has today (12 July) taken action to outlaw the extreme
right-wing terrorist group, The Base; a predominantly US-based
militant white supremacist organisation seeking to establish a
white ethno-state.
The group was first formed in 2018 and shares many of its aims
and ideologies with Atomwaffen Division and its alias National
Socialist Order, which the Home Secretary proscribed earlier this
year.
Proscription makes it a criminal offence to be a member of, or
invite support for the group, with those found guilty now facing
up to 14 years in prison, after the government increased the
maximum sentence through the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act
2021.
Home Secretary said:
We continue to take robust action against evil white
supremacist groups, who target vulnerable people across the
world to join in their hateful ideologies and their sick
promotion of violence.
I am committed to making it as difficult as possible for these
organisations to operate in the UK, both by banning them and
increasing the penalties for membership or support, in order to
protect the public and our national security.
Proscribing organisations aid the police in its work to disrupt
all forms of terrorist groups who threaten our national security.
This action also sends a strong message that The Base’s ideology
and their actions are unacceptable and won’t be tolerated in the
UK.
The Base has celebrated and promoted the use of violence in an
attempt to establish a fascist, white ethno-state by means of a
‘race war’, and members are known to have engaged in weapons and
explosives training.
Its founder has also published a series of videos under his alias
covering topics including “lone wolf” activity, advocating
guerrilla warfare and leaderless resistance.
In January 2020, alleged members of the group were arrested in
the US, having been under FBI surveillance for months.
The Base will be the fifth extreme right-wing terrorist group to
be proscribed in the UK, and the third to be proscribed within
the last year.
The Home Secretary’s decision to proscribe The Base follows
advice from the Proscription Review Group, which brings together
experts from across government including representatives from
operational partners and the intelligence community to assess the
risk posed by groups which may be considered for proscription.
The proscription order laid in Parliament today will now be
debated and, subject to approval, will come into force later this
week.
