A new armed activist group has emerged in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and it should concern anyone paying attention to the direction of this country.
Calling itself the Community Liberation Brigade, the group appears to have formed after the Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club disbanded. That name should ring a bell. Members tied to that organization were convicted in connection to the attack on the Prairieland ICE detention facility, where a police officer was shot.
Now, a new group with a similar ideological posture is showing up in public spaces, masked and armed.
The Community Liberation Brigade is reportedly led by an individual who goes by “Doberman.” The group has been seen at multiple “No Kings” protests in Dallas. More troubling, they have also appeared at ICE walkouts at local high schools, including North Dallas High School.
Adults. Armed. Masked. At student demonstrations.
That is not normal. It is not something to shrug off.
This is happening at a moment when political violence in the United States is clearly escalating. In April, there was yet another attempted assassination of President Donald Trump. Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative voice, was assassinated last year by a Leftist in a clearly politically motivated attack.
These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a pattern.
When rhetoric crosses the line into open calls for violence, it does not stay theoretical. Online posts attributed to the leadership of this new group include statements about wanting to see “fascist brains blown out,” aimed broadly at conservatives and supporters of President Trump.
That kind of language matters. It sets a tone. It lowers the barrier between anger and action.
And when that rhetoric is paired with armed, masked individuals showing up in public, especially around minors, it raises serious questions about intent.
Are they there to protest, or to intimidate?
Americans have a constitutional right to protest. That right should be protected. But there is a clear difference between a peaceful demonstration and the projection of force.
If a right-leaning group showed up armed and masked at a high school event, the reaction would be immediate and overwhelming. There would be investigations, headlines, and nonstop coverage. The standard cannot change based on politics.
Groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center have spent years slapping the “extremist” label on right-leaning organizations, often based on politics instead of clear, consistent standards. At the same time, armed groups on the left get a pass, even when they show up masked, armed, and openly using violent rhetoric. If President Donald Trump or JD Vance came to Texas, these are the groups that would warrant serious scrutiny. Extremism should be defined by actions, not ideology. Right now, that standard is being applied selectively.
Parents in North Texas deserve to know who is showing up around their children. School officials deserve clarity on whether outside groups are inserting themselves into student events. Law enforcement should be taking a hard look at any organization that combines weapons, masks, and openly violent rhetoric.
This is not about partisanship. It is about safety and consistency.
We cannot say political violence is a national crisis while ignoring warning signs in our own backyard. We cannot condemn extremism in theory while excusing it in practice.
The Community Liberation Brigade may present itself as a movement for justice. But the combination of its public presence, its rhetoric, and its apparent ties to a network with a history of violence should raise red flags.
North Texas should not wait until something worse happens to start asking questions.
By then, it will be too late.
Kelly Neidert is the executive director of the Texas Coalition for Kids.
The views and opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of The Dallas Express, its editors, or its staff.
