On Telegram, Neo-Nazis Celebrate Second Anniversary Of Pittsburgh Synagogue Attack, Call It 'Saint Bowers Day,' Threaten Head Of D.C. Think Tank

print
October 27, 2020

The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Domestic Terrorism Threat Monitor (DTTM). For DTTM subscription information, click here.

YOU MUST BE SUBSCRIBED TO THE MEMRI DOMESTIC TERRORISM THREAT MONITOR (DTTM) TO READ THE FULL REPORT. GOVERNMENT AND MEDIA CAN REQUEST A COPY BY WRITING TO DTTMSUBS@MEMRI.ORG WITH THE REPORT TITLE IN THE SUBJECT LINE.  

On Telegram, neo-Nazis are celebrating the second anniversary of the October 27, 2018 attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA, in which 11 worshipers were shot to death and seven others were wounded. Robert Bowers is accused of carrying out the attack.

Among the posts was a rap music video titled "[redacted] ft. Robert Bowers – Spinning Dreidels," that included a threat to Migration Policy Institute cofounder and Board of Trustees member Kathleen Newland. The threat stated: "Kathleen Newland head of Migration Policy Institute, a Washington D.C.-based think tank, she'll be drawing a blank without half her brain... I'm shooting at these pussy kikes 'til I'm shooting blanks, I found your address in the white pages bitch."

The following report will review this and other neo-Nazi Telegram posts dated October 27, 2020.

Screenshots And Excerpts:

One neo-Nazi Telegram channel posted: "Happy screw your optics day! Heil Saint Bowers." "Screw your optics, I'm going in" was Bower's last post on Gab prior to the attack.

A stylized graphic included in this post shows Bowers armed with a rifle.

The post against Ms. Newland was from a Telegram channel named for a character originally from 1980s McDonald's commercials that is now often incorporated into violent and antisemitic rap music videos found online. The music video, titled "[redacted] ft. Robert Bowers – Spinning Dreidels," features violent lyrics, with the verse targeting Ms. Newland stating in full: "Plowing through federal reserve banks, refugees rafts sank, your gentile armies washed up on river banks... Kathleen Newland head of Migration Policy Institute, a Washington D.C.-based think tank, she'll be drawing a blank without half her brain... I'm shooting at these pussy kikes 'til I'm shooting blanks, I found your address in the white pages bitch."

Another channel posted an image of Bowers behind bars with the text "POW KIA my head is bloody, but unbowed," which is a quote from the poem "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley, and a swastika. The accompanying text read: "On October 27, 2018, Robert Bowers drove to the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to embrace infamy where members of the Tree of Life, Dor Hadash, and New Light Jewish congregations gathered together for Sabbath. The synagogue, in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, did not have armed security guards. Bowers entered the building armed with multiple firearms, shouting 'ALL JEWS MUST DIE,' before opening fire. This was the deadliest attack against the Jewish community in the United States. The shooting killed 11 and wounded six others. Bowers was indicted by a federal court on charges including hate crimes, as well as the obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs and discharging a firearm. The maximum penalty he could receive if convicted is death, or life without parole plus 535 additional years of imprisonment. HAIL SAINT BOWERS."

A different channel wrote: "Today is the 2nd anniversary of Robert Bowers. Take a moment to reflect on his sacrifice today, and bully an optics cuck."

Another channel posted: "Happy Saint Bowers Day Eve! Tomorrow is Saint Tarrant's birthday as well. Celebrate both. This is a threat. Hail The Saints Hail Holy Terror RWBC [Right Wing Book Club]." Brenton Tarrant was convicted of killing 51 and wounding 40 in the March 2019 Christchurch, New Zealand mosque attack. 

A channel that regularly praises white supremacist attackers shared a link to a collection of Bowers' posts on Gab. The images were hosted on Imgur, an image-sharing community.

A Telegram channel that posts white supremacist and neo-Nazi graphics posted contact information for Bowers, a physical address where money orders can be sent, and a website for making online donations.

An accelerationist neo-Nazi channel wrote: "To commemorate Robert Bowers Day, remember that the Tree of Life synagogue was a justified military target, in which jews of all branches conspired to deprive our people of our birthright.

"They ritualistically mutilate little boys' genitals, then suck the blood out. This CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE is a key part of their religion, and so long as it continues in our lands, we remain at least partly complicit.

"They disperse around the planet, soaking up wealth from surrounding populations, but only giving good deals to themselves, cornering every market and starving everybody else of their resources. Furthermore, they impose a twisted culture upon the host nation, putting themselves on a pedestal and treating us goys as cattle to be exploited. Any resistance against this wretched conquest through sin is squashed using the combined might of traitor governments, hostile media and financial institutions, all of which are controlled by our dear friends with the funny hats.

"Finally, they admit to this and laugh about it, but will crush you if you point it out.

"They're not bulletproof, though. Many past experiments have confirmed this."

A Telegram channel that posts racist and antisemitic content shared a post showing Bowers with eyes glowing and the text "Do something, even if it means sacrificing everything" and the Nike swoosh and motto "Just Do It."  

The full text of this post is available to DTTM subscribers.

If you are a subscriber, log in here to read this report.

For information on the required credentials to access this material, visit the DTTM subscription page

Subscribe to DTTM

Join U.S. and other Western government agencies and law enforcement, as well as leading businesses and business organizations, in subscribing to the MEMRI Domestic Terrorism Threat Monitor (DTTM) Project, for the latest alerts, updates, and reports on imminent and potential threats from around the world.

ONLY GOVERNMENT, MEDIA, AND ACADEMIA WITH FULL CREDENTIALS CAN REQUEST ACCESS TO DTTM REPORTS.

Subscribe to DTTM

The Cyber & Jihad Lab

The Cyber & Jihad Lab monitors, tracks, translates, researches, and analyzes cyber jihad originating from the Middle East, Iran, South Asia, and North and West Africa. It innovates and experiments with possible solutions for stopping cyber jihad, advancing legislation and initiatives federally – including with Capitol Hill and attorneys-general – and on the state level, to draft and enforce measures that will serve as precedents for further action. It works with leaders in business, law enforcement, academia, and families of terror victims to craft and support efforts and solutions to combat cyber jihad, and recruits, and works with technology industry leaders to craft and support efforts and solutions.

Read More