Goyim Defense League (GDL)

The Goyim Defense League (GDL) is a decentralized neo-Nazi network comprised of a core group of provocateurs and thousands of online supporters across the US and globally. GDL’s name attempts to mock the Anti-Defamation League, an organization that seeks to combat antisemitism and other forms of bigotry. “Goyim” or “Goy” is a Yiddish term sometimes used pejoratively by Jews to refer to “gentiles” or non-Jewish people. Marked by its virulent antisemitism, GDL advocates for the expulsion of all Jews from the US and the creation of a white ethnostate. GDL also promotes white supremacy, racism, homophobia and national socialism. GDL aims to generate attention for its antisemitic conspiracy theories and beliefs through demonstrations, banner drops, flyerings and online harassment. Since 2018, the network has staged high-profile events in California, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas. Concerningly, members of the network frequently target minors for radicalization efforts (if they’re white) and racist harassment (if they’re non-white). Activities often straddle the line of legality: more than 20 individuals affiliated with GDL have been arrested and charged with crimes ranging from simple trespass to threats against government officials.

Figure 1. Comparison of the GDL and ADL logos.

Origins

The exact date of GDL’s founding is unclear, although many researchers who monitor the network first observed activity in 2018. The network’s leader, Jon Minadeo II, initially used his YouTube channel to promote his antisemitic flyering and banner drops in the San Francisco area, drawing widespread condemnation from local Jewish groups and community leaders. After Minadeo was banned from most major social media sites, he co-founded the video streaming platform GoyimTV in 2020 with colleague Dominic DiGiorgio. The site would become the main avenue for GDL’s core group of provocateurs to promote their antisemitic beliefs, cultivate a social media following, recruit and raise funds for their antisemitic stunts.

Ideology

Antisemitism is the core belief that motivates GDL’s activity and rhetoric. Members promote the idea that American Jews wield unlimited power to shape US society including the government, economy and the media. The network disseminates propaganda that promotes antisemitic conspiracy theories and myths blaming Jews for issues ranging from the slave trade to the Russia-Ukraine war; the aim is to radicalize other white people into its hateful belief system. GDL is also an outspoken proponent of the Great Replacement conspiracy theory, alleging that hidden Jewish elites are directing the mass importation of non-white migrants to ethnically replace white Americans. GDL members also frequently deny the existence of the Holocaust, often referring to it as the ‘Holohoax.’ In addition to antisemitism, GDL members hold racist beliefs, using dehumanizing language to refer to people of color. Members also target the LGBTQ+ community, often labeling members of that group as “pedophiles” and “groomers.”

Activity and tactics

The three pillars of GDL’s activism are propaganda distribution (mainly in the form of flyering), demonstrations and online harassment. The overriding objective of each is to normalize antisemitism while generating as much publicity as possible, whether through mainstream news coverage or social media reactions.

Propaganda distribution

GDL disseminates flyers to promote its beliefs and recruit others to its cause. The group offers an extensive catalogue of flyers for purchase on its website that promote baseless antisemitic conspiracy theories blaming Jews and other minority groups for a variety of perceived social ills including COVID mitigation efforts, gun control and feminism. The flyers purport to identify high-profile Jews who are allegedly “complicit” in these efforts and often feature hateful titles such as “Every Single Aspect of Abortion is Jewish” and “Black Savages Murder White Children”.

In recent years, many instances of antisemitic propaganda in the US have been linked to GDL’s flyers. Previous research has shown that the network accounted for the majority of antisemitic propaganda incidents in 2022. In 2024, ISD tracked 20 instances^[1] of GDL flyers appearing in 13 states, with the majority of those concentrated in the South and Midwest regions. The group’s flyers are popular among many far-right extremist groups and self-professed antisemites unaffiliated with the network. While an individual may use GDL’s flyers to promote their antisemitic beliefs, this does not always mean that they consider themselves a member of the network.

Figure 2. Sample flyer offered on GDL’s website.

Demonstrations and “Name the Nose Tours”

GDL’s demonstrations take the form of banner drops, rallies outside of institutions associated with Judaism (such as synagogues) and efforts to disrupt city council meetings. Bystanders and passersby are frequently subjected to racist harassment and other forms of bigotry. These actions are often livestreamed by the network’s members who seek to bait counter protesters, bystanders and/or law enforcement into a confrontation.

Beginning in 2020, Minadeo and the GDL began organizing annual antisemitic actions they call “Name the Nose” (NTN)^[2] tours. These tours, which typically occur over the course of a week, involve GDL members traveling to multiple cities in a state to carry out antisemitic acts. These include demonstrating outside of synagogues, distributing flyers, and harassing Jews and/or others who denounce GDL’s actions. The primary objectives of these tours are to mainstream antisemitic conspiracy theories while generating controversy and media coverage; the group also uses the resulting media content it produces to solicit online donations from its supporters. GDL’s NTN tours have taken place in California, Florida, Georgia, and Texas; however, the network’s July 2024 NTN tour in Nashville, Tennessee, offers a case study into how these extended antisemitic tours can destabilize city operations, intimidate marginalized communities and sometimes lead to violence.

