December 5, 2021
Seattle's Patriot Front Couple:
James Julius Johnson and Amelia Watts
James Julius Johnson, aka "Tyler WA"
James Julius Johnson is a member of the Nazi, neo-fascist, white-supremacist group "Patriot Front." He operates under the name "Tyler WA" and lives in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood. Johnson uses his 3D printer to create stencils for the group to use for hate crimes, and openly talks at member meetings about creating unserialized "ghost" guns.
Background
New Membership In a Troubled Network
Almost a year ago, when James was a new member of the organization, several other members of the western Washington Patriot Front network1 were suspended after the group's national leader, Thomas Rousseau, discovered that its members were breaking organization guidelines regarding firearms.
Rousseau is paranoid about attention from federal authorities and infiltrators, and therefore created guidelines that prohibit members from…
- engaging in their Nazi activities while armed
- discussing their personal firearms ownership
- going out shooting together
Some Washington members were breaking all those rules, which led to the Washington membership losing its official designation as a "network" until recently.
Johnson was not included in that suspension, but today he is one of the Washington network's most notable rule-breakers in regards to discussing firearms. He, like some other current members, still discusses his ownership of firearms at local Patriot Front meetups, within earshot of the Network Director who is supposed to be making sure members follow organization guidelines.
While other members work on creating stencils in his living room, Johnson will show off the unserialized "ghost" guns that he is creating in his apartment, some made with the same 3D printer that he uses to make the stencils his group uses for hate crimes and vandalism.
Johnson has also described his belief that the government could use a Patriot Front member's affiliation with the group as a reason to take their guns away using "red flag" laws.5
Johnson also has recommended a book to other members, which he describes as a fantasy about "total war against the ATF," and another member compares to The Turner Diaries but for more libertarian types.
Because of Patriot Front's high membership turnover, Johnson is now one of the more senior members of Network 8 (NW8), the Patriot Front chapter that spans Western Washington and governs the unofficial "clusters" of the Portland and Spokane areas.
3D-Printing Stencils
In addition to printing stencils for members of his local network, Johnson is one of two PF members producing nearly all of the 3D-printed stencils used by members of the organization across the country.
As an American fascist group, Patriot Front sees citizenship and identity through an ethno-nationalist lens. Phrases like "Defend American Labor" are dogwhistles for an antisemitic, racist worldview.
PF members like Johnson use stencils to advertise for Patriot Front, hoping to recruit new fascist and national socialist members in majority-white areas of Washington. Occasionally, members will use their stencils to deface "opposition" murals, including public works of art promoting diversity and equality.
Beliefs
Like other Patriot Front members, James Julius Johnson opposes democracy, and believes that only white people should be American citizens. He despises the world around him and believes the cure to that pessimism is to join groups like Patriot Front.
Johnson discussed having friends who have similar views as him, who aren't willing to take the same risks as him to enact his racist views.
Johnson believes that a new American ethos needs to be formed, and with enthusiasm he wants to be involved in Patriot Front.
In just one meme, Johnson captures a wide array of his bigoted beliefs: anti-Semitic tropes about Jewish control of the media, portrayals of a gullible American eating fast food, while around him are images of diversity, civil unrest, and criticism of men.
Inside Johnson's apartment you can see various neo-nazi symbols and images. The room with the 3D printer has a neo-Nazi flag on the wall.
The neo-nazi flag hanging in Johnson's room incorporates a series of Nazi references:
The general layout of Johnson's flag is based on a Nazi battle flag. In the corner is an Odal rune, which by itself does not constitute a hate symbol but in this context is intended to evoke imagery of the Nazi SS.
In the center is a sonnenrad, a "sun wheel" with radial sig runes sometimes used by neo-Nazis as an alternative to the swastika because it is not as well known.
Patriot Front members are openly racist, and Johnson is no exception. Here Johnson talks about white power music, celebrating a band whose members punched a woman on stage.
Johnson's racism carries over to his interest in fitness; he even jokes about wanting an alternative to OnlyFans for racist bodybuilders.
