Armed ‘patriots’ target Muslims

Man credited as founder of the Three Percenters claims to have 3m followers on his blog

They are known as ‘Three Percenters’, followers of a movement that has rallied against gun control efforts nationwide, patrolled the US border with Mexico and recently begun confronting Muslim Americans.

Followers describe themselves as armed “patriots.” But some of their leaders have been blamed for threats and vandalism against lawmakers, police and Muslims. One prominent member from Phoenix prompted an FBI alert in November after posting an expletive-filled Facebook video saying he was headed to New York state with guns to challenge a Muslim group.

In suburban Dallas, a protest at a mosque by armed, masked men, led by a Three Percent member, highlighted tension with the Muslim community. It held a similar protest yesterday.

“We will interfere with every move they [Muslims] make towards taking over our country,” Dallas protest organiser David Wright said in response to questions sent to his Facebook page.

“We are ready to fight back if they come at us violently.”

Wright hasn’t advertised the ‘Three Percenters’ name in his activities, but he claimed membership in comments on Facebook and told the AP he was a leader in a Texas chapter.

The Three Percenters movement began in 2008. The name comes from the disputed percentage of colonials who armed themselves and fought the British during the American Revolution.