GDL’s “Name the Nose Tour” in Nashville, Tennessee

On July 14, 2024 – the first day of GDL’s Nashville tour – members marched in the city’s downtown district, chanted “Heil Hitler” and handed out flyers. As the demonstration progressed, a fight ensued between GDL members and a bystander. This led to the arrest of 19-year-old GDL member Ryan Scott McCann for allegedly assaulting a counter-protester with a flagpole^[3]. GDL members also reportedly yelled racial slurs at Black minors on the street.

On July 15, GDL members demonstrated on a highway overpass in northeast Nashville with swastika flags and an antisemitic banner. On July 16, GDL members rallied outside of a Nashville synagogue with the same antisemitic banner and a sign reading “Honk For Pedo Death Penalty SB1834^[4].” Following the synagogue protest, GDL members disrupted a Metro Council Meeting in downtown Nashville by shouting homophobic, racist and antisemitic slurs at bystanders, news media and city council members. On July 18, GDL members rallied outside the Metro Nashville Courthouse with their banner referencing SB1834. Reports also claimed Minadeo was seen “trolling Nashville police with racist and antisemitic slurs.”

GDL’s actions in Nashville generated substantial media coverage from national news outlets and the group was condemned by city, state and federal officials. In response to GDL’s activity, as well as other far-right organizing that had roiled the city at the time, Nashville’s city council passed ordinances in October 2024 to help curb displays of hate speech.

Figure 3. GDL’s banner drop in Nashville, Tennessee during its 2024 ‘Name the Nose’ tour.

Social media and online harassment

GDL promotes real-world activism and funds operations through various social media channels. While the network is primarily active on the GoyimTV website, the group claims a presence on Telegram, Gab and Odysee. Of GDL’s core group of activists, Minadeo enjoys the widest social media following, boasting 13.9K followers on GoyimTV as of February 2025.

Minadeo uploads near-daily livestreams where he interacts with strangers on chat roulette^[5] sites and attempts to promote his hateful beliefs in an ironic manner to entertain his viewers. To do this, he often uses filters on his face that are intended to mimic and mock different ethnic groups as well as props that reinforce racial stereotypes. Minadeo initially relied on Omegle^[6] for these interactions before it was shut down in November 2023. Since then, he has transitioned to a similar platform called OmeTV.

Many of the users Minadeo interacts with are often children, whom he urges to perform Nazi salutes and say racial slurs. When OmeTV connects Minadeo with non-white users, they are often subjected to racist harassment. In a livestream clip posted in January 2025, Minadeo is paired with Black individuals, one of whom appears to be a minor. After shouting several racial slurs at the group, Minadeo holds an apparent firearm to the head of a toy monkey (which is intended to represent a Black person) and yells “I’m going to hunt your bitch ass. Fuck you n***** I’m finna kill your mothafucking family.”

During each of his livestreams, Minadeo receives hundreds of dollars in donations from viewers which he uses to fund GDL’s activities and to financially support himself. Since Minadeo has been barred from most mainstream financial services such as PayPal, he solicits donations via GiveSendGo, Entropy and through cryptocurrencies. In addition to monetizing livestreams, GDL raises money by selling a wide assortment of neo-Nazi and white supremacist merchandise through its website. Typical offerings include swastika flags, sunglasses bearing the Totenkopf^[7] symbol and heart-shaped keychains featuring National Alliance founder William Luther Pierce, author of The Turner Diaries, an infamous work of neo-Nazi fiction that has influenced acts of violence.

Figure 4. Screenshot from one of Minadeo’s livestreams.

GDL’s links to other US extremist groups

GDL has extensive overlap with other white nationalist and neo-Nazi extremist groups in the US; many self-professed members of the network claim simultaneous membership in other such organizations. In this way, GDL often acts as a networking organization that connects members of disparate extremist groups who are united by shared antisemitic beliefs.

Blood Tribe: Minadeo maintains a close working relationship with Christopher Pohlhaus, the leader of the neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe. The two men often collaborate for joint demonstrations and promote each other’s respective social media channels. In September 2023, Minadeo and Pohlhaus held a joint demonstration on a highway overpass in Orlando, Florida; GDL and Blood Tribe members displayed swastika flags, performed Nazi salutes and chanted hate slogans at pedestrians and motorists.

Figure 5. Joint GDL and Blood Tribe demonstration in Florida during September 2023. Christopher Pohlhaus (L) and Jon Minadeo (R) can be seen standing at the front.

