3 days ago
On the Vineyard, a federal immigration sting, a tattoo, and questions about white supremacy
'Some white supremacists, particularly racist Odinists, have appropriated the Valknot to use as a racist symbol,' the
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Odinism is 'a term frequently given to a racist variant of the Norse pagan religion known as Asatru,' the ADL wrote.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not respond to a request for comment on Monday. News of the officer's tattoo was
The symbol, which also has an the alternative spelling Valknut, was tattooed on the face of a self-described 'white-power skinhead,' who killed a Utah corrections officer, according to an article cited by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The center said among racist pagans the Valknot signifies
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Experts said the Valknot is not as easily recognized as other better known hate symbols.
'It is often associated with Odin and the willingness to die a violent death for a cause, usually Nazism/white supremacy,' Thomas Birkett, a professor at University College Cork, Ireland, who studies Norse mythology and runes. 'It's on the same continuum of swastika, black sun, othala rune, etc.'
The symbol, he said, is also used by neo-pagans, often without racist connotations, so it is 'very hard to prove that it means what it probably does mean, unless accompanied by other more overtly racist symbols.'
'The problem is that neo-Nazi groups are very good at occupying this grey area which allows them deniability if challenged by an employer etc.,' he said. 'The federal agent concerned could easily claim that it is just a cool symbol, or worn because they have Scandinavian heritage, etc.'
Sophie Bjork-James, a Vanderbilt University professor, agreed the symbol's meaning can be manipulated.
'Such symbols are often chosen over more recognizable racist images such as the swastika as the individual can both signal their identity to others while also denying a link to a white supremacist movement when convenient,' she said. 'This means that unlike a swastika, one needs more evidence to understand if someone with a valknut tattoo is indeed a white nationalist.'
Many far-right groups have embraced Norse symbols and mythology 'because they critique Christianity as a religion influenced by Judaism,' according to Bjork-James
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'Anti-Jewish prejudice is central to white nationalism so Norse symbols can also be used as a symbol of their prejudice against Jews,' she said.
Immigration raids last week on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket saw about 40 people taken into custody on the resort islands that rely on immigrant labor.
Photos of the unidentified federal agent with the tattoo have circulated on the island.
Photos and videos taken by a resident near the Menemsha Coast Guard Station show a man wearing a tactical vest identifying him as a 'police federal agent.'
The man appears to wear a neck gaiter, which obscures the lower parts of his face, as well as sunglasses and a cap. Both of his arms appear to be heavily tattooed. Near the Valknot is a tattoo of the coiled snake of
Charlie Giordona, a 58-year-old Vineyard resident, was among those to confront and film the agents during the ICE sting.
'It's all about context, man,' said Giordona over the phone on Monday. 'I would ridicule ICE for profiling brown people in their roundups. By the same token, I shouldn't profile someone for their tattoos. But again, it's all about context.'
He continued, 'I don't think those guys are fans of Odin and Norse mythology. I think those guys are white supremacists.'
Massachusetts has a lengthy history of white supremacy and far-right politics. At least 530 state residents signed up for the Oath Keepers,
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In 2022, two days before the Fourth of July, about 100 white supremacists,
Danny McDonald can be reached at
