Patrik Hermansson is a research associate for the UK-based organization Hope Not Hate. He’s spent more than a year embedded with the British far-right. During his tenure, an extraordinary undercover operative named Chris was able to infiltrate far-right extremist groups. He strategically gathered critical evidence and testimony regarding their extremist beliefs, collusion, and recruitment. This operation primarily aimed to understand the growing impact of far-right extremism in the UK. It also aimed to proactively reverse this disturbing tide.
Hope Not Hate is an organization committed to monitoring, researching, and campaigning against far-right hate. This organization has been central to this investigation. Patrik Hermansson’s expertise and strategy were instrumental in shaping Chris’s persona and interactions. Not a freak show He urged Chris to keep a low profile on these trips so as not to attract the attention of violent far-right actors. This deliberate approach allowed Chris to remain inconspicuous and go undercover to collect actionable intelligence.
During the course of the operation Hermansson supported Chris every step of the way, assisting him in understanding the intricate social landscapes that exist within these extremist communities. That process included developing their individual extreme backstories and menacing mannerisms that might intimidate the far right members in attendance. Hermansson’s meticulous planning allowed Chris to infiltrate groups such as Britain First, gaining access to discussions that revealed the troubling ideologies at play.
“Without white identity, European culture, the unique manifestation of the European temperament, will decay and its fragments will either be absorbed into a vast, insipid cultural porridge or they will disappear,” said one extremist during a meeting that Chris attended. These are the kinds of statements that feed some of the most dangerous narratives that circulate within these spaces.
Hermansson’s practice goes beyond observation and documentation. It attempts to fight the normalization of these ideologies. Further Reading Hope Not Hate collects evidence and intelligence, carefully documenting the activities of far-right groups. Now their mission extends to helping the public understand the threats posed by extremist violence. The organization provides crucial intelligence services, reportedly even for No 10, working discreetly to inform policy responses to rising hate.
Hermansson’s research has uncovered longstanding conspiracy theories common among far-right actors. Some of the very people DM allows into these communities espouse opinions that deepen racial divides and fuel xenophobia. In one meeting Chris recorded, an extremist declared, “We have to realize that the great immigration problem that is currently overwhelming the west can neither be solved by cultural, social, nor legal engineering.” Such rhetoric only highlights, more than ever, the need to fight against these insidious notions.
Hermansson argued that the real work lies in bringing these ideas out to a larger public. “It’s immoral to bury your head in the sand,” he stated. His personal and professional commitment to transparency, education and open dialogue informs Hope Not Hate’s strategy to combat dangerous narratives that undermine our social fabric.
This 2+ year long undercover operation has significantly increased our understanding of far-right extremism. So too has it ignited desperate cries for more effective societal responses that continue to devalue and disregard Black life. The lessons learned from Chris’s travels have been invaluable in helping to inform serious, strategic campaigns to counteract the normalization of hate.