National Action Terror Ban Widened To Include Aliases Scottish Dawn And NS131

11 members of the group were arrested this week.

An order banning the neo-Nazi group National Action is to be widened after officials identified two aliases for the movement that championed the killer of Labour MP Jo Cox.

Scottish Dawn and NS131 (National Socialist Anti-Capitalist Action) will be proscribed as terrorist organisations from Friday.

National Action became the first extreme right-wing group to be banned under terrorism laws in December 2016.

An order laid in Parliament on Thursday means National Action cannot operate as Scottish Dawn or NS131, which have been identified as alternative names the group has used, the Home Office said.

The Home Office has widened a terrorism ban on National Action to after officials identified two aliases for the movement
The Home Office has widened a terrorism ban on National Action to after officials identified two aliases for the movement
National Action

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said: “National Action is a vile racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic group which glorifies violence and stirs up hatred while promoting their poisonous ideology, and I will not allow them to masquerade under different names.

“By extending the proscription of National Action, we are halting the spread of a poisonous ideology and stopping its membership from growing - protecting those who could be at risk of radicalisation.

“Our priority as Government will always be to maintain the safety and security of families and communities across the United Kingdom and we will continue to identify and ban any terrorist group which threatens this, whatever their ideology.”

National Action made a name for itself through a number of stunts including performing Nazi salutes at the Buchenwald Camp in Germany
National Action made a name for itself through a number of stunts including performing Nazi salutes at the Buchenwald Camp in Germany
National Action

When the order comes into effect, being a member of, or inviting support for, the organisations will be a criminal offence carrying a sentence of up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

Under the Terrorism Act 2000, the Home Secretary can issue an order that an alternative name or alias is to be treated as another name for a banned organisation.

Decisions about proscribing or extending the proscription of a particular organisation are taken after extensive consideration and in light of a full assessment of available information, the Home Office said.

In the official list of proscribed groups, National Action is described as a “racist neo-Nazi group” that was established in 2013.

The group is “virulently racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic” and its activities and propaganda materials are particularly aimed at recruiting young people, according to the document.

Eleven men were arrested on Wednesday following an investigation into National Action.

Their alleged offences include funding terrorism, preparing a terrorist act, membership of a proscribed organisation and possesion of extremist material.

It follows the arrest earlier this month of four suspected members of the group who included serving members of the armed forces.

National Action made a name for itself with a serious of offensive stunts including championing Thomas Mair, the man sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering Jo Cox a week before the EU Referendum.

It also made headlines by hosting a Miss Hitler contest and for posting pictures online of them performing Nazi salutes at the Buchenwald Camp in Germany where nearly 50,000 people were killed.

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