NCJ Number
236506
Date Published
2008
Length
24 pages
Annotation
The Anti-Defamation League reports on its in-depth investigation into the membership of the National Socialist Movement (NSM) in America, which resulted in the complete or partial identification of just over 300 of the group's approximately 500 members and close associates nationwide.
Abstract
The investigation penetrated the NSM's veil of secrecy to create the first statistical portrait of an American neo-Nazi group that encompasses its geographic distribution, tactics, and activities. The group chosen for the investigation, the Detroit-headquartered National Socialist Movement, is a long-standing neo-Nazi group created by remnants of the American Nazi Party in 1974. As part of an effort to expand its membership, NSM purchased the New Saxon Web site, a White supremacist social networking Web site. New Saxon has become popular among White supremacists frustrated by the restriction on hate speech at most mainstream social networking sites. This purchase by NSM increased its visibility in the movement as well as its access to a recruiting pool. NSM has sought to improve its "public image" by attempting to become participants in local community projects such as tornado disaster relief, donations to AMBER Alert, and highway cleanups. Although the NSM has chapters and members in every region of the United States, most of its members live in the Midwest, specifically in the States of Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota; Missouri and Illinois have also seen growth in 2008. Although NSM membership has grown into the hundreds, leadership remains in the hands of several dozen dedicated members. The leadership maintains the life and impact of the NSM through organizing events, meetings, recruiting, publishing newsletters, and maintaining dedicated Web sites. Two tables list NSM events by month for 2006 and 2007.