Facebook designates ‘boogaloo’ network as ‘dangerous organization,’ removes pages from platforms

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Facebook announced that it has designated the “boogaloo“ network as a “dangerous organization” and that the organization has been banned from having any presence or posting content on the social media platform.

Facebook said in a news release that the term “boogaloo” has been “adopted by a range of anti-government activists who generally believe civil conflict in the US is inevitable. But activists are divided over numerous issues, including the goal of a civil conflict, racism and anti-Semitism, and whether to instigate violent conflict or be prepared to react when it occurs.”

The social media giant said that the movement is interspersed between various locations across the country, with members using Facebook as a means for recruitment, communication and content sharing.

Members of the boogaloo movement were present at a gun rights rally in January and at various protests and rallies throughout the country, according to Facebook.

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“It is actively promoting violence against civilians, law enforcement and government officials and institutions,” Facebook said, citing over 800 posts that the social media organization has removed for violating the platform’s Violence and Incitement policy over the past months.

“We know that our efforts will never completely eliminate the risk from this network, or other dangerous organizations, but we will continue to remove content and accounts that break our rules so we can keep people safe,” Facebook said.

In June, Steven Carrillo, an Air Force seargent that federal authorities said was associated with the boogaloo movement, had been charged in the May 29 shooting death of Dave Patrick Underwood, 53, at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building in Oakland, California. Authorities allege that Carrillo is a right-wing extremist who deliberately carried out the attack with Robert Justus Jr., 30, on the same night of a George Floyd protest in Oakland.

The removal of boogaloo network content from the platform follows similar moves made by tech organizations to clamp down on hate speech and organizations within its platforms. Reddit recently banned the r/The_Donald and r/ChapoTrapHouse communities in efforts to align with new hate speech policies. Twitch, the popular online streaming platform, temporarily suspended Trump’s account due to “hateful conduct.”

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The moves come in the wake of the wider discussion of racism and hate speech that has erupted following George Floyd’s death. Floyd, an unarmed black man, died after Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis police officer, knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

Outrage over Floyd’s death sparked protests around the world over racism and police brutality, prompting government leaders, both at the national and local level, to address and implement changes regarding their policing practices and criminal justice policies.

Floyd’s death also brought new awareness to the Black Lives Matter movement, with notable celebrities, brands and other organizations expressing their solidarity and support.