Far-right group Scottish Dawn is to be banned under terrorism laws after it was identified as an alias of the proscribed neo-Nazi group National Action, the Government has announced.
The organisation, which heavily promotes its belief in Scottish nationalism online, has been the subject of an investigation alongside similar group NS131 (National Socialist Anti-Capitalist Action).
Both have now been judged to be re-branded versions of the banned National Action collective, which called for copycat attacks similar to the murder of murder of Jo Cox MP by the Scots-born extremist Thomas Mair and the massacre at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando.
As revealed by The Herald earlier this year, Scottish Dawn was established shortly after National Action was classified as a terrorist organisation.
Being a member of or inviting support for either organisation will now be a criminal offence carrying a sentence of up to 10 years' imprisonment.
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.”
The neo-Nazi group's first public appearance was at a demonstration about housing for refugees in Alloa in March.
Members waved bright yellow flags displaying a black symbol known as the “tree of life”, which was also used in Nazi propaganda.
Scottish Dawn’s website invokes a Nazi philosophy by using the slogan “blood and soil”, which implies that ethnicity is based solely on blood descent.
The rallying cry was chanted by white nationalists during the violent protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, last month.
Scottish Dawn claims inspiration from former SNP leader Arthur Donaldson, who was arrested and detained during the Second World War over allegations he was subverting the war effort against Nazi Germany.
He was never charged by authorities.
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.
Investigators believe National Action has followed what could be called ‘the al-Muhajiroun model’.
Once Anjem Choudary’s network was classified as a terror group in 2004, some of its members simply dropped the group’s name to dodge the restrictions placed on it.
Choudary frustrated authorities for years, flouting the ban by rebranding his group. He was jailed last year.
On Wednesday, 11 men were arrested under anti-terror laws as part of a national investigation into National Action. All were suspected National Action members.
Earlier this month, three men - including two British soldiers - were charged under anti-terror laws with being members of National Action.
There are currently 71 organisations - 70 of them international - proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000. A further 14 organisations in Northern Ireland were proscribed under previous legislation.
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