‘Boogaloo Boys’ race-war extremists arrested ‘with molotov cocktails and bomb supplies’ at George Floyd rally in Vegas

THREE men arrested at a George Floyd protest with Molotov cocktails have been accused of having bomb-making equipment, weapons and makeshift booby traps in their homes.

Prosecutors have said the men self-identified as part of the "Boogaloo Boys" movement - a loose internet based network linked to right-wing extremism.

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US Navy veteran Stephen T. Parshall, 35, Army reservist Andrew T. Lynam Jr., 23, and William L. Loomis, 40, who enlisted in the Air Force, were arrested May 30.

Detectives said weapons, gasoline, aerosol cans, fireworks, handwritten notes of military tactics and booby traps, were found in their homes in Nevada.

They are accused of making Molotov cocktails at the march in .

Cops have said the men hoped to create civil unrest by instigating amid both the protests over and the coronavirus pandemic.

Parshall, Lynam and Loomis each currently face federal charges of conspiracy to damage and destroy by fire and explosive, and possession of unregistered firearms.

They also are accused by the state of felony conspiracy, terrorism and explosives possession.

The so-called Boogaloo Boys movement appears to have originated late last year on internet forums.

Self-identifying members claim they are preparing for a second American Civil War - known as "The Boogaloo" - which some characterize as a race war.

The moniker is a reference to 1984 movie Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo - a frequently used internet meme when joking about unnecessary sequels.

Being so loosely organised, ideology often varies between individuals - but some have been linked to white supremacists and Neo-Nazis.

Boogaloo members started appearing on the fringes of events in 2020, including at gun rights rallies, demonstrations over Mr Floyd's death, and anti-coronavirus lockdown rallies.

They often appear to be heavily armed and wearing military fatigues over Hawaiian shirts - along with other badges and symbols associated with the far-right.

Investigative website Bellingcat explained the Hawaiian shirts had materialized as part of a contraction of the term "Boogaloo" into "Big Luau".

The Department of Homeland Security mentioned the group in a May 27 memo.

It included FBI allegations that a "white supremacist extremist Telegram channel incited followers to engage in violence and start the ‘Boogaloo’ by shooting in a crowd".

Since November 2019, mentions of the Boogaloo have more than doubled on Reddit.

However, the loose ideology of the Boogaloo Boys is not explicitly white supremacist - with many having their ideology being centered on sentiments that are anti-government and anti-police.

Researchers at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies described the group as wanting to be seen as "anti-racist" but with an inescapable "white supremacist fringe".

With varying belief systems tying together the group, the uniting factor seems to be accelerationism - a desire to collapse the US government through social unrest and trigger a civil war.

And then others would say the whole thing is one great big online joke steeped in various level of irony which was never meant to lead to direct action.

Parshall, Lynam and Loomis were arrested on May 30 as they prepared to attend a Black Lives Matter march following the death of Mr Floyd, who died after white police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck.

Cops allegedly discovered the three men filling gas cans at a parking lot and making molotov cocktails in glass bottles, according to the charges.

All three men are being held on a $1million bond each in Clark County Jail and will make court appearances next week.

Attorney Robert Draskovich, representing Parshall, said his client intends to plead not guilty.

He alleges the case hinges on a "confidential informant, which is inherently unreliable".

Parshall reportedly declined to be interviewed by police.

Lynam reportedly told officers after his arrest he was part of the group which started on Facebook.

He said members underwent physical training and surveyed law enforcement at protests and rallies.

The Army reservist reportedly apologized for the "danger his actions may have caused to the Las Vegas citizens".

Loomis reportedly told cops during a interview he was looking for an outlet to express his rage - but had tried to convince the group to go hiking.

Police allege he tried to flee during his arrest and was carrying a concealed firearm.

The trio are not the first linked to the Boogaloo Boys group to be arrested feared to be plotting violent acts.

Aaron Swenson, 37, was charged after he allegedly threatened to murder a police officer in Texas on Facebook Live.

He had reportedly been sharing memes from various Boogaloo pages for sometime prior to the incident on April 11.

Kevin Ackey, 22, and Joshua Barnard, 24, were charged with inciting a riot at the Mr Floyd protest in Columbia, South Carolina on May 30.

Christian Ferguson, 20, was charged with plotting to kidnap or kill police officers on May 8.

Timothy Wilson, 36, was shot and killed by the FBI while planning to blow up a hospital in a scheme he dubbed "operation Boogaloo" on March 24.

Earlier this year, Facebook took action and prohibited the term "Boogaloo" when used with "images or statements depicting armed violence".

Paul Goldenberg, a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, described the rise of the Boogaloo Boys as a "wake-up call" for potential homegrown terrorism.