Craig Cobb
Encyclopedia
Craig Cobb also known as Craig "corn
on the" Cobb, is a longtime anti-semitic white supremacist activist who operated a now-defunct video sharing website named Podblanc. He claims "racism
is my religion" and advocates "racial holy war" in accordance with the tenets of The Creativity Movement. Cobb gained notoriety within anti-racist and anti-fascist movements and legal advocacy organizations that investigate hate speech
and hate crime
for his "celebration of violence and murder committed against minorities" as documented in his videorecordings, online activities, and disruptions at public events. For this same reason he is admired by some, but not all, neo-Nazis. Supporters herald him as a "brave, dedicated, and highly effective White activist" while others consider him a "pseudo-Nazi" and agent provocateur
whose website is a "false front dedicated to data-mining".
, Massachusetts
where he graduated in 1968. After serving in the armed forces he moved to Edmonton
, Canada
for five years then relocated to Hawaii
where he lived for another 25 years and earned a living as a taxi driver. In 2003 he relocated to Frost
, West Virginia
where he opened a grocery store and subsequently registered a business called "Gray’s Store, Aryan Autographs and 14 Words, L.L.C." During this time he was involved in unsolicited inter-state deliveries of a neo-Nazi newspaper published by Alex Linder
, distribution of Project Schoolyard CDs to local children, and attended an invitation-only leadership conference of the National Alliance.
In late 2005, after receiving an inheritance of $85,000, he moved to Tallinn, Estonia, established Podblanc, met with white power skinheads, and purchased land thirty miles south of the capital where he hoped to establish an "International Office of White Diaspora". He also attempted, unsuccessfully, to find an Estonian wife and came to public attention after conducting an interview with a former Estonian Ministry of Justice employee whom he introduced as the leader of the Estonian Nazis. On August 25, 2009 he was issued a ten-year ban from Estonia and deported to Canada
, where Cobb claims to hold citizenship, for "endangering state security, public order, public safety, moral standards, health, other public interests" and promoting racism. During his period of incarceration before deportation his supporters in the US made contact with Canadian neo-fascist Paul Fromm in order to prepare for Cobb’s anticipated arrest under Canadian hate speech laws
. In March 2010, after posting videos of anti-racist activists online, he was discovered to be living in Vancouver
where he also made an unsuccessful attempt to register a non-profit society called Whitepeace. Cobb has expressed interest in emigrating to South America, Serbia or Belarus but U.S. anti-racists have called for his repatriation
so they may "take care of our own garbage".
In June 2010 Cobb was arrested by police in Vancouver but released with a summons
after which he left Canada to return to the United States. As of July 2010, Cobb is living in Flathead Valley, an area in Montana
which has become a recruiting target for several white nationalists. Cobb is engaged in a feud with another local neo-Nazi, Karl Gharst, against whom he recently obtained a restraining order. His activities are opposed by the local pro-tolerance group Love Lives Here. At the end of December 2010 Canadian authorities issued a warrant for his arrest on the charge of willful promotion of hatred after a failure to appear
. Cobb responded to the warrant by stating "You can find me in the orange easy chair near the elevator" at the library in Kalispell, Montana
. As of mid-January 2011 Cobb (in his words) has relocated to Wyoming.
and Podblanc. The second consists of street interviews gathered at events where Cobb presents himself as a journalist for Vanguard News Network, asks a series of provocative questions laced with racial slurs, typically sparking outrage from targeted individuals. Documented incidents include a rally in Kingston, New York in 2005 and a 50 Cent concert in Tallinn in 2008. The most well-known of these disruptions occurred in October 2005 at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda as civil rights leader Rosa Parks
was lying in state. Cobb confronted visitors, referred to Parks as a "shitskin communist", and stated that he was there celebrating her death.
" (on Stormfront
) and "Chain" (on Podblanc), references to the abolition of the National Origins Formula
in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. While his internet activities center upon "tireless propaganda" for Podblanc he is also active in far-right discussion boards where, after the arrest of Matt Hale
in 2003 for soliciting the murder of U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow
, Cobb posted the judge’s home address, family photographs and a map to her house. Lefkow’s husband and mother were subsequently murdered. In reply to a reporter’s question "What were you feeling when the double murder happened?" Cobb stated "What was I feeling? Emotions are not yet illegal. I was just fine with it. I think it was well done."