It is common for neo-nazis to describe their opponents as "feminine," which they use as a synonym for "weak." Here Johnson shows his contempt for someone who has expressed their dislike for Patriot Front in writing:
Johnson also favors "traditional" (i.e. hetero-normative) family units comprised of a husband, and a wife who is subservient to the husband's demands. This leads him to believe the LGBTQ movement is harmful to society. He expresses these beliefs by stealing pride flags from campuses and other locations in Seattle…
...and creating stencils that display his transphobia.
In network chats and private conversation, Johnson describes women as "followers." He claims that women pass information through a "consensus filter," and that whether or not something is "true" is of no consequence to them.
Notable Appearances With Patriot Front
Banner Drops
One of Patriot Front's most common types of "activism" is hanging banners with ethno-nationalist slogans and Nazi dogwhistles on overpasses.
We spotted Johnson at PF "actions" early in his membership, in February 2021, when Patriot Front members dropped banners in Seattle on Aurora Ave North, and over I-90, both spots to which Johnson and his group would return for later banner drops.
Since then, Johnson has been sighted frequently at numerous banner drops across the Puget Sound area. He often wears a green, short-brim Carhartt hat when working in the Nazi group.
Camp Muir Hike
In late August 2021, Network 8 hosted a camping event in the Mt. Rainier area, including a hike to Camp Muir. Patriot Front puts on events like these for largely propaganda purposes: they believe that showing their members enduring difficult hikes demonstrate that Patriot Front is an organization that values brotherhood and has the strength to overcome challenges. These events usually include speeches, as well as casual chats in which members repeat racial slurs, express admiration for fascism and Hitler, and share conspiracy theories about Jews.
The Camp Muir hike was attended by members and former members of PF from Washington state, Oregon, and California. Johnson was present for this camp and brought his girlfriend along, and had the additional role of picking up out-of-state members from the airport.
Defacing "Respect & Love" Rainbow Mural in Olympia
Around 3:00a.m. on Saturday, October 16th, members of Patriot Front vandalized a "Respect & Love Olympia" mural, covering it with white paint before stenciling over it with their nationalist slogan and links to their Nazi website. This action was done with planning help and support from Thomas Rousseau.
From the Journal of Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater (JOLT):
The Rainbow mural was created in 2014 as a community statement against hate crimes happening in Olympia, including several violent attacks outside Jake's, then Olympia's sole gay bar, according to Schlecht. (archive)
All or nearly all of the stencils used to deface this mural were cut or printed at James Julius Johnson's apartment.
Initially, when the stencils were created, "John WA" and Johnson were planning to vandalize a Black Lives Matter mural on the Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle, but their plans never materialized due to timing.
The "Respect & Love Olympia" mural was chosen instead. Johnson himself was present at the scene in Olympia and was tasked with a special role: security and protection of the members who were directly defacing the mural. As one of the older members with more-than-zero boxing experience,3 Johnson was instructed to wait outside the fenced area of the mural and to be prepared to scare off any nosy onlookers. The local Network Director also gave Johnson clearance to assault anybody filming, by taking their phones and smashing them.
The community of Olympia discovered the vandalism in the morning and pulled together people and resources to repair the mural within hours. Members of Network 8, agitated by the quick response of the community, contemplated hitting the mural with stencils again in response.
After the defacement, incensed at the community's quick response, Johnson discussed doing more permanent damage to the mural.
Another Patriot Front member frequently visited the repaired mural to find that community members were keeping watch, and the Nazi group as a whole moved on to other discussions… until, unfortunately, one local group in Olympia capitulated to fear and took the mural down.4
Patriot Front and Swastika Stenciling in Enumclaw
Before defacing the LGBTQ mural in Olympia, the Network Director "John WA" needed to train members of NW8 to use large stencils efficiently and quickly, as slow stencil work could lead to run-ins with their opposition or the police. In the furtherance of that goal, the Network Director has a specific bridge near Kanaskat, WA, where he brings newer members for stenciling practice.
