Hello, Nipster.
As the neo-Nazi movement in Germany continues to shrink, some of the country’s extremists are trying to shed their intimidating skinhead image to appeal to a younger generation. That means trading in their black combat boots for Converse sneakers and Tumblr blogs.
Rolling Stone and NBC News have chronicled the rise of the neo-Nazi hipster – or what the German media calls the “nipster.” Experts have noted an increase in neo-Nazi social media presence and changes in their taste in clothing and music. “Nipsters” have made their own Harlem Shake music video, produced a vegan cooking channel on YouTube, and now champion environmental issues and women’s rights.
Although Germany’s far-right National Democratic Party has diminished greatly over the past few decades, nationalist extremists have recently protested against Muslim immigration to Germany – or what the right-wingers call the “Islamization” of the country. So while they may change their aesthetic, a neo-Nazi’s still a Neo-Nazi.
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» Delve deeper into the unfortunate phenomenon of the Nipster
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