Identity Evropa: White Nationalist Group Flyering College Campuses Across USA

A white nationalist group called Identity Evropa has launched a campaign to flood colleges and universities across the United States with its propaganda as part of a recruitment campaign aimed at spreading the group’s message. On its Facebook page, Identity Evropa describes itself as “an American based identitarian organization dedicated to promoting the interests of People of European Heritage.”

The group apparently feels that targeting non-white faculty members at universities is all just part of promoting European heritage. According to Russia Today, Identity Evropa placed flyers specifically on the doors of non-white faculty members at Indiana University. Lauren Robel, the Provost of Indiana University, posted a statement regarding the Identity Evropa flyers on the University’s website on February 6, 2017.

“Dear IU Bloomington Community,” Robel’s statement begins. “Earlier today, I learned of flyers posted on our campus by a group that identifies itself with white supremacy, and which claims in its social media to have posted similar flyers at as many as 30 universities across the country, including universities in California, Texas, Illinois, Washington, Georgia, and Massachusetts. Posted under cover of darkness, targeting the office doors of faculty members of color or scholars of race and ethnicity, these flyers were clearly meant to intimidate, threaten, scare, and provoke anger among faculty, staff, students and visitors.”

Robel goes on to say that Indiana University is working with local police to investigate the incident and that the FBI was also notified.

Charlie Geyh, a law professor at Indiana University, described the flyers as “burning crosses for the 21st century,” on his Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/charles.geyh/posts/10212071840061012

The Indiana chapter of Identity Evropa has a post bragging about putting up the flyers on its Twitter feed.

While you watched the #SuperBowl @IdentityEvropa took to Indiana University's campus to advocate for our people. @FOX59 @theheraldtimes pic.twitter.com/f8dNLmWkj4

— IDENTITY EVROPA IN (@IdentityEvro_IN) February 6, 2017

The main Identity Evropa Twitter account similarly brags about flyering a number of other campuses, including Universities in California, Texas, and elsewhere.

According to Los Angeles Times, Identity Evropa was founded by Nathan Damigo, a white Iraq war veteran who once spent time in prison for robbing a cab driver.

“In November 2007, (Damigo) had been home for a month after his second tour of duty and was suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, drug and alcohol abuse, paranoia and flashbacks, the article states. “A few days after the anniversary of a friend’s combat death, he spent a night drinking and went for a walk with a gun he’d gotten two days before as a gift. He came across a La Mesa cab driver who he thought was Iraqi, put a gun to his head and robbed the man of $43, records show.”

Damigo spent five years in prison and came out a big fan of former Ku Klux Klan leader, David Duke, and other white nationalists.

The rise in white nationalism and European-American ethnocentrism has been tied directly to the rise of the alt-right movement in the United States. In fact, Identity Evropa seems to be a fan of alt-right leader, Richard Spencer. They retweet him frequently. Spencer is one of the key figures in the alt-right movement. Spencer denies being a white supremacist, according to CNN, despite having mocked the death of Trayvon Martin on Twitter.

Happy birthday Trayvon Martin! #Patriots #Super Bowl

— Richard Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) February 6, 2017

The white supremacist campaign to flyer institutions of higher learning across the country is in full swing. According to Berks-Mont News, Identity Evropa recently hit Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, prompting Kutztown University President Kenneth Hawkinson to release a statement.

“Upon further investigation, we learned this group is a national organization that has posted similar materials at other campuses throughout the country over the past several months,” said Hawkinson. “While we must keep in mind that all individuals have the right to free speech on our campus, our university rejects all forms of racism, bigotry and discrimination.”

The University of Chicago has also been targeted by the Identity Evropa flyers, according to Chicagoist.

Identity Evropa, Richard Spencer, and other white nationalists typically reject the view that they promote racism. Instead, they claim that they are simply interested in helping Americans of European descent reclaim their heritage and to rally around white European identity. They think this identity has eroded in our society, leaving white Americans lacking a shared community based on its identity.

[Featured Image by Mimi Soltysik/Facebook]