An Ex-KKK Leader Is Mentoring Ireland’s Far-Right Activists
Image Credits: Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
An Ex-KKK Leader Is Mentoring Ireland’s Far-Right Activists
Text: Izzy Copestake
Frank L Silva is also a convicted terrorist.
A convicted terrorist and senior member of the Ku Klux Klan, Frank L Silva (Frank DeSilva), has been mentoring Ireland’s far right activists. According to original reporting from The Irish Times, these meetings have been happening remotely, and Silva has been providing “advice” to Ireland’s far right in relation to the anti-immigration protests.
Frank L Silva was the “grand dragon” (leader) of the Los Angeles chapter of the KKK and a prominent figure in the US white supremacist movement of the 1980s. He was a founding member of the neo-Nazi terror group “The Order,” known for violent crimes, including the assassination of Jewish talk-show host Alan Berg in 1984. Silva was sentenced to 40 years in prison in 1985 for federal racketeering and conspiracy charges linked to these violent acts, including armed robberies and murder. Released after about 13 years, he has since written extensively on his racist beliefs. Silva’s recent social media activity shows a growing interest in Irish affairs, including a podcast episode focused on anti-immigration protests in Ireland.
Several US white supremacists have been advising far-right Irish activists, with Silva being the most prominent. The Irish Times reports that this advice centers on maximizing publicity and avoiding prosecution. There have also been offers of financial support from American white supremacists to fund the “cause” and cover legal fees for those arrested at protests.
Silva has participated in five online meetings with Irish anti-immigration activists, some attended by up to 100 people. In one meeting, Silva advised Stephen Butler, a young anti-immigration activist whose videos of clashes with gardaí at asylum seeker sites have circulated widely in Ireland and overseas. Silva suggested Butler should “have a minimum of five guys” with him and try to “get in the heads” of gardaí to make the videos “go viral” and mobilize sympathizers.
In other meetings, Silva advised Irish activists to mask their racist views. In one meeting, Butler (26, from Brown Street, Portlaw, Co Waterford) discussed burying dead pigs on the grounds of sites earmarked for international protection centers to deter Muslim asylum seekers.
The global far-right has shown a growing interest in Ireland for some time. Following the Dublin Riots, there was a sharp rise in the #irelandisfull tag on Twitter. However, a disinformation researcher at LogicallyFacts discovered that most of these posts originated from the US and UK, not Ireland. Additionally, Fox News host Tucker Carlson dedicated an entire episode of his new show on X to “Dublin in Flames” after the protests, and Britain First party leader Paul Golding was particularly vocal online.
Elsewhere on District: The Global Far-Right are Exploiting a Broken Ireland
