The #AryanNations are a long-standing #NeoNazi group in the United States, dating back to the 1970s.
The Aryan Nations as a group should not be confused with Christian Identity, a small, intensely racist and antisemitic religious movement that has historically held a prominent position within the far right in the United States. The Aryan Nations logo consists of a Wolfsangel symbol with a crowned sword replacing the central bar. This design is typically displayed within a blue shield.
The Aryan Nations were among the most active neo-Nazi groups during the 1980s and 1990s, but entered a significant period of fragmentation and infighting following the death of their founder, Richard Butler, in 2004.
Since 2004, a number of Aryan Nations factions have emerged and subsequently collapsed after several years. The main remaining faction is the #AryanSons. However, the strength of the Aryan Nations brand name may lead to the emergence of additional factions in the future, creating increasingly complex and difficult-to-distinguish relationships between them.
The symbol is also associated with a hand gesture. Members of the Aryan Nations have used a gesture sometimes described in writing as “bolts up” or “bolts to the sky,” involving the hand being formed into a gun-like shape with the index finger pointing upward or outward. There have also been documented instances of this gesture appearing in tattoos and icons, including representations in which the gun-like hand is pointed upward.
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