Nationalist Social Club-131
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| Formation | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Chris Hood |
| Type | |
| Location |
|
Membership (2023) | 30–40[1] |
| Part of a series on |
| Neo-fascism |
|---|
 |
 Politics portal |
Nationalist Social Club-131, or NSC-131, is an American neo-Nazi organization; the letters 131 stand for ACA or "Anti-Communist Action".[2][3] It was founded in 2019 in eastern Massachusetts by Chris Hood, who had previously tried other neo-fascist groups such as Patriot Front, the Proud Boys, and the Base. The group first attracted the attention of anti-extremism researchers during the George Floyd protests in mid-2020, which NSC-131 members hoped to leverage to increase their recruiting. Along with Patriot Front, NSC-131 is one of the most active white nationalist groups in New England as of 2022.[4]
Activities
The group stated on social media that they were present at the January 6 United States Capitol attack in 2021;[5] accounts differ as to if any of their members were arrested.[a] The group increased its membership by 250 people in the wake of the attack.[8] According to NSC-131, the group provided security to Super Happy Fun America, although the latter group disclaimed any ties with NSC-131.[8]
In March 2022, the group attracted attention by bringing signs to the Boston Saint Patrick's Day parade stating "keep Boston Irish".[9] The group was condemned by the parade's organizer and local politicians including the mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu.[10][11] The Dropkick Murphys condemned the unlicensed use of their song, "The Boys are Back", in a 2022 music video produced by NSC-131 and threatened legal action in a cease and desist letter.[12]
On December 12, 2022, about 25 to 30 NSC-131 members protested outside of the public library in Fall River, Massachusetts, to disrupt a Drag Queen Story Hour reading to children. The members stood outside wearing tan pants and black jackets, all wearing black balaclava-style masks, holding a cloth banner with "Drag Queens are Pedophiles" painted on the banner.[13]
On January 14, 2023, a group wearing the same apparel and displaying a nearly identical sign appeared at the public library in Taunton, Massachusetts, to disrupt another Drag Queen Story Hour. Some of the members went inside and shouted at the readers; the Taunton Police Department stated the organization was nonviolent and no arrests were made. The library in Fall River also hosted another Drag Queen Story Hour on the same day; however, this one was not interrupted as the group was protesting in Taunton.[14]
In August 2023, NSC-131 claimed credit on social media for an anti-immigration protest in front of three hotels in Woburn, Massachusetts that the city had announced were housing around 60 migrant families.[15] In October, the group protested in Arlington, Massachusetts, outside the home of Maura Healey, the Governor of Massachusetts, reportedly chanting "New England is ours, the rest must go."[16] No arrests occurred.[16]
Membership
NSC-131 has chapters around the U.S. and has claimed chapters in France, Germany, and Hungary.[17] In 2023, The Boston Globe reported that the group had around 30 to 40 members.[1] Its members have also been members of the groups Aryan Strikeforce, The Base, and Patriot Front.[17]
Notes
- ^ The group's profile by the Southern Poverty Law Center states, "No members of the group have faced charges related to their apparent involvement in the insurrection as of this writing."[6] Other, non-free, sources appear to indicate otherwise.[7]
References
- ^ a b Krueger, Hanna (August 3, 2023). "This New England neo-Nazi group is getting bigger and scarier, experts say. Most troubling: Military vets fill its ranks". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ^ "A reputed white supremacist group is making forays into Connecticut with demonstrations and flyers". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ^ "What is NSC-131? Neo-Nazi group getting bigger, more active". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ^ "It is happening here: Massachusetts has a growing neo-Nazi movement". News. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ^ Somos, Christy (8 January 2021). "These are some of the extremist groups responsible for the violence on Capitol Hill". CTVNews. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ^ "Nationalist Social Club (NSC-131)". splcenter.org. Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ Rapoport, David C. (2021). "The Capitol Attack and the 5th Terrorism Wave". Terrorism and Political Violence. 33 (5): 912–916. doi:10.1080/09546553.2021.1932338. S2CID 236457455.
- ^ a b "Capitol Protesters And Rioters From Mass. Vow To Increase Ranks". wbur.org. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ^ "Group displays neo-Nazi symbols, 'Keep Boston Irish' sign at St. Patrick's Day parade". Boston.com. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ^ "Neo-Nazi stunt at South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade condemned". IrishCentral.com. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ^ "'Repugnant': Boston officials condemn neo-Nazi group at St. Patrick's Day Parade". WCVB. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ^ "Dropkick Murphys file cease and desist order to stop neo-Nazis from using their music". PBS NewsHour. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ^ "Neo-Nazis Protest at Fall River Library Drag Queen Story Time". wbsm.com. 13 December 2022.
- ^ Schemer, Daniel (January 15, 2023). "Drag queen event at Taunton library disrupted by apparent neo-Nazi protesters". tauntongazette.com.
- ^ Stoico, Nick (August 28, 2023). "Neo-Nazi group NSC-131 holds anti-immigration protest outside Woburn hotel". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ a b Cotter, Sean (October 15, 2023). "Local neo-Nazi group demonstrates outside Governor Maura Healey's home". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
- ^ a b Liang, Christina Schori (2022). "Far-Right Contagion: The Global Challenge of Transnational Extremist Networks". In Masys, Anthony J. (ed.). Handbook of Security Science. Springer International Publishing. p. 1017. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-91875-4_81. ISBN 978-3-319-91875-4.
Further reading
- Byrne, Matt (2021). "Federal prisoner held in NH shines light on growing NSC-131 White nationalist movement". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved 11 June 2022.