One of New York’s Most Prolific Hate Groups Based in Fishkill
New York is home to over 30 hate groups, but one of the more concerning is located right here in the Hudson Valley.
The Southern Poverty Law Center actually lists 35 hate groups operating in the Empire State. Among them are white nationalists, anti-semites, anti-Muslim, radical religious groups and general hate groups. The Proud Boys, Patriot Front and other well-known groups of hate all have chapters in the state, as well as other lesser-known hate groups.
One of those groups is being operated out of the home of a Fishkill woman who has made national news for spewing hatred on social media.
In 2018, the Huffington Post shined a spotlight on Amy Mekelburg, who claims in her Twitter bio that she is an "investigative journalist" helping to save western civilization. Mekelburg has been widely criticized for posting racist images and false claims mostly aimed at Muslims. One image depicts a Muslim roasting over a burning copy of the Quran with the caption "I think it's time for a barbecue."
The Huffington Post unmasked Meckelburg as the founder of an organization called the RAIR Foundation. The initials stand for "Rise, Align, Ignite, Reclaim". The group describes itself as a movement to protect American values.
(RAIR is) a grassroots activist organization comprised of everyday Americans leading a movement to reclaim our Republic from the network of individuals and organizations waging war on Americans, our Constitution, our borders and our Judeo-Christian values.
The RAIR website is full of stories that range from false vaccine information to following the narrative that white people are being "replaced" by other races. This white nationalist thinking is just one of the reasons that Meckelburg's organization has been labeled a "hate group" by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The Huffington Post article claims that their unmasking of Meckelburg and her racist posts wound up getting her husband fired from his position working as a senior vice president for the WWE. The article also included claims from Hudson Valley residents who say they've witnessed Meckelburg making racist comments against people at the Fishkill Sunoco and Planet Fitness, as well as other locations in Dutchess County.
The FAIR Foundation website is still active and updated with several current articles.
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