This bridge, on Cumberland Kanaskat Road over the Green River, is where James Julius Johnson and other members practiced using Network 8's Patriot Front banner stencils in hopes of defacing LGBTQ and Black Lives Matter murals in Washington state.
In addition to writing white nationalist slogans on the underside of the bridge, Johnson was also present when other Patriot Front members drew swastikas on the other side of the bridge before leaving the area. As an older member among this network, Johnson is more careful not to mix explicit Nazi imagery with Patriot Front branding and groans when other members mix the two too liberally.
It turns out Nazis aren't great at painting their own symbols correctly, which increases Johnson's groans as his fellow Nazis mess up the direction of a swastika.
Other Washington State Hikes
Johnson is into hiking and bushcraft, and frequently invites other members to hikes in Washington State. On Patriot Front hikes, members will sometimes wear their uniforms for picture opportunities.
Drilling and Sparring in Tumwater
In preparation for the December event in Washington DC, Network 8 members did drilling and sparring meetups. Members practiced marching and shield work, essentially trying out for the shield teams present at some PF marches. Johnson said he is unavailable for the December event, citing work, but still participated in drilling events.
Johnson was seen at this event marching and training with other Nazis.
Network 8 Thanksgiving Party near Darrington, WA
Johnson was responsible for renting the venue for the NW8 Thanksgiving meetup in Darrington, WA (not far from Arlington).
Several local PF Nazis were present at the gathering, along with their wives.
Members planned future actions and painted over stolen yard signs using the stencils that Johnson printed. Johnson can be seen with their spoils.
Identifying Information
Full name: James Julius Johnson
Birthday: 9/5/1985
Address: 2633 14th Ave W, Apt 16, Seattle WA 98119
Social Media
Telegram: @PrometheusRising
Employment
Johnson drives a Key Mechanical company van and says he works in a position that often requires him to provide on-call services for businesses, including Amazon. As a member of a Nazi organization, Johnson should not be allowed access to other peoples' spaces as a part of his job.
Kindly ask Key Mechanical if Johnson is the kind of person they should employ:
Key Mechanical
19430 68th Avenue South
Kent, WA 98032
Phone: (253) 872-7392
Licensing
Johnson has an electrical trainee license:
Vehicles
Johnson drives a blue 2006 Subaru Forester.
License plate: Washington AYL46112, with expired tabs. Because of Seattle's high tab prices, Johnson refuses to renew his expired tabs.
Gym
As the network's de facto fitness coordinator, Johnson has offered to help members develop workout plans and bring Nazis to his gym to train.
Johnson has a small home gym setup, but he also works out at LA Fitness in Seattle. His member number is S802557.
Contact LA Fitness and politely ask them if this sort of behavior is allowed at their gym:
LA Fitness
1416 NW Ballard Way
Seattle, WA 98107
Phone: (206) 508-5030
https://www.lafitness.com/Pages/findclubresultszip.aspx?city=SEATTLE&state=WA
Amelia Watts, James's Nazi Girlfriend and Network 8's Cook
Background
"He has shown me things I can't unsee."
These are the words uttered by Amelia Watts to explain how James Johnson had slowly changed her beliefs to the point that she was comfortable coming to events run by a Nazi organization. She said that she had guessed he had was involved in Patriot Front before he broke the news, and messages from Johnson to Patriot Front members in the Pacific Northwest back this up.
Johnson thought that not telling her about his membership would cause more problems than telling her, so he decided to let out his secret months into their relationship. But Johnson also had an ultimatum: if Watts didn't accept his beliefs and wasn't "100% supportive and behind the cause," their relationship would be over.
Johnson has repeatedly stated that Watts knows and agrees with his views.
While not an official, vetted member of Patriot Front-an organization officially comprised of men-members have referred to Watts as both Rachel WA and Stacy WA. She has been present at gatherings where PF members expressed support for Hitler, national socialism, racism, and antisemitism.
