Photo: ICPonline
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Neo‑Nazi “Active Clubs,” far‑right fight groups founded in the United States, have extended their reach into Finland. These extremist organisations, combining mixed martial arts (MMA) training with white supremacist ideology, now operate in Helsinki, Oulu, Tampere, Kokkola and Päijät‑Häme.
Established in January 2021 by American extremist Robert Rundo, Active Clubs promote “white racial consciousness” through combat sports, street activism and youth-oriented recruitment, echoing fascist models including the Third Reich’s paramilitary culture.
In Finland, groups are active under the banner Active Club Finland, and engage with allied extremist networks like the Hammerskins, Veren Laki and the banned Nordic Resistance Movement.
These groups have emerged publicly at events such as the White Boy Summer Fest near Ruovesi, where a Bellingcat investigation observed neo‑Nazi bands and a makeshift MMA ring attended by masked members. They also appeared in the torchlit “Suomi Herää” Helsinki march in December 2024, where participants burned banners of counter‑demonstrators and gave Nazi salutes.
The Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo) has flagged these far‑right combat sports initiatives as increasingly dangerous. They recruit young white men into extremist ideologies and cultivate readiness for violence.
Neo-Nazi gathering with Active Club Norway and Active Club France. Photo: Active Club Norway on TikTok
Globally, Active Clubs have proliferated in 27 countries, with the Global Project Against Hate & Extremism (GPAHE) documenting over 230 chapters, two of them in Finland, since October 2023. These organisations emphasise autonomy but collaborate across national borders, often through online platforms such as Telegram.
“Active Club chapters in Finland include Active Club Oulu; Active Club Uusimaa, and Active Club Tampere” notes GPAHE. These clubs regularly post ideological propaganda and coordinate training events, operating under a shared symbolism including Celtic crosses and other extremist icons.
Experts raise particular concern for the youth wings of Active Clubs, designed to mimic the Hitler Youth model and recruit teenage boys into a militant white supremacist culture.
In Finland, local extremist fighters such as the Hammerskins (Crew 38) host similar MMA events. They share participants and collaborate with Active Clubs and Veren Laki.
Authorities continue to monitor these groups. In January 2025, Helsinki police banned a planned neo‑Nazi MMA event scheduled in the capital, citing public health and safety concerns.
Analysts warn that the convergence of sport, ideology and youth outreach poses a significant threat. “They see themselves as preparing for a race war,” said the ADL on the movement’s U.S. origins.
The rise of Active Clubs in Finland reflects a broader international trend: extremist groups using physical fitness and combat training to mask political agendas and radical targeting of young people. Domestic authorities face the challenge of countering this networked and covert extremist movement.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
