I Got Inside the Signal Chats Used by Far-Left Extremists in Minnesota—Here’s What I Saw

Inside the paranoia consuming the far-left encrypted chatrooms that are organizing the mass mobilization against the U.S. government

The mass mobilization agitation now unfolding in Minneapolis and St. Paul by far-left, open-border extremists bears the hallmarks of a coordinated and professional operation designed to obstruct federal law enforcement. None of this should come as a surprise. These tactics are an evolution of methods tested during the deadly 2020 BLM–Antifa riots, which were centered largely in the Twin Cities.

In recent weeks, numerous Antifa-linked revolutionary anarchist collectives have promoted organizing guides that explicitly instruct extremists on how to carry out obstructionist campaigns. These materials consistently recommend the encrypted messaging app Signal as the primary tool for coordination. Alex Pretti and Renee Good, two militant leftist activists shot dead this month, may have been part of these groups.

What are militants saying to one another inside these chats?

As journalist Cam Higby and others have documented, Signal has become the preferred platform for mass coordination — used to share real-time locations, vehicle descriptions, and individual targets, as well as tips for minimizing legal accountability. Several high-level Democrat politicians and operatives were allegedly present in some of these groups, though this has not been independently confirmed.

There are dozens of Signal chats currently active among far-left extremists in Minnesota. Many are ad hoc, short-lived, and frequently deleted — an effort to destroy evidence. I was able to access several chats. What follows is a snapshot of what participants are saying.

Disappearing messages are turned on by default to destroy evidence

The prevailing mood inside these groups is one of distrust and paranoia. Public scrutiny, particularly from users on X, has focused increasing attention on the role these Signal chats play in coordinating obstructionist conspiracies. Nearly all users operate under aliases. Administrators are actively purging participants they suspect to be “right-wingers” or federal agents. Auto-deleting messages are enabled by default to destroy evidence.

“Right wingers are trying to get into many chats right now,” warned an administrator using the moniker “Moss.” “Never put anything in Signal you would not want read back in court. No Signal group can fully protect you from unfriendly eyes.”

A nearly identical warning appeared in another chat from an administrator named “Graxis.”

‘Never put anything in Signal you would not want read back in court’

“We will be back to processing specific requests soon please just give us time,” wrote an administrator using the moniker Spearow. “We’re weeding out the trolls. And vetting folks.”

Spearow explained that administrators were cross-referencing users’ histories across other groups as part of a vetting process. “I’m also reaching out to people I personally trust. It’s just about keeping people safe.”

That reassurance was met with skepticism. Another administrator, “Grixis,” shot back: “So we should all trust you? Got it.”

Other users proposed crowdsourcing a shared “ban list” to purge suspected outsiders across multiple chats. Around the same time, the organizers temporarily removed several obstruction guides that had been hosted on Proton.

The users begin to gang up on an administrator

“Under this admin, anything could be illegal,” warned one member. Another responded: “It’s like when my parents divorced.”

Soon after, users accused one group of being fully compromised and urged members to delete the chat entirely.

“Wait what? Are we compromised again?” one participant asked.

Spearow was soon accused of being a “bad actor” and removed from the group.

“Spearow, also known as Maria R and Jan, has been basically confirmed as a bad actor,” wrote a user named “Bosh.” “I recommend blocking and deleting this group and not clicking any links.”

My time inside these chats was limited, but it offered insight into the internal dynamics of these groups. Participants are deeply paranoid right now and increasingly fractured. Many are retreating into smaller, supposedly vetted cells — classic behavior consistent with clandestine, criminal organizing.

Anyone can engage in citizen journalism. I encourage readers to use open-source tools to document and report what extremists are openly discussing, whether on social media or elsewhere. While the strength of these far-left networks lies in their ability to rapidly mobilize large numbers in mass chats, their weakness is structural: they cannot fully control who gains access. That includes journalists observing quietly from within.

Signal is only one of many platforms in use. These networks are also highly active on Reddit, Bluesky, and Instagram. Dozens of groups are coordinating efforts aimed at intimidating the U.S. government into halting deportations. The ACLU and the National Lawyers Guild are functioning as the legal arm of these leftist militants.

Other actors involved include a web of nonprofits, unions, legal aid organizations, mutual aid groups, riot suppliers, Latino open-border organizations, anarchist street-defense groups, and socialist political organizations (including DSA), such as:

Defend the 612 (Defend612); Monarca Rapid Response Network; COPAL (Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina); Unidos MN; Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC); Immigrant Defense Network (IDN); TakeAction Minnesota; Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM); ACLU of Minnesota; Minnesota Interfaith Coalition on Immigration (ICOM); ISAIAH MN; MN ICE Watch; Richfield MN Rapid Response Network (also known as Richfield Community Safety Network); Twin Cities Coalition 4 Justice; Minnesota 50501; MN Anti-War Committee; Twin Cities DSA; Freedom Street Health; FRSO Twin Cities; MFE59 – Minneapolis Federation of Educators; Veterans for Peace.

Link to join one of the Minneapolis Signal group chats. It will likely be disabled or go inactive soon. Use a display name not connected to your real identity. These groups have a documented history of retribution and violence.

Link to one of the training documents for tracking ICE activity through Signal.