At one point, Watts was a Bernie supporter. Johnson would later point to her transition to the far right as evidence that more and more women are "waking up." He brags to the network that she is taking on more bigoted and transphobic views since they've met. He describes in private to other members how he slowly instilled antisemitic and anti-Black beliefs in her.
Over time, Johnson would share moments of getting Watts to leave her more liberal friends at his behest, or point out how he had gotten her to ditch her trans friends.
Notable Appearances
Camp Muir Hike
One week after Johnson came clean about his involvement in Patriot Front, he invited Watts to the local network's Camp Muir hike on Mt. Rainier late in August 2021. She was present as Patriot Front members spouted bigoted rhetoric, racism, and neo-Nazi beliefs.
She can be seen with Johnson while he is in the same Patriot Front jacket members use during flash mobs in city streets.
After the hike, Watts and Johnson would volunteer to help cook food for the group following an unexpectedly-late return down the mountain.
Stickering with James Julius Johnson
Johnson didn't initially expect to bring his girlfriend along on sticker runs, but in his posts in the activism tracking channel he claims that she has come with him as he placed the group's neo-Nazi stickers on signs in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle.
Network 8 Thanksgiving Party in Arlington, WA
Watts and Johnson took it upon themselves to plan dinner and buy groceries for the Network 8 Thanksgiving gathering in Snohomish County.
Watts would be mostly responsible for cooking dinner, as recounted by other members in calls after the event, in which they planned the next dinner closer to Christmas.
Identifying Information
Full name: Amelia Elizabeth Watts
Date of birth: 2/14/1992
Address: 2819 24th Ave W, Seattle WA 98199
Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mia92
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amelia-watts-522819ba (archive)
Employment
Amelia works as a GIS Data Analyst for Critigen in Seattle.
Kindly ask Critigen if Amelia is the kind of person they should employ:
Critigen
https://www.critigen.com/contact/
1430 Summit Ave
Suite 100C
Seattle, WA 98122
Phone Number: +1 303-713-3230
HR Phone Number: +1 303-728-3315
Vehicles
License plate: Washingon BPN29662
Endnotes
1 "Networks" are what Patriot Front calls each geographically-set group of members, organized under a Network Director. Not all Patriot Front members are in a network; some undeveloped areas without appointed directors are considered "clusters" and may rely on leadership from officially-designated networks. Anti-fascists in the past months have mapped out the borders of every Patriot Front network and cluster.
2 Patriot Front guidelines for information and operational security advise members to get new plates if they get doxxed. Anti-fascist activists are on alert to monitor and report back if any Patriot Front member changes their license plates.
3 One common theme in the local Patriot Front network is the network director exaggerating the boxing experience of members when talking to other networks, such as when recommending members of Network 8 to shield teams for national demos. In reality, most Network 8 members are indistinguishable in experience from a first-time boxing class attendee.
4 If we sound disappointed, it's because we are. Local "anti-hate" groups capitulated to fear and emboldened the Nazis by taking down the mural, which gave the Nazis a better result than they would have accomplished on their own with their quickly-reversed cover-up. They were slow to see that their actions were a short-cut to the nazis' goals; some in the community put queers in our community "back in the closet" without the self-awareness to see the meanings of their actions.
Patriot Front Nazis explicitly decided to target other works of LGBTQ art by the same person because of the decision to take the mural down.
If you need any more evidence that there's a lot of work to do even in Olympia in regards to anti-fascist consciousness, check out this cowardly correction issued in regards to the people who placed *ethno-nationalist slogans* and links to a *known neo-nazi website* on the mural:
CORRECTION: Oct. 25, 2021 -- We removed the words "right-wing extremists" from the first paragraph because there was no source to confirm who committed the act. We regret this error in reporting.
5 The inclusion of this point is not an endorsement of red flag laws. Any law put forward by the State can be, and is, used against anti-fascists more than it is against fascists. But it's important to note for those interested in community self-defense that even fascist groups in which talking about guns is taboo have members who are getting armed.