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| The Ku Klux Klan is looking to diversify and increase its membership to
include Jews, black people, homosexuals and those of Hispanic origin
with a re-branding as 'the new Klan' |
It's a white supremacist organisation notorious for homophobic and racist violence, including the lynchings of black people.
But
the Ku Klux Klan is now looking to diversify and increase its
membership to include Jews, black people, homosexuals and those of
Hispanic origin with a re-branding as 'the new Klan'.
All
those wanting to join the extreme right-wing group will still have to
wear the white robes, masks and conical hats and take part in rituals,
according to founder John Abarr.
The
rebranded organisation, called the Rocky Mountain Knights, claims to now
stand for 'a strong America' rather than irrational hatred.
'White supremacy is the old Klan. This is the new Klan. The KKK is for a strong America,' said Mr Abarr.
The move comes after the Klan organiser met with the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People.
He said: 'I thought it was a really good organisation. I don't feel we need to be separate.'
But Klan members have said Mr Abarr is trying to make the changes to further his own political career.
Bradley
Jenkins, Imperial Wizard of the KKK, said: 'That man's going against
everything the bylaws of the constitution of the KKK say. He's trying to
hide behind the KKK to further his political career.'
The
Klan is classified as a hate group by the anti-semitism organistion
Anti-Defamation League and the civil rights law firm Southern Poverty
Law Center.
But
some black people have apparently already expressed an interest in
joining, after Mr Abarr organised a summit with civil rights groups.
The requirements for joining the new KKK group are to be aged over 18 and live in the Pacific Northwest.
The first Klan was founded in 1865 in Pulaski, Tennessee, by six veterans of the Confederate Army.
Similar groups spread throughout the South as an insurgent movement during the Reconstruction era in the United States.
As
a secret vigilante group, the Klan targeted freedmen and their allies
and sought to restore white supremacy by threats and violence, including
murder, against black and white Republicans.
Today
the organisation is made up of small, unconnected groups that use the
KKK name and have emphasised secrecy and distinctive costumes.
Recent estimates suggest there are between 5,000 and 8,000 members.
 |
| The rebranded organisation, called the Rocky Mountain Knights, claims to
now stand for 'a strong America' rather than irrational hatred |
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