Neo-Nazi’s Attack The Home Of New England Governor

White nationalism as a movement has been in the news more often than not for the last several years, particularly in light of the January 6 attack on the capitol. Members of white nationalist groups such as the Proud Brothers were arrested and charged for their participation in that particular incident, and in the months and years since, the white nationalist movement has only grown bolder in their objectives.

Neo-Nazi’s in Massachusetts

Most recently, an attack on the private home of Massachusetts governor, Maura Healey (D), has made headlines. Dozens of neo-Nazi demonstrators surrounded her home this last weekend in a dizzying display of intimidation and hate.

The individuals were members of a group known as NSC-131, which seeks to create a white-only ethnostate in New England. The group was first founded in 2019 by Chris Hood, who had tried belonging to other white nationalist groups including the Proud Boys, but none of them had met his needs.

About NSC-131

NSC-131 stands for National Social Club, with the 131 standing for ACA, or anti-Communist action. Groups like this are anti-communist, anti-LGBTQ, anti-immigration, anti-diversity, and generally against anything that doesn’t support their narrative of a “free, white world.”

Members of NSC-131 have claimed that they were at the January 6 riot, though it’s not clear whether any of their members were arrested for their participation in the event. In the years since, they’ve faced various charges for violating civil rights codes, but this hasn’t stopped their active intimidation efforts.

A Demonstration of White Nationalism

This past weekend, members of NSC-131 moved under the cover of night through Arlington, a suburb of Boston, wearing uniforms of khakis, black jackets, face masks, and baseball caps. They moved as a group, at first without a clear objective to their demonstration.

The members co-opted the progressive activist chant, “Whose streets? Our streets!” as they moved along the suburb. It wasn’t until they came to the home of Governor Healey that their demonstration took a more organized turn.

Lining Up in Front of the House

The neo-Nazi’s lined up on the sidewalk across the street from Healey’s home, which was protected by state troopers. This is not the first time that Healey has been threatened by white nationalist groups during her tenure as governor, and more stringent security measures have had to be implemented in order to keep the politician and her family safe.

The group’s members didn’t do anything outwardly threatening. They didn’t attack anyone bodily, but that doesn’t mean that they didn’t use intimidation tactics. The group’s members all lit red traffic flares and held them aloft with the Hitler salute, before unfurling a banner that read, “WE’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE.”

In Response to Civil Rights Charges

These actions by the NSC-131 were an in-the-streets response to civil rights charges that were brought against the group by the state of Massachusetts late last year. The five-charge complaint was brought against the entire group, and was intended to block the group and leaders from engaging in what the state calls “violent and unlawful conduct.”

Some of the conduct the charges are meant to curtail include campaigns to “disrupt and shut down” drag queen story hours, as well as aggressive harassment of Boston-area hotels that have been temporarily housing asylum seekers.

A Video of the Demonstration

NSC leaders posted a video of the encounter outside of Governor Healey’s home on Telegram, a social network favored by members of many different extreme groups. They declared that the message was “to show the world that lawfare will not intimidate New England Nationalists.”

This was the second action by NSC-131 that targeted the governor’s home. In mid-October, members of the group marked at Healey’s residence, declaring, “New England is ours, the rest must go.” This is a clear statement against what the group perceives as an “immigrant invasion.”

Responses to the Actions

Both Governor Healey and her representatives have responded to these actions. Back in October, Healey released a statement that criticized “these Neo-Nazis and white supremacists” for “trying to scare people from exercising their rights.”

In the present, Karissa Hand, a spokesperson for the governor, released a statement that explained that the extremist action was quickly defused. “Massachusetts State Police, with assistance from local police, were on the scene, and the group quickly dispersed,” she stated.

Unabashedly Nazis

NSC-131 is an offshoot of another hate group, Patriot Front, and has engaged in similar tactics like the march on Healey’s home. Unlike Patriot Front, though, NSC-131 is unapologetic in their Nazi ideology and iconography. They use the Swastika and other symbols from Nazi Germany in order to push their message of hate, and stand in stark opposition to everything the group is against.

NSC-131 has also attempted to make waves in conservative MAGA groups, by leaning into issues that are currently inflaming the GOP base. They state that “it is Nazism…to oppose Drag Queen Story Hour and Critical Race Theory.” These members haven’t made significant headway, but it’s a concerning movement nonetheless.

White Nationalism in the Conservative Party

Actions like those of the NSC-131 are deeply troubling to many in the center and on the left. Even conservatives have attempted to separate themselves from neo-Nazi movements like the NSC-131, despite the fact that the Republican frontrunner for President has leaned into many of these far-right groups.

The civil charges against the NSC will hopefully deter further demonstrations like the one seen in front of Governor Healey’s home in the future. Stronger actions may need to be taken if they cannot be deterred, but for now, it appears that the group is all talk, and nothing more.