Anti-vaxxers take part in boxing drills and combat training as thousands join secret group threatening 'direct action' later this month

  • Alpha Men Assemble promotes combat training to its 2,800 Telegram followers
  • Conspiracy group planned sessions in Staffordshire, London and Lanarkshire 
  • Those attending are told to bring black outfits and prepare for 'direct action' 
  • Chat's founders remain anonymous, but sources say they have military links 

By Jacob Thorburn For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Thousands of anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists have joined a group on social media that threatens 'direct action' and promotes combat training and mixed martial art sessions. 

Alpha Men Assemble, an online collective with more than 2,800 followers, has planned meetings to practice 'training and strategy tactics' in Staffordshire, London and Lanarkshire, Scotland. 

At its most recent meet, close to 100 activists were pictured boxing and grappling with one another on a beach at Littlehampton, West Sussex. Two more sessions have been planned for Brownhills, Staffordshire, and in Motherwell later this month.

Those attending are told to bring black uniforms, boots and a hat in order to 'defend our children and women', ahead of a 'task' that will be made clearer in late January. 

The group's wider plans remain unclear, but several messages sent in recent weeks harken for members to show 'pure unadulterated defiance'. 

Those intending to join the task team were told: 'You will need a cool head and you will need to control your emotions. If you can not do that you will not be allowed to attend the direct action', reports The Times.

Thousands of anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists have joined Alpha Men Assemble - a social media group that threatens 'direct action' and promotes combat training and mixed martial art sessions

Thousands of anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists have joined Alpha Men Assemble - a social media group that threatens 'direct action' and promotes combat training and mixed martial art sessions

Close to 100 activists were pictured boxing and grappling with one another on a beach at Littlehampton, West Sussex (pictured)

Close to 100 activists were pictured boxing and grappling with one another on a beach at Littlehampton, West Sussex (pictured)

In video footage shared online, dozens of Alpha Men Assemble's acolytes can be seen shoving one another in a mass brawl that was touted as a training exercise.

Another clip shows the group practicing their boxing skills and rushing towards each other as they perform scrummaging drills in the early hours of the morning.

In other images, a large group wearing hats with hoods pulled up over their heads can be seen marching through a park.

Alpha Men Assemble, which was set up just three weeks ago, uses Telegram's encrypted chat service to send messages to its near 6,000 subscribers. 

The founders of the chat remain anonymous, but one source told the Times that its leaders appeared to have backgrounds within the armed forces. 

The group loosely resembles American conspiracy group QAnon - who push baseless claims that paedophiles toppled former President Donald Trump's regime and whose followers stormed the Capitol building in Washington last January.

In other images shared online, a large group wearing hats with hoods pulled up over their heads can be seen marching through a park

In other images shared online, a large group wearing hats with hoods pulled up over their heads can be seen marching through a park

Although its messages preach a non-violent and anti-racist approach, and its stated aim is to 'save the children', several videos shared within the group show instructional videos on punching and kicking

Although its messages preach a non-violent and anti-racist approach, and its stated aim is to 'save the children', several videos shared within the group show instructional videos on punching and kicking

Alpha Men's members regularly share stories published on Tommy Robinson News, a social media channel with more than 150,000 subscribers that is overseen by those with links to the English Defence League.  

Although its messages preach a non-violent and anti-racist approach, and its stated aim is to 'save the children', several videos shared within the group show instructional videos on punching and kicking. 

Another message read: 'I hope you have a fire in your belly. Time for action. No more f****** about.  

Alpha Men Assemble's previous messages have slammed rallies and protests run by anti-vax activists including Piers Corbyn. The group compared their efforts to 'rambling' and 'stand[ing] in a park'. 

Piers Corbyn and a band of demonstrators in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, were filmed shouting 'shame on you' repeatedly at testing site staff while others threw traffic cones and pushed over signs.

Cries of 'You murdering b****rds' and 'the wind is changing' are heard as the crowd marches into the site, and one of the demonstrators appears to pick up testing equipment before carrying it out of one of the site's tents.

One of the protesters is seen asking a member of staff in a high visibility jacket: 'Have you had the vaccine yourself?'

The social media user who uploaded footage of the incident, which has been viewed 10,000 times, claimed that one protester 'stole testing equipment and dumped it in a bin outside the centre'.

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