Nationalist Social Club: In July 2022, Minadeo, along with several GDL members and Pohlhaus traveled to the New England region to attend a “summer conference” with the Nationalist Social Club (NSC-131). NSC-131 posted an image of the meet-up on Telegram showing attendees posing with Nazi salutes.
Hate Club 1488: Anthony Altick, leader of neo-Nazi group Hate Club 1488, has a history of organizing with known GDL acolytes. Altick participated in a GDL flyering in Flower Mound, Texas in June 2024 and a 2023 antisemitic banner drop that ISD assesses was likely associated with GDL. Researchers also identified Hate Club member Zane Morris (aka Navo) participating in GDL’s 2024 Name the Nose tour in Nashville.
Shield Wall Network: In November 2024, Minadeo reportedly announced that he was moving from Florida to Arkansas and that he would be working with longtime white supremacist and former National Alliance member Billy Roper. Roper is the leader of the Shield Wall Network, a white nationalist group that seeks to establish an autonomous white ethnostate in Arkansas called ‘Ozarkia.’

Criminal activity

Since GDL’s formation in 2018, over 20 self-identified members of the network have been arrested and charged with crimes. While most of these cases were for non-violent offenses such as littering and trespassing, some members have been arrested for more serious crimes such as assault and threatening government officials. The following list catalogues notable arrests of GDL members; however, it is not comprehensive.

May 2021 – GDL member and Denver resident Jason Brown was arrested in Florida and charged with a misdemeanor for resisting a police officer without violence and failure to obey a police officer during a traffic stop.
October 2021 – Dominic DiGiorgio was arrested in Tyler, Texas, for possession of a license plate flipper.
August 2022 – Minadeo and fellow GDL acolyte Robert Wilson were arrested in Poland for displaying antisemitic signs outside of Auschwitz.
May 2023 – Jon Minadeo and Colby Alexander Frank were arrested for threatening violence against a police officer in Florida.
April 2023 – Robert Wilson, a Polish-Canadian living in San Diego, California, was extradited to the Netherlands for projecting a hateful message on the Anne Frank house.
June 2023 – Jon Minadeo was arrested outside of a synagogue in Georgia and charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing.
August 2023 – David Aaron Bloyed, Jeremy Fuller, Barry Young and Matteo Sheffield were all issued trespass warnings for their rally outside of Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
January 2024 – Canadian GDL member Douglas Skead was charged with willful promotion of hatred after antisemitic flyers were distributed in Peterborough, Ontario.
July 2024 – Canadian GDL member Ryan Scott McCann was arrested after alleged assault on a counter-protester during a GDL rally in downtown Nashville.
September 2024 – David Aaron Bloyed was arrested and charged with making threats to kill Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk.
December 2024 – Canadian GDL member Pascal Tribout pled guilty to charges of attempting to print 3D firearms and for hate speech against Jews.
January 2025 – GDL member Travis Keith Garland was arrested on a warrant for criminal trespassing after attempting to livestream an antisemitic prank at Nashville’s Gordon Jewish Community Center. Garland, who was wearing a “fake beard, fake curls and clothing to make him appear as an Orthodox Jew,” asked to speak with a rabbi. When he was told that was not possible, Garland attempted to enter a secure area but was stopped by a security guard. Police later added another charge of assault after the security guard claimed that Garland had instilled fear in him as he was trying to remove him from the property.

End Notes

[1] ISD analysts collected this data by conducting open-source monitoring for mentions of GDL flyering in news reports and social media. This figure is likely a significant undercount, as analysts only recorded instances that were publicly reported. It’s likely there were many instances in which members of the public discovered GDL flyers and did not inform either journalists or law enforcement.

[2] “Name the Nose” is a reference to the antisemitic trope and myth that a disproportionate number of Jewish people have large noses when compared to the general population. The stereotype dates to the 12^th century and is often used to vilify or denigrate members of the Jewish community.

[3] In February 2025, a Davidson County grand jury indicted McCann on additional charges of assault and civil rights intimidation stemming from a previously unknown altercation between McCann and a 20-year-old Jewish man.

[4] SB 1834 was a Tennessee state bill that would authorize the death penalty for convicted child rapists. Tennessee governor Bill Lee signed the bill into law in May 2024 and it went into effect in July 2024.

[5] Chat roulette sites are websites that allow strangers to randomly connect with one another and communicate through video or text.

[6] Omegle was a chat roulette site founded in 2009 that randomly paired users together and allowed them to communicate via text or video features. In November 2023, Omegle shut down after it settled a court case brought by a plaintiff who claimed to have been sexually abused on the site when they were a minor.

[7] The Totenkopf or “death’s head” is a skull and crossbones symbol that was used by Nazi Germany’s Schutzstaffel (SS) paramilitary units during World War II. After the war, white supremacists and neo-Nazis across the globe appropriated the Totenkopf as a hate symbol.

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This Explainer was published on 25 February 2025.