White nationalist group accused of civil rights violations in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell filed a harassment and civil rights lawsuit against a white nationalist organization Friday, alleging the group consistently discriminated against LGBTQ people and immigrants.

Campbell said the Nationalist Social Club, a self-described neo-Nazi group, repeatedly attempted to harass and shut down events hosted by LGBTQ organizations and targeted immigrants who recently arrived in the Bay State.

“NSC-131 has engaged in a concerted campaign to target and terrorize people across Massachusetts and interfere with their rights,” Campbell said in a statement. “Our complaint is the first step in holding this neo-Nazi group and its leaders accountable for their unlawful actions against members of our community.”

“My office will continue to do all it can to protect our residents’ and visitors’ civil rights and public safety,” she added.

Specifically, the suit alleges the group pledged to “shut down” all “drag queen story hour” events in the state and proceeded to disrupt and threaten attendees of at least four events. 

It also claims the organization targeted hotels and other locations harboring recently arrived migrants, asserting that they were part of the “great replacement” white supremacist conspiracy theory.

The attorney general is seeking financial penalties from the organization, and her office urged victims of the group’s activities to come forward.

The Anti-Defamation League describes the Nationalist Social Club as a New England neo-Nazi group founded in 2019 that “espouses racism, antisemitism and intolerance,” and whose “membership is a collection of neo-Nazis and racist skinheads, many of whom have previous membership in other white supremacist groups.”