Disengaging from an extremist group is a long and difficult process – that’s why two former extremists are helping others turn their back on the far right.
In a packed synagogue on the outskirts of Chicago, Jeff Schoep prepares to address the crowd.
Public speaking is nothing new to Jeff, he’s done it for over 25 years, and to crowds much bigger than this. But this time is different… and he’s nervous.
Jeff is the former leader of the National Socialist Movement (NSM), the largest Neo-Nazi organisation in the USA.
The National Socialist Movement is a militant, racist, antisemitic group, known for holding public rallies dressed in Nazi-styled uniforms. They are accused of planning and carrying out the violence at the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville in 2017.
This event at the synagogue was a watershed moment in Jeff’s long road towards de-radicalisation.
“Coming out of an environment where you’re always right, to getting up there in front of a crowd of people — people I had dehumanised — and admit I was wrong was so, so hard.”
He has since set up Beyond Barriers, a charity who provide support for individuals fleeing extremism.
READ MORE – “I went from the hater to the hated overnight”: Why is it so difficult to leave the far right? | by Nathan Clarke | Apr, 2021 | Medium