HOPE not hate blows the lid on a new outfit uniting some of the most active and extreme neo-Nazis in the country. The National Socialist Collective plans to disrupt an anti-racist protest in Birmingham this Sunday, on the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street.
The National Socialist Collective (NSC) is coordinating leading activists across the fascist fringe – including members of Active Club England, White Vanguard, Aryan Front and the National Rebirth Party – for cross-group direct action.
It aims to disrupt anti-fascist events while hiding the identity of its members. In its debut action, the NSC plans to mobilise dozens of neo-Nazis to crash a West Midlands Against Racism protest in Birmingham city centre on 4 October, organised by the Trade Union Congress and Stand Up To Racism.
The group plans to arrive in formation clad in black uniforms and balaclavas, carrying a banner reading “Stand Up For Racism”.
HOPE not hate has informed the event organisers and the police.
Inspired by the Australian National Socialist Network (NSN), the NSC marks a shift into an increasingly confrontational style of activism on the British extreme right.
The group was founded under the name “Albion Assembly” by Ryan Turner, a core activist of the NSN prior to its ban under Australian anti-hate laws in May. An English Defence League activist in his youth, the Mancunian moved to Perth in 2018, going on to teach martial arts to the NSN and associated groups.
Turner’s position within the NSN led to the cancellation of his visa in January and eventual deportation back to the UK this summer. He used his months in detention to network across the British’s extreme right.
The NSN, known for its sleek propaganda and violence, has proved highly influential on neo-Nazis across the globe. Turner intends to replicate his former organisation’s militaristic marches on Sunday and send footage to the NSN’s video editing team.
Also involved in the NSC is the Russian-born Alexander Zaslavsky (AKA Joseph), another former NSN activist now based in the UK. Zaslavsky was exposed by HOPE not hate for his activity with White Vanguard (WV) in August.
The NSN directly inspired the formation of WV, and Turner’s popularity among the membership has exacerbated an existing rift within the organisation. Last month, several high-ranking members quit and leader Kai Cunningham was forced out and replaced with Declan Finch (AKA Declan Young). Finch, from Havant in Hampshire, is trying to marshal WV activists for the march this Sunday.
Other NSC members include Jared Allpress (AKA Hail), leader of Aryan Front (AF), a WV splinter exposed by HOPE not hate in January. Despite publicly folding in May, citing “raids and arrests”, members of the group – which pushes for “racial holy war” – have continued to operate on the extreme right, and plan to regroup under a new name. Core Welsh activist “MD” is also on board with the NSC, as is Luke Jahn, previously of the Homeland Party and National Rebirth Party, who is currently living with Allpress in West Yorkshire.
Set to shoot footage this Sunday is Lorcan Barker (AKA Angloid), a social media personality with links to the overtly fascist groupuscule Vanguard Britannica. Barker is notorious for harassing asylum seekers in Calais last year alongside Raise the Colours, and went on to become a well-known member of the far-right party Restore Britain.
The NSC also includes several recent splitters from WV, including “Chazza” (AKA Charlie) from Birmingham, the figure behind The Right Side Podcast, which hosts longform interviews with prominent fascists.
While Turner presents himself as a unifying figure, some fascist leaders remain sceptical. Alek Yerbury, leader of the National Rebirth Party (NRP), spoke privately to Turner last month, going on to post in the NRP members chat that:
“it boiled down to just replicating the NSN. When I asked how they would avoid replicating the same outcome (leaders all facing jail, organisation destroyed), the belief seems to be that as long as they don’t attempt to make it a party the authorities will just leave them alone. I think that is very shaky logic […] the levels of naivete and lack of awareness of actions and outcomes is dangerous”.
Nonetheless, several NRP activists remain in NSC’s “Albion Assembly” Telegram chat, through which representatives of its constituent organisations communicate. Its “code of conduct” impresses the need for discipline, but also states that members can “always praise Adolf freely. Yes you can say N*gger in the chat”.
The NSC also marks a step into more formal political activism for Active Club England, a fascist martial arts training club. Part of the international Active Club network, the group includes members from a broad sweep of extreme outfits, but has until now mostly focused on drilling combat sports over public displays.
HOPE not hate will monitor the situation closely.
Prefer to listen? Click the play button to hear the audio version. Harry Shukman Reform UK is staffed by oddballs and enigmas, but none odder…
