A British neo-Nazi movement is to become the first far-right group to be banned under terrorism laws in the UK.<\/p>\n
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said National Action was “a racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic organisation”.<\/p>\n
An order laid in Parliament to proscribe the group – making it a criminal offence to join or support it – is due to come into effect on Friday.<\/p>\n
It will be the first time a group engaged in extreme right-wing activities has been proscribed.<\/p>\n
Under the Terrorism Act 2000, the home secretary can proscribe an organisation if it is believed to be “concerned in terrorism”.<\/p>\n
National Action describes itself as a “National Socialist youth organisation” and says its movement is aimed at the “broken right-wing”.<\/p>\n
Ms Rudd said the group had “no place” in Britain.<\/p>\n
She said: “National Action is a racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic organisation which stirs up hatred, glorifies violence and promotes a vile ideology, and I will not stand for it.”<\/p>\n
Proscription makes it a criminal offence to belong to the organisation, arrange meetings in support of the group or wear clothing or carry articles in public which arouse reasonable suspicion.<\/p>\n
Penalties for proscription offences can be a maximum of 10 years in prison and an unlimited fine.<\/p>\n
There are currently 70 international organisations<\/a> that are proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000 – the majority of which are Islamist groups. A further 14 organisations in Northern Ireland were proscribed under previous legislation.<\/p>\n Following the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox, a branch of the group tweeted praise for her killer, Thomas Mair.<\/p>\n Mair was jailed for life<\/a> last month after being found guilty of murder.<\/p>\n The home office said it took the decision to proscribe National Action before Mair’s trial.<\/p>\n On its website, National Action said it carries out “demonstrations, publicity stunts, and other activities” to spread the message of “National Socialism”.<\/p>\n Gideon Falter, chairman of the Campaign Against anti-Semitism, said: “This decision by the home secretary is something we have long called for and sends a strong message that the far-right is in the government’s sights and will not be permitted to continue its incitement and violence.”<\/p>\n About a quarter of the cases being handled by the government’s counter-extremism programme are for right-wing radicalisation.<\/p>\n Prof Matthew Feldman, the co-director for the centre for fascist, anti-fascist and post-fascist studies at Teesside University said National Action had a small core of between 100-200 activists.<\/p>\n “At demonstrations, there may only be a couple dozen people. But they are unashamedly neo-Nazi,” he told the BBC.<\/p>\n “There’s a growing appreciation that the far-right has not had the same attention that jihadi Islamist groups have had in the last 10 years.<\/p>\n “Things are turning and there’s an acceptance that the extreme right poses a threat.”<\/p>\n Part of this threat, Prof Feldman explained, was against those left-wing journalists or activists – like Jo Cox – “being seen as the midwives of the Islamisation of Britain”.<\/p>\n Other campaigners have called for action to be taken against far-right groups with bigger followings.<\/p>\n Sabby Dhalu, from Unite Against Fascism said: “The government must also take more seriously groups on the far-right in Britain with a bigger following.”<\/p>\n Ms Dhalu said other far-right organisations – such as Britain First – should also be investigated.<\/p>\n The order will be debated in parliament later this week, before becoming operationally effective on Friday.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Source http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-38286708<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"‘Unashamedly neo-Nazi’<\/h2>\n