Introduction

Massachusetts Has a Far Right Problem

Massachusetts has a long and proud tradition of taking the lead in movements for social justice. We also have an unfortunate tradition of being very reluctant to admit that bigotry or far-right groups can exist here. It’s time to sound the alarm: We have a far-right problem.

The Fascists

Our “progressive” state is one of the most active states in the US for Patriot Front, a neo-fascist white nationalist organization that held a military style march through Boston in July. We also have our very own, very active neo-Nazi group, NSC-131 New England. They hold public demonstrations which often lead to violence between Nazis and those who challenge their presence, most recently at an LGBTQ+ event in Jamaica Plain (Boston).

The Reactionaries

Groups like Patriot Front and NSC were once seen as “fringe” but in the post-Trump era they share many beliefs with seemingly mainstream conservatives. Haunting the gray area between conservatism and fascism, “Super Happy Fun America,” uses “oppressed majority” rhetoric as an excuse to hold far-right events and invite nationally-known racist and anti-Semitic figures to Boston, and “Citizens Organized to Restore Rights” brings together the anti-mandate and pro-gun movements with “patriotic” rhetoric similar to that used by white nationalists. Groups like “MA Family Institute” turn public schools into battlegrounds in their attempts to roll back social progress, claiming educators “indoctrinate” children in leftist values, using “sexual explicit material” (which can mean any reference to LGBTQ+ people) to “groom” children for abuse and Critical Race Theory (which can mean any discussion of race or racism) to make white children feel ashamed of their families. Many people assume a Massachusetts Republican is a moderate Republican, but the current MA GOP chair and many of their candidates for office have connections to these reactionary groups.

Who We Are, What We Do, and Why

This site was created by volunteers who research and document far right groups. There are three primary reasons we do this:

  1. Because people in Massachusetts will deny this is a problem here unless it is well-documented.
  2. Because people who could be the target of hate crimes deserve to know if their neighbors, coworkers, or classmates are members of a hate group.
  3. Because we want more people to recognize and share information about these groups to enable flash counter-protests when they demonstrate in public and quick removal of their propaganda.

This is a research and public information website. We are not part of any political organization and we do not organize protests or any other direct action, though we hope to provide useful information for people who do. With a few exceptions that are clearly noted, all the info on the site is OSINT, meaning it comes from publicly-available sources on the internet and can be verified via a link or a screenshot. We are not involved in hacking or infiltration of groups. Nothing on this site is intended to promote or enable violence or illegal activity.

All of our pages are works in progress- feel free to contact us at fashalertma@proton.me with new info or corrections. We will need to verify new info via OSINT before we publish it. Journalists are welcome to contact us if you are covering any of the topics we cover.

Further reading:

It is happening here: Massachusetts has a growing neo-Nazi movement | GBH News

In progressive Massachusetts, a long history of white supremacy | Boston.com

White nationalists increase attempts to recruit in New England – The Boston Globe

Neo-Nazi activity is increasing in Boston. Here’s a timeline of recent events | Boston.com

Text on this site is the property of the authors but you are welcome to re-use it as long as you attribute it to “Fashalert MA” and include a link to this site when possible (CC BY 4.0). We do not own the copyright to any of the photos on this site.

Note about paywalled links: There are not many professional journalists covering far-right groups in MA in depth so we encourage you to buy a subscription if you can afford it. If not, all MA residents can access The Boston Globe and many other publications for free via the Boston Public Library website or your local library’s website.