Boogaloo movement

The boogaloo movement, whose adherents are often referred to as boogaloo boys or boogaloo bois,^[3] is a loosely organized far-right anti-government extremist movement in the United States.^{[4][5][6][7][8][9]} It has also been described as a militia.^[10][11][12] Adherents say they are preparing for, or seek to incite, a second American Civil War or second American Revolution which they call "the boogaloo" or "the boog".^[13][14]

The movement consists of pro-gun, anti-government groups.^[1][10] The specific ideology of each group varies and views on topics such as race differ widely.^[13][15][16] Some are white supremacist^{[17][7][18][19]} or neo-Nazi^[19] groups who believe that the impending unrest will be a race war.^[17][7][19] There are also groups that condemn racism and white supremacy,^[10] although attempts by some individual elements of the movement to support anti-racist groups and movements such as Black Lives Matter have been met with wariness and skepticism, and researchers and journalists are unsure if they are genuine or meant to obscure the movement's actual objectives.^{[7][10][12][20]}

The movement primarily organizes online, but adherents have appeared at in-person events including anti-lockdown and George Floyd protests. Heavily armed, boogaloo members are often identified by their attire of Hawaiian shirts and military fatigues.^{[1][21][22][23]}

Boogaloo emerged on 4chan and subsequently spread to other platforms.^[24][25][26] Although usage of the term dates back to 2012, the movement did not gain mainstream attention until late 2019.^[1] Adherents use boogaloo, including variations so as to avoid social media crackdowns, to refer to violent uprisings against the federal government, often anticipated to follow government confiscation of firearms.^[1][27][28]

Individuals affiliated with the boogaloo movement have been charged with crimes, including the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol; the murders of a security contractor and a police officer; a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer; and incidents related to participation in the George Floyd protests.^{[29][30][20][31]} In mid-2020, several companies acted to limit the movement's activities and visibility on their social media and chat platforms.^[32][33]