Yeah, the "skinnies"
Been 25 years since I read it. Could have sworn they attacked somewhere first which set everything off.
Either way the author would have rejected being called a fascist vehemently and his family were fucking pissed at Veerhoven for all the Nazi imagery. But that's only because he didn't see his system of government as fascist as it was in his mind anti-authoritarian. He basically created democratic fascism with the whole "you have to perform civil service to be able to vote" thing.