Certainly the scenes in Portland have alarmed civil liberties groups: Heavily armed and camouflaged federal officers, wearing no name tags or other insignia, are on the streets of Portland, Oregon, and have teargassed and arrested seemingly peaceful protesters with little or no provocation. President Donald Trump has said similar forces are coming to other cities — many run by Democrats.
To some, it may look exactly like what the militias have been warning of.
[...]
Now the movement's public face is smaller and harder to find without insider knowledge. For instance, until recently it was common to see groups with the words "big igloo" in their names, a play on the word "boogaloo." After Facebook's crackdown, some groups are using the word "icehouse" or other synonyms that may not be as obvious. They are therefore harder for algorithms to find, but also for people to find – whether to observe or to join in.
[...]
The groups who "back the boogaloo" imply, or even outright declare, that the U.S. is no longer a free country, and generally call for supporters to oppose, violently if necessary, federal forces and the government they represent.
In the days after George Floyd's death, I saw some of these groups call for members to participate in protests opposing police violence. But I have not seen similar calls in response to federal officers' violence in Portland.
[...]
Federal intervention has not stopped the Portland protests from growing, but some analysts expect Trump to increase the response in an attempt to appeal to his supporters as the country heads into the November election. Many people fear that move would spark violence.
The "back the blue" militia members generally respect law and order enough to not fulfill their threats of violence or criminal action – but the "back the boog" groups may not be so restrained. The "back the blue" groups may also act if federal action escalates, and members believe they are needed or useful to help defend the interests of average citizens.
www.salon.com/...