unemployment rates in the country, creating an opening for skinhead organizations that look for disenfranchised youth who seek to belong to something.[2]

Tactics

Volksfront has been connected indirectly to past acts of armed assault, but the group’s main priority at this stage is to improve its image, the same priority adopted by much of the white supremacist movement. Despite the group’s claimed adoption of a non-violent stance since its reappearance in 2001, violent activities remain a possibility, though the group will likely distance itself from any assaults and vandalism that occur. Among the new tactics adopted by the group during its “nonviolent” phase is the creation of a special security database meant to track enemy individuals and organizations; personal information and photographs are solicited by the group in order to track those that are perceived as enemies of the white race.

Website

• http://volksfrontinternational.com

Publications

• Thule Publications (Volksfront’s publishing arm)

• The Folk Tribune: The Independent Voice of the White Working Class

Gallery

References

1. Kramer, A. (2002, February 7). Are racist elements again gaining a toehold in Portland? The Associated Press.
2. NS Revolt. (2009, September8). Volksfront OSC ballad night. Retrieved from [1]
3. Portland Independent Media Center. (2008, November 5). Local Nazis on display (Part 3 of 3). Retrieved from [2]
4. Portland Independent Media Center. (2010, December 12). Anti-facists leak Oregon neo-Nazi photo albums (Part 1 of 4). Retrieved from [3]