Counter Extremism Perspectives

In this new episode on antisemitic violence, Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler speaks with Alexander Ritzmann about his latest report, which calls for a shift from incident response to “strategic disruption” of extremist networks, finances, and coordinators, and for treating antisemitism as a security threat. The discussion in this episode is based on Rethinking the Fight against Antisemitism after October...

Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler and Alexander Ritzmann are joined by journalist and author Nicholas Potter—who has faced death threats and intimidation because of his work—to discuss the rise in left-wing extremism and antisemitism. They talk about groups on the left that put aside ideological differences to create larger networks united in anti-democratic, illiberal and antisemitic causes.  Further readi...

Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler and Alexander Ritzmann discuss Alexander’s new Counter Extremism Project Policy Brief on Active Clubs (ACs) and the main strategic propaganda messages by the network’s co-founder and figurehead Robert Rundo since his public return in June 2025. ACs are a decentralized, transnational violent network of white supremacist groups that publicly promote combat sports, fitness tra...

Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler and Alexander Ritzmann  are joined by  JJ Green —journalist and author of  The Noise War —to unpack the mechanics of disinformation: how to spot it, why it works, how it corrodes trust and fractures nations, and what can be done to fight back in an age of constant information warfare. JJ Green  is the National Security Correspondent at WTOP and the author of  The Noise War:...

Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler  and  Alexander Ritzmann  are joined by  Sean McCafferty  to discuss how the October 7 attacks changed online extremism, including Islamic State’s (IS) response. Since IS lost its final territorial holdout in Baghuz, Syria, in March 2019, the group’s global presence, propaganda output, and online ecosystem have evolved significantly, including to a more decentralised approa...

Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler and Alexander Ritzmann are joined once again by Elena Martynova to explore two underexamined areas of terrorist financing: the targeting of individuals through sophisticated scam operations and the growing exploitation of the sports sector as a financial vehicle. Drawing on Elena’s recent CEP blogs, they examine how extremist groups increasingly leverage fraud schemes, onl...

Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler and Alexander Ritzmann are joined by Elena Martynova to explore how Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) has reshaped the fight against extremism—revealing hidden networks, exposing propaganda, and bringing new information to conflict zones. Yet the same open data—and now artificial intelligence—that empowers investigators is increasingly being weaponized by extremist actors. T...

Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler and Alexander Ritzmann are joined by investigative journalist Joseph Röhmel to discuss terrorism financing in Germany. Joseph is author of a major ARD/BR documentary on attacks like those carried out by the so-called Islamic State or Hamas which demonstrate with brutal force that terror is possible anytime, anywhere. The shocking answer to the question of how such terrorist...

Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler and Alexander Ritzmann are joined by Sean McCafferty to discuss how the Al-Qassam Brigade managed and adjusted its online propaganda strategy pre- and post-October 7th. Sean is EU GLOCTER PhD Fellow, seconded to CEP and author of a series of three blogs on: Al-Qassam Brigades Propaganda: Evolution Since October 7 The blogs focus on Content; Dissemination; and Policy Implica...

This episode discusses a recent CEP blog series on the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) — a Uyghur jihadist group affiliated with al-Qaeda and closely aligned with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria. With HTS now leading Syria’s transitional government and TIP integrated into the new Syrian Armed Forces, understanding their relationship is critical to assessing the terrorism risks emerging from post...

Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler and Alexander Ritzmann are joined by Franziska Sittig, co-author of a new book Intellectual Self-Destruction: How the West Gambles Away Its Future to discuss how Western academia is at a turning point, leaning toward organized activist radicalization, ideological extremism, and antisemitism. Franziska draws on her own experience at university and Hans and Alexander discuss...

Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler and Alexander Ritzmann discuss the current rise of Neo-Nazi youth across Germany, their resemblance to the “Kameradschaft” (comradeship) movement of the 1990s and 2000s, the strategies that dominate the violent mobilization of young people and how they can be countered. The CEP Policy Brief under discussion, and the podcast are in German, and the accompanying blog is in Eng...

Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler and Alexander Ritzmann explore the deepening ties between right-wing extremists and organized crime across Europe. Drawing on CEP’s research, they reveal how groups like the Bandidos and Turonen operate as Neo-Nazi mafias, dealing in drugs, weapons, and money laundering, while law enforcement often misses ideological links due to structural blind spots. Report: The Transnat...

Join hosts Alexander Ritzmann and Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler as they pull back the curtain on the Active Clubs. Ostensibly dedicated to sports and self-defense, these groups craft a deceptive image designed to keep law enforcement at bay. Yet beneath the facade lies a network involved in low-level crime and violence—with ambitions to build militias and expand operations across more than 23 countries....

Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler and Alexander Ritzmann discuss CEP's new initiative the Auschwitz Research Center on Hate, Extremism and Radicalization (ARCHER) which will be based in the home of the former Commandant of Auschwitz. The center will use its base to take action against the rising global tide of antisemitism and extremism. The discussion in this episode is in German.

The fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria was sudden and not predicted and presents significant challenges to the international community. Could it lead to the re-emergence, for example, of ISIS, and what are the implications for Russia and Iran as strong backers of Assad? Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler and Alexander Ritzmann discuss the risks and narratives associated with these major developmen...

The discussion in this first episode is based on CEP's publication ' Identifying and Disrupting Key Antisemitic Actors: A Five Step Guide' by Alexander Ritzmann, with a focus on how policymakers can consider and implement a risk-based and disruption-oriented approach to the post-October 7, global rise in antisemitism.