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
on the" Cobb, is a longtime anti-semitic white supremacist activist who operated a now-defunct video sharing website named Podblanc. He claims "racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
is my religion" and advocates "racial holy war" in accordance with the tenets of The Creativity Movement. Cobb gained notoriety within anti-racist and anti-fascist movements and legal advocacy organizations that investigate hate speech
Hate speech
Hate speech is, outside the law, any communication that disparages a person or a group on the basis of some characteristic such as race, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, or other characteristic....
and hate crime
Hate crime
In crime and law, hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status or...
for his "celebration of violence and murder committed against minorities" as documented in his videorecordings, online activities, and disruptions at public events. For this same reason he is admired by some, but not all, neo-Nazis. Supporters herald him as a "brave, dedicated, and highly effective White activist" while others consider him a "pseudo-Nazi" and agent provocateur
Agent provocateur
Traditionally, an agent provocateur is a person employed by the police or other entity to act undercover to entice or provoke another person to commit an illegal act...
whose website is a "false front dedicated to data-mining".
Life
Cobb is reported to have grown up in a wealthy family and attended a private school in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
where he graduated in 1968. After serving in the armed forces he moved to Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
for five years then relocated to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
where he lived for another 25 years and earned a living as a taxi driver. In 2003 he relocated to Frost
Frost, West Virginia
Frost is an unincorporated community in eastern Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States....
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
where he opened a grocery store and subsequently registered a business called "Gray’s Store, Aryan Autographs and 14 Words, L.L.C." During this time he was involved in unsolicited inter-state deliveries of a neo-Nazi newspaper published by Alex Linder
Alex Linder
Alex Linder is the owner and operator of the Vanguard News Network , an antisemitic, white supremacist website launched in 2000 by Alex Linder. VNN is one of the most active white supremacist sites on the Internet, according to the Anti-Defamation League . Its motto is "No Jews...
, distribution of Project Schoolyard CDs to local children, and attended an invitation-only leadership conference of the National Alliance.
In late 2005, after receiving an inheritance of $85,000, he moved to Tallinn, Estonia, established Podblanc, met with white power skinheads, and purchased land thirty miles south of the capital where he hoped to establish an "International Office of White Diaspora". He also attempted, unsuccessfully, to find an Estonian wife and came to public attention after conducting an interview with a former Estonian Ministry of Justice employee whom he introduced as the leader of the Estonian Nazis. On August 25, 2009 he was issued a ten-year ban from Estonia and deported to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where Cobb claims to hold citizenship, for "endangering state security, public order, public safety, moral standards, health, other public interests" and promoting racism. During his period of incarceration before deportation his supporters in the US made contact with Canadian neo-fascist Paul Fromm in order to prepare for Cobb’s anticipated arrest under Canadian hate speech laws
Hate speech laws in Canada
Hate speech laws in Canada include provisions in the Criminal Code of Canada, provisions in the Human Rights Act and in other federal legislation, and statutory provisions in each of Canada's ten provinces and three territories...
. In March 2010, after posting videos of anti-racist activists online, he was discovered to be living in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
where he also made an unsuccessful attempt to register a non-profit society called Whitepeace. Cobb has expressed interest in emigrating to South America, Serbia or Belarus but U.S. anti-racists have called for his repatriation
Repatriation
Repatriation is the process of returning a person back to one's place of origin or citizenship. This includes the process of returning refugees or soldiers to their place of origin following a war...
so they may "take care of our own garbage".
In June 2010 Cobb was arrested by police in Vancouver but released with a summons
Summons
Legally, a summons is a legal document issued by a court or by an administrative agency of government for various purposes.-Judicial summons:...
after which he left Canada to return to the United States. As of July 2010, Cobb is living in Flathead Valley, an area in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
which has become a recruiting target for several white nationalists. Cobb is engaged in a feud with another local neo-Nazi, Karl Gharst, against whom he recently obtained a restraining order. His activities are opposed by the local pro-tolerance group Love Lives Here. At the end of December 2010 Canadian authorities issued a warrant for his arrest on the charge of willful promotion of hatred after a failure to appear
Failure to appear
Failure to appear is the legal term for the failure of a defendant or respondent to appear at the stated time before a tribunal as directed in a summons. Where the conduct alleged in the summons or complaint is an infraction or summary offence, failure to appear is a crime for which a...
