Neo-Nazi Attack On Electric Grid Foiled

The foiled attack on Baltimore's power grid by neo-Nazi is the latest in a series of attempts by white power racists to cause upheaval in civil society. Last week, the FBI arrested Maryland resident Sarah Beth Clendaniel and Florida resident Brandon Russell for plotting attacks on power substations serving Baltimore in an attempt to cause harm and disruption to the majority Afro-American city.

From the Associated Press account:

"Authorities declined to specify how the planned attack was meant to fulfill a racist motive but suggested the defendants wanted to bring attention to their cause. Russell had discussed targeting the grid during cold weather 'when most people are using max electricity,' authorities alleged.

According to the complaint, Clendaniel was planning to target five substations situated in a ring around Baltimore, a majority-Black city mostly surrounded by heavily white suburban areas.

'It would probably permanently completely lay this city to waste if we could do that successfully,' Clendaniel told a confidential informant she met through Russell, according to the complaint. She was most recently living outside the city in surrounding Baltimore County, officials said." (our emphasis)

Clendaniel and Russell met while both were serving time in prison. Clendaniel may not receive justice in time, given that she's indicated that she has a terminal kidney disease. She told her co-conspirator that she wanted to "accomplish something worthwhile" before her death. Russell is a founder of the neo-Nazi Atomwaffen Division in Florida.

The Baltimore grid plot follows several attacks by neo-Nazis / white power racists bent on causing racial and societal strife, and economic harm. While some attacks may be acts of pure vandalism, most of the attacks in 2022 in Washington, Oregon, California, Oklahoma, Ohio, Florida and Arkansas are believed to be part of a conspiracy by far-right groups to cripple our electric grid. 

After their tiki torch "Unite The Right" march in Charlottesville, VA in 2017 (by "very fine people" said Malignant Loser) and their attempted coup at the Capitol on January 6, the violent right sees this time as their moment to seize power. Every law enforcement resource must be brought to bear to see that it's not, and never will. The arrest of these two neo-Nazis is a good start.

(photo: Clendaniel, masked and in battle fatigues. Justice Department)