Hate groupsU.K. bans neo-Nazi group as PM warns of rising tide of anti-Semitism in U.K.
National Action, a British neo-Nazi organization, was on Monday banned by the U.K. government under anti-terrorism legislation. It is the first group far-right group to be banned under the anti-terrorism legislation. Interior Minister Amber Rudd said: “National Action is a racist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic organization which stirs up hatred, glorifies violence, and promotes a vile ideology, and I will not stand for it.” Prime Minister Theresa May, shortly after the ban was announced, warned about the rising tide of anti-Semitism in Britain.
National Action, a British neo-Nazi organization, was on Monday banned by the U.K. government under anti-terrorism legislation.
It is the first group of its kind to be banned under the anti-terrorism legislation.
Prime Minister Theresa May, shortly after the ban was announced, warned about the rising tide of anti-Semitism in Britain.
Interior Minister Amber Rudd said: “National Action is a racist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic organization which stirs up hatred, glorifies violence, and promotes a vile ideology, and I will not stand for it.”
Al Jazeera reports that Parliament will officially approve the measure on Wednesday. If the measure passed, membership in the group will become a criminal offense carrying a potential sentence of up to ten years in prison.
Rudd added that the group was found to be “concerned in terrorism” as described in the Terrorism Act. The law defines “engaging in terrorism” as either, or both, committing acts of terrorist violence or promoting or encouraging such acts.
National Action, known for its provocative actions, recently held a “Miss Hitler” competition and defaced a statue of Nelson Mandela in London. Benjamin Raymond, one of the group’s leaders, in 2014 posted on his blog that Jews “need to be exterminated” and expressed admiration for Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik.
National Action has also used social media to express support for Thomas Mair, the Nazi-inspired extremist who murdered Labor lawmaker Jo Cox last June.
On its Web site, the group described itself as “vilified by the media and hated by this sick world … united in a mission to save our race and generation.”
Shortly after announcing the ban, PM Theresa May gave a speech to highlight increased concern about anti-Jewish violence in Britain. May also introduced an official definition of anti-Semitism in the hope that it would help prosecutors.
“It means there will be one definition of anti-Semitism – in essence, language or behavior that displays hatred towards Jews because they are Jews - and anyone guilty of that will be called out on it,” the prime minister said.
According to the Community Security Trust, anti-Semitic attacks in Britain rose by 11 percent in the first half of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015. Forty-one of the 557 incidents reported in early 2016 were violent assaults. Others involved the verbal abuse of Jews in public and anti-Semitic graffiti.