. Cobb responded to the warrant by stating "You can find me in the orange easy chair near the elevator" at the library in Kalispell, Montana
Kalispell, Montana
Kalispell is a city in and the county seat of Flathead County, Montana, United States. The 2010 census put Kalispell's population at 19,927 up 5,704 over 2000. At 40.1% this is the largest percentage of growth of any incorporated city in Montana. Kalispell is the largest city and commercial center...
. As of mid-January 2011 Cobb (in his words) has relocated to Wyoming.
Videorecordings and disruptions
Cobb’s videorecordings fall into two types of productions. The first consists of unedited presentations of antisemitic canards and commentary featuring close-up shots of himself, often presented as part of his "Deprogram" series on YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and Podblanc. The second consists of street interviews gathered at events where Cobb presents himself as a journalist for Vanguard News Network, asks a series of provocative questions laced with racial slurs, typically sparking outrage from targeted individuals. Documented incidents include a rally in Kingston, New York in 2005 and a 50 Cent concert in Tallinn in 2008. The most well-known of these disruptions occurred in October 2005 at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda as civil rights leader Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....
was lying in state. Cobb confronted visitors, referred to Parks as a "shitskin communist", and stated that he was there celebrating her death.
Online activities
Cobb uses the online pseudonyms "No 1965 Chain ImmigrantsChain migration
Chain migration has multiple meanings. It refers to the social process by which immigrants from a particular town follow others from that town to a particular city or neighborhood, whether in an immigrant receiving country or in a new, usually urban, location in the home country...
" (on Stormfront
Stormfront
Stormfront may refer to:* A weather front* Stormfront Studios, a video game developer* Stormfront , a white nationalist internet forum* Stormfront, a set from the Pokémon Trading Card Game...
) and "Chain" (on Podblanc), references to the abolition of the National Origins Formula
National Origins Formula
The National Origins Formula was an American system of immigration quotas, between 1921 and 1965, which restricted immigration on the basis of existing proportions of the population. The goal was to maintain the existing ethnic composition of the United States...
in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. While his internet activities center upon "tireless propaganda" for Podblanc he is also active in far-right discussion boards where, after the arrest of Matt Hale
Matthew F. Hale
Matthew F. Hale , more commonly known as Matt Hale, was the third Pontifex Maximus of the white supremacist religion, Creativity, and the founder of the group formerly known as the World Church of the Creator and now known as The Creativity Movement. The organization's headquarters were based in...
in 2003 for soliciting the murder of U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow
Joan Lefkow
Joan Humphrey Lefkow is a United States district court judge for the Northern District of Illinois. She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on May 11, 2000, to a seat vacated by Judge Ann Claire Williams, and confirmed by the United States Senate on June 30, 2000...
, Cobb posted the judge’s home address, family photographs and a map to her house. Lefkow’s husband and mother were subsequently murdered. In reply to a reporter’s question "What were you feeling when the double murder happened?" Cobb stated "What was I feeling? Emotions are not yet illegal. I was just fine with it. I think it was well done."
External links
- Craig Cobb YouTube channel
- "Rassismipreester visatakse Eestist välja" ("Priest of Racism Thrown Out of Estonia"), an article by Mihkel Kärmas in Eesti EkspressEesti EkspressEesti Ekspress was the first politically independent newspaper in the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic during the Soviet control of Estonia. Making use of Gorbachev's policies of perestroika and glasnost, it was established as a weekly newspaper in 1989 by Hans H. Luik and others...
on Cobb’s deportation - English translation of Kärmas’ article by One People's ProjectOne People's ProjectOne Peoples Project is an organization founded in 2000 to monitor and publish information about alleged racist and far right groups and individuals...
- "Paradise Lost", an editorial by Abdul Turay in Estonia Today on Cobb’s time in Estonia
- Photographs of Craig Cobb