Counter-terror officers arrest eleven men linked to banned neo-Nazi group

On 27 September, eleven men were arrested across England and Wales for suspected involvement in National Action, a right-wing terrorist organisation banned by the UK government last year.

Five of the men were arrested for allegedly planning acts of terrorism related to “threats against individuals,” the Guardian reports. The arrests are the result of two separate investigations coordinated by multiple police forces across the UK.

National Action is an anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, white supremacist group formed in 2013 with branches across the UK. The organisation uses extremely violent language and imagery in its materials and promotes an ideology of hatred against ethnic and religious minorities in Britain.

In December 2016, National Action became the first extremist right-wing group to be banned by the UK government under the Terrorism Act 2000. Its proscription came two months after the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox, which had been celebrated by National Action.

Commenting on this week’s arrest, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu stated: “Counter-terrorism policing is committed to tackling all forms of extremism that threaten public safety and security. Investigations relating to alleged extreme rightwing activity are pursued with the same level or resource and vigour as other ideologies, in order to bring suspected offenders before the courts.”

In an environment where counter-terror discourse and activity focuses overwhelmingly on Muslim communities, the statement from Basu is a welcome one.

MEND has consistently urged the Government to ensure that its counter-terrorism strategy and approach allocate sufficient resources to tackling the threat of the far-right. Neo-Nazi groups such as National Action use online platforms to foment hatred and violence against Muslims. Such organisations and their activities pose a serious threat not only to British Muslims but also to the security and cohesion of the United Kingdom as a whole.