Poorly attended NCCPA national convention attracts "Patriot" extremists and supporters of hate
The individuals behind the National Constitutional Citizens of Patriotic Americans (NCCPA) are at it again.
An umbrella聽聽for a coterie of so-called聽鈥淧补迟谤颈辞迟鈥�聽extremists, the NCCPA convened another national event a month after their聽聽鈥淎mericans for America鈥� protests held on April 14.聽聽
On May 11 and 12 the 鈥淎LL Groups National Convention,鈥� took place in Bridgeport, West Virginia, the home state of David Clayton, a key figure within the NCCPA and the Three Percent Republic,聽an antigovernment extremist group. The purpose of the event, according to a Facebook聽聽by Clayton, was to set up a 501(c)4 entity to represent Patriot movement views in the public sphere.
As Hatewatch reported聽earlier, the NCCPA and its rallies were permeated by members of anti-government extremist groups (some of whom have histories of anti-Muslim activity) and attracted supporters of hate organizations. Their national convention was no different.
Despite advertising for the event as early as January, and extending invitations to hundreds of individuals, the Facebook event page listed only 62 who 鈥淲ent.鈥�
Several individuals listed as 鈥淲ent鈥� were people involved in organizing the NCCPA鈥檚 April 14 rallies at national and state levels, including David Clayton, Melanie MacDonald and Penny 鈥淧C鈥� Rutter.聽
Notably, the 鈥淲ent鈥� list also included militia leaders George Curbelo and Gary Sigler, leaders within the New York Light Foot Militia and the III% People鈥檚 Militia of Maryland, respectively, two of three organizations explicitly named in a聽recent consent decree聽that agreed to never return to Charlottesville, Virginia, as an organized group.聽
The city of Charlottesville, with the assistance of Georgetown University鈥檚 Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection engaged in litigation against several militia groups, including the three groups listed in the consent decree,聽, 鈥淰irginia law does not permit private paramilitary organizations to operate outside the comprehensive state-law requirements for using organized force or projecting a willingness to do so.鈥�
Danny Bollinger, a leader of the Maryland-based militia My Brother鈥檚 Threepers, was not named in the consent decree. However, a photo posted on his personal Facebook page showed he also participated in the Charlottesville rally alongside Christian Yingling, a leader within the Pennsylvania Lightfoot Militia, the third group directly named in the decree.
Yingling was also listed as one of 650 鈥淚nvited鈥� individuals to the May event. It is unclear if he attended.
Hatewatch鈥檚 analysis of those listed as 鈥淲ent鈥� showed significant representation from the Light Foot Militia group, including members from its New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania state chapters.聽
In addition to its high-profile role as volunteer security at Charlottesville, chapters of the Light Foot militia have lent their armed assistance to anti-Muslim hate events. For example, several members of the New York Light Foot聽聽in military-style gear at an 鈥渁nti-Sharia鈥� rally in Syracuse, New York, on June 10, 2017.
More recently Josh Ruben Braff, the Ohio chapter leader of the Light Foot Militia, along with several additional members of the Light Foot and other militia groups 鈥撯�� such as the Michigan United Patriots Three Percent, Michigan Liberty Militia and Ohio III Percent Security Force 鈥斅燼ttended an聽April 2018 anti-Sharia rally聽in Dearborn, Michigan.聽
As Hatewatch has previously reported, the Security Force III Percent, run by Chris Hill,聽has a聽history聽of involvement in anti-Muslim hate. His group鈥檚 anti-Muslim antics earned聽聽from rival groups within the far-right militia movement.
The NCCPA鈥檚 invitation to its national convention didn鈥檛 just extend to members of groups who have lent their assistance to anti-Muslim hate. Invitees also included a Facebook user profile named 鈥淜ev Walk,鈥� who sported an identitarian movement symbol as their profile picture.聽Walk鈥檚 profile includes blatantly antisemitic content and conspiracy theories.
From supporters of anti-Muslim and antisemitic views to militia members involved in Charlottesville, it appears that another event involving NCCPA-associated individuals has attracted a cross section of far-right ideologues. Despite a previously stated policy of prohibiting extremism and bigotry, NCCPA-linked individuals and their other far-right associates continue to do the exact opposite of what they profess.聽
