National Socialist Movement (United States)

National Socialist Movement
Leader Jeff Schoep
Founded 1974
Preceded by American Nazi Party
Headquarters Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Newspaper NSM Magazine[1]
Membership 400 (2016)
Ideology Neo-Nazism[2]
Neo-Fascism[3]
White nationalism[4]
Political position Far-right[5][6]
International affiliation World Union of National Socialists[7]
Colors Black, white, red
Seats in the Senate
0 / 100
Seats in the House
0 / 435
Governorships
0 / 50
State Upper Chamber Seats
0 / 1,972
State Lower Chamber Seats
0 / 5,411
Party flag
Website
www.nsm88.org

The National Socialist Movement (NSM) is an American neo-Nazi, white supremacist, homophobic, and antisemitic political party based in Detroit, Michigan.[4]

History

The group was founded in 1974 as the "National Socialist American Workers Freedom Movement" by Robert Brannen and Cliff Herrington, former members of the American Nazi Party before the decline of the ANP. The party's chairman is Jeff Schoep, who has held that position since 1994.[8] The group claims to be the "largest and most active" National Socialist organization in the United States. Although classified as a hate group, it refers to itself as a "white civil rights organization." The group also objects to being referred to as "racist," and "Neo-Nazi," viewing such descriptions as an unflattering description of its goals. Each state has members in smaller groups within areas known as "regions." The NSM has national meetings and smaller regional and unit meetings.

The NSM was responsible for leading the demonstration which sparked the 2005 Toledo riot.[9] In April 2006, the group held a rally on the capitol steps in Lansing, Michigan, which was met by a larger counter-rally and ended in scuffles.[10] In 2007, some members left to join the now-defunct National Socialist Order of America, which was led by 2008 presidential candidate John Taylor Bowles.

In January 2009, the group sponsored a half-mile section of U.S. Highway 160 outside of Springfield, Missouri, as part of the Adopt-A-Highway Trash Cleanup program.[11] The highway was later renamed the "Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel Memorial Highway" by the state legislature.[12]

In 2009, the NSM had 61 chapters in 35 states, making it the largest neo-Nazi group in the United States according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. As of 2015, the NSM reports having direct organized presences in seven countries around the world, and other affiliations beyond that.[13]

On April 17, 2010, 70 members of the NSM demonstrated against illegal immigration in front of the Los Angeles City Hall, drawing a counter protest of hundreds of anti-fascist demonstrators.[14]

In May 2011, the NSM was described by The New York Times as being "the largest supremacist group, with about 400 members in 32 states, though much of its prominence followed the decay of Aryan Nation and other neo-Nazi groups,"[15]

On May 1, 2011, Jeff Hall, a leader of the California branch of the NSM, was killed by his ten-year-old emotionally troubled son.[16] Hall had run in 2010 for a seat on the board of directors of a Riverside County water board, a race in which he earned approximately 30% of the vote.[17]

The NSM held a rally on September 3, 2011 in West Allis, Wisconsin, to protest incidents at the Wisconsin State Fair on August 5, 2011 when a large crowd of young African-Americans allegedly targeted and beat white people as they left the fair around 11 p.m. Police claimed the incident began as a fight among African-American youths that was not racially motivated.[18][19] Dan Devine, the mayor of West Allis, stated on September 2, 2011, "I believe I speak for the citizens when I say they [the NSM] are not welcome here."[20]

In 2012, two alleged proponents of the NSM (though not affiliated with the organization), Sam Johnson and Joseph Benjamin Thomas, were arrested for drug trafficking, stockpiling weapons, and plotting terrorism against a Mexican consulate in the United States and given prison sentences.[21]

As of March 2015, the organization has planned a return to Toledo, Ohio, for a rally focusing on crime in the area.[22]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.nsm88.org/stormtrooper/index.html
  2. ↑ "The National Socialist Movement". The Anti-Defamation League.
  3. ↑ Harmon, Christopher C. (2007). Terrorism Today. Taylor and Francis. p. 18. ISBN 0-203-93358-3. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  4. 1 2 "25 POINTS OF AMERICAN NATIONAL SOCIALISM". National Socialist Movement. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2014. Only members of the nation may be citizens of the state. Only those of pure White blood, whatever their creed, may be members of the nation. Non-citizens may live in America only as guests and must be subject to laws for aliens. Accordingly, no Jew or homosexual may be a member of the nation.
  5. ↑ National Socialist Movement Raises Profile To Become America's Largest Neo-Nazi Group
  6. ↑ Nationalist Socialist Movement Building a Juggernaut
  7. ↑ Participating Members
  8. ↑ "The National Socialist Movement". The Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  9. ↑ http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/police-chief-on-toledo-riots/
  10. ↑ "Hundreds Protest Neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement in Lansing". Media Mouse. April 24, 2006. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  11. ↑ "National Socialist Movement unit adopts section of Missouri highway". Missourian. January 22, 2009. Archived from the original on January 30, 2010. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  12. ↑ Missouri, a Fight Over a Highway Adoption
  13. ↑ http://www.nsm88.org/units/contact.html
  14. ↑ Los Angeles Times April 18, 2010—“White Supremacist Rally at L.A. City Hall Draws Violent Protest”:
  15. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/us/11nazi.html
  16. ↑ "Jeff Hall, a Neo-Nazi, Is Killed, and His Young Son is Charged" by Jesse McKinley, New York Times, May 10, 2011
  17. ↑ "Neo-Nazi running for office in Riverside County" by Tony Barboza, Los Angeles Times, October 19, 2010
  18. ↑ WTMJ News August 5, 2011--Witnesses describe mobs, some people claim racially-charged attacks:
  19. ↑ Breann Schossow, "West Allis beefs up security outside State Fair", Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Aug. 9, 2011.
  20. ↑ http://www.jrn.com/tmj4/news/129160043.html
  21. ↑ "Affidavit: 2 Men with supremacist ties had weapons" by Associated Press, "Fox News", April 27, 2012
  22. ↑ http://www.nsm88.org/announcements/april_toledo_ohio_2015.htm

External links

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