Nationalist Social Club-131

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]

Nationalist Social Club-131
(NSC-131)
Formation2019 (2019)
FounderChris Hood
Type
Location
Membership (2023)
30–40[1]
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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.[lower-alpha 1] 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] Additionally, the Dropkick Murphys challenged NSC-131 to a street brawl on March 26 at Medal of Honor Park.[13] NSC-131 did not appear.

In June and July 2022, the group spread fliers around towns such as Hamilton, Ipswich, and Topsfield, Massachusetts.

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.[14]

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.[15]

On October 14, 2023, 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]

Notes
  1. 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
  1. 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.
  2. "A reputed white supremacist group is making forays into Connecticut with demonstrations and flyers". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  3. "What is NSC-131? Neo-Nazi group getting bigger, more active". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  4. "It is happening here: Massachusetts has a growing neo-Nazi movement". News. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  5. Somos, Christy (8 January 2021). "These are some of the extremist groups responsible for the violence on Capitol Hill". CTVNews. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  6. "Nationalist Social Club (NSC-131)". splcenter.org. Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  7. 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.
  8. "Capitol Protesters And Rioters From Mass. Vow To Increase Ranks". wbur.org. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  9. "Group displays neo-Nazi symbols, 'Keep Boston Irish' sign at St. Patrick's Day parade". Boston.com. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  10. "Neo-Nazi stunt at South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade condemned". IrishCentral.com. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  11. "'Repugnant': Boston officials condemn neo-Nazi group at St. Patrick's Day Parade". WCVB. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  12. "Dropkick Murphys file cease and desist order to stop neo-Nazis from using their music". PBS NewsHour. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  13. @DropkickMurphys (23 March 2022). "I'll be down M Street park on Saturday at 12:30 walking my dogs if you'll are looking to discuss" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2023 – via Twitter.
  14. "Neo-Nazis Protest at Fall River Library Drag Queen Story Time". wbsm.com. 13 December 2022.
  15. Schemer, Daniel (January 15, 2023). "Drag queen event at Taunton library disrupted by apparent neo-Nazi protesters". tauntongazette.com.
  16. Cotter, Sean (October 15, 2023). "Local neo-Nazi group demonstrates outside Governor Maura Healey's home". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 15, 2023.

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