HOPE not hate can reveal the identity of the two masked far-right extremists threatening to bring war to Leeds this weekend as Aidan Heaps and Toby “TJ” Chapman.
We can also reveal that Heaps has a previous criminal conviction for threatening police officers with a homemade “mediaeval” style weapon in 2018.
Two particularly aggressive figures are promoting a small far-right demonstration planned in Leeds this Saturday. “Captain Britain” and “Mr Britain” have taken to Twitter/X and TikTok to present themselves as new “influencers” of the UK’s far-right street protest scene.
They have simultaneously launched an aspirational new group, “Whites Against Replacement” (W.A.R), the output of which is soaked with violent imagery and rhetoric. One tweet from the account, which described the UK as “filled with filth and scum who hate who we are!” and used the hashtags #InvadersOut and #Islamout, was viewed almost 400,000 times and received 11,000 likes.
Now, HOPE not hate can reveal the identities of “Captain Britain” and “Mr Britain” as Aidan Heaps and Toby “TJ” Chapman respectively, as well as Heaps’ worrying criminal background involving a “mediaeval” homemade weapon and vile racism. Despite their risible superhero personas, these newcomers should be taken seriously by police and anyone concerned with the rise of violent far-right extremism.
During this summer’s outbreak of racist rioting, two masked figures were front and centre of a protest in Leeds city centre. The event was one of many that sprung up in the wake of the horrific Southport attack, and was attended by a range of far-right figures from across Yorkshire, several of whom were arrested.
Bedecked in Union Flag capes and distinctive masks, the pair clambered on security barriers and led chants, subsequently featuring in much of the media reporting from the event.
Since then, the pair have grown a following online as leaders of “Whites Against Replacement” (W.A.R.) as their output has become increasingly extreme, adopting a menacing aesthetic in the process.
Now, we can reveal their real identities as convicted criminal Aidan Heaps and his close friend TJ Chapman, both from the Leeds area.
Since the August demonstration, Heaps and Chapman have attempted to carve out a niche in the crowded “far-right influencer” scene.
As the name suggests, W.A.R. – which has the handle “@FuckKeirstarmer” and appears to be run by Heaps – utilises the language and iconography of violence, including AI-generated content of masked men in body armour and the use of skulls in their logos.
W.A.R. does not function as a membership organisation, but as a propaganda operation designed to intimidate. For example, when promoting this weekend’s “Rise of the Footsoldier” demonstration in Leeds – a venture established by Yorkshire far-right activists Paul Leeming and Scott Pitts – W.A.R retweeted an alarming message that read: “bring your rifles and go to work”.
The account has also posted extreme, nazi-coded content, including invoking the “14 words” slogan coined by the neo-Nazi terrorist David Lane:
Heaps has also used his “Captain Britain” account to post disturbing and extremely unwise videos.
In one such clip, Heaps, using a menacing aesthetic and vocal distortion, made a series of threats against the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer:
“You’re going to rue the day that you crossed the British people. You’re going to rue the day that you become a traitor to this country […] You will answer for these things that you’ve done”.
On 18 November, in another threat directed at Starmer, Heaps tweeted: “You can lock the locks, but you can’t stop the clocks the revolution has begun. Stand up or stand back because we are taking OUR country back hoc bellum est [“this is war”]”.
In mid-September, Heaps also tweeted thanks to a now-suspended account called “@warloveralx”; the Twitter outlet of a Telegram user who runs an explicitly Nazi channel “Swasticore”, which is full of Third Reich imagery and propaganda.
HOPE not hate can also reveal that Heaps has a previous criminal conviction for threatening police officers with a homemade “mediaeval” style weapon in 2018.
The disturbing item consisted of a long metal bar with an axe head attached on one side and screws on the other. An officer at the scene claimed they had “never seen such a dangerous-looking weapon in more than nine years in the police force”.
Police were called to Heaps’ home after neighbours became concerned by a “domestic incident”. Described as “shirtless, drunk, high and with blood on his face”, Heaps then swung at police officers with the weapon he had stashed under his sofa before fleeing the house. He was later jailed for 18 months for affray and cannabis production.
Given their vile racism and violent rhetoric – not to mention Heaps’ criminal history – it is clear that Heaps and Chapman should be watched closely. Their frequent celebration of their roles during the Leeds demonstration in August, and their championing of upcoming events, makes clear that they seek to repeat their actions in the future. Finally, their use of W.A.R. to push outright nazi rhetoric shows their desire to embrace more extreme positions.
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