What is Blood Tribe? Neo- Nazi group allegedly holds antisemitic rally in downtown Madison

More than 20 men wearing red shirts and calling themselves members of the Blood Tribe were seen marching through downtown Madison on Saturday, November 18, 2023. Allegedly, the men were yelling antisemitic slurs, and even chanting “There will be blood.” As the videos from the antisemitic rally went viral, many wondered what the Blood Tribe is.

Basically, the Blood Tribe is a white supremacist group founded in 2021, which targets Jews, the LGBTQ community, and even people of color. As per the Anti-Defamation League, the group “openly directs its vitriol at Jews, non-whites.”

Furthermore, the people rallying in downtown Maddison wore T-shirts with “Blood Tribe” written on the back. The rally was amidst the recent incidents of anti-semitism in America amidst the Israel-Hamas conflict. The group organized the rally to chant “Israel is not our friend.”

As the group marched to Madison's iconic pedestrian thoroughfare State Street, they stopped for a while outside the statehouse and continued chanting hateful rhetoric.

During their rally, they also stopped at the local synagogue, Gates of Heaven, and many other places.

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“Neo-Nazis, antisemitism, and white supremacy have no home in Wisconsin”: Wisconsin Governors’s statement explored as Blood Tribe holds antisemitic rally

Since the Israel-Hamas conflict does not seem to be settling down, social media users have been left divided as many side with Palestine, and others with Israel. With several rallies being hosted around the country and the world, the neo-nazi group also ventured on the streets of Madison.

As the neo-nazi group chanted antisemitic slurs, the videos of the rally went viral, which made Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers take note of the entire fiasco.

The governor commented on the situation and claimed that Wisconsin will have no place for “neo-Nazis, antisemitism, and white supremacy.” The governor, Tony Evers’ statement read:

“To see neo-Nazis marching in our streets and neighbourhoods and in the shadow of our State Capitol building spreading their disturbing, hateful messages is truly revolting. Let us be clear: neo-Nazis, antisemitism, and white supremacy have no home in Wisconsin. We will not accept or normalize this rhetoric and hate. It’s repulsive and disgusting, and I join Wisconsinites in condemning and denouncing their presence in our state in the strongest terms possible.”

Furthermore, the Madison Police Department was also questioned about the same, as many alleged that the police did not do anything about the rally and the members of the neo-nazi group yelling hateful words.

To which, the police claimed that they were aware of the protest, but they could not do anything about it, as the group did not break any rules. The statement by the police read:

“The department has an obligation to protect First Amendment rights of all.”

The Blood Tribe is a new neo-Nazi group that claims to have chapters in the United States and Canada. Led by Christopher Pohlhaus, also known as Hammer, the group follows extreme white supremacist beliefs.

Becoming an official group in 2021, the Blood Tribe has become more active, taking part in anti-LGBTQ+ protests and organizing private events.

Pohlhaus, a former U.S. Marine and tattoo artist from San Antonio, gained followers by selling white supremacist materials online. In his video podcasts, he urged followers to prepare for a supposed "last stand" and a "righteous war" against those seen as threats to their heritage.

As the group grew, Pohlhaus named his supporters the "Blood Tribe," and in 2021, it became a structured organization. By May 2022, Pohlhaus moved to Maine, where he bought land to create a camp for white supremacists.

As the videos from the march on Saturday went viral on social media, the Blood Tribe also received a lot of backlash, as many were taken aback by the hateful messages being spread through the rally.