Britain to ban far-right group under terrorism law
London (dpa) - A neo-Nazi group will become the first far-right organization to be banned in Britain under a counterterrorism law, the government said on Monday.
The relatively small group National Action will be banned because it is "a racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic organization which stirs up hatred, glorifies violence and promotes a vile ideology," Home Secretary Amber Rudd said.
An order proscribing the group is scheduled to take effect on Friday, making it a crime to join or support National Action.
The ban follows a sharp rise in reported racism and other hate crime before and after the Brexit referendum in June, in which much of the campaigning for Britain to leave the EU focussed on immigration.
Anti-racism group HOPE not Hate said it cautiously welcomed the ban but believed that "existing laws should be better enforced before options such as a ban are considered."
It accused National Action supporters of offences "including incitement to racial hatred, threats to kill and violence."
"National Action‘s leadership has praised Hitler, attacked Jews, referred to itself as ‘white jihadis‘ and courted notoriety online, often staging very small actions which are then blown out of all proportion by a gullible media," Matthew Collins, research director of HOPE not hate, said in a statement.
A statement on National Action‘s website, published before Monday‘s announcement, said it is "a National Socialist youth organization" that aims to become "Britain‘s premier Nationalist street movement" and eventually create "a white Britain."
It admits it is a "radical" far-right group but denies charges of extremism and terrorism.
Source: http://en.europeonline-magazine.eu/britain-to-ban-far-right-group-under-terrorism-law_500331.html
The relatively small group National Action will be banned because it is "a racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic organization which stirs up hatred, glorifies violence and promotes a vile ideology," Home Secretary Amber Rudd said.
An order proscribing the group is scheduled to take effect on Friday, making it a crime to join or support National Action.
The ban follows a sharp rise in reported racism and other hate crime before and after the Brexit referendum in June, in which much of the campaigning for Britain to leave the EU focussed on immigration.
Anti-racism group HOPE not Hate said it cautiously welcomed the ban but believed that "existing laws should be better enforced before options such as a ban are considered."
It accused National Action supporters of offences "including incitement to racial hatred, threats to kill and violence."
"National Action‘s leadership has praised Hitler, attacked Jews, referred to itself as ‘white jihadis‘ and courted notoriety online, often staging very small actions which are then blown out of all proportion by a gullible media," Matthew Collins, research director of HOPE not hate, said in a statement.
A statement on National Action‘s website, published before Monday‘s announcement, said it is "a National Socialist youth organization" that aims to become "Britain‘s premier Nationalist street movement" and eventually create "a white Britain."
It admits it is a "radical" far-right group but denies charges of extremism and terrorism.
Source: http://en.europeonline-magazine.eu/britain-to-ban-far-right-group-under-terrorism-law_500331.html
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