From blood and soil to ecogram: A thematic analysis of eco-fascist subculture on Telegram

Abstract

Despite being a fringe ideology, eco-fascism has gained widespread interest since 2019 with its connection with terrorist violence. The 2019 Christchurch, El Paso and 2022 Buffalo attackers' manifestos all expressed environmental ideas and incorporated climate change into the justifications for their actions. Considering the severity of the threat posed by this lineage of violence, this dissertation aims to identify the dominant narratives and themes within eco-fascist affiliated Telegram channels. It also seeks to contextualise findings by connecting themes, where possible, as representative of either a distinct eco-fascist subculture or militant accelerationist movement, understanding the extent to which each has an influence on the 'Ecogram' community. The findings conclude that Ecogram can be considered a melting pot of green far-right tendencies. Dominant themes all revolved around the twin pillars of anti- modernism and the natural order. Keywords: Eco-fascism, Far-right, Anti-modernism, Ted Kaczynski, White Supremacy, accelerationism, Siege-culture