American Friends of the British National Party
Encyclopedia
American Friends of the British National Party (sometimes abbreviated as AFBNP) was a political activist group founded by British far right expatriate
Mark Cotterill
in January 1999 that facilitated financial assistance for the British National Party
(BNP) from American
supporters. It also fostered links between far right groups and individuals in the United States
and the United Kingdom
. According to BNP Chairman Nick Griffin
, the group made a "significant contribution to the BNP's [2001] general election campaign". The group disbanded after legal attacks from the Southern Poverty Law Center
in 2001.
for much of its history. Nick Griffin
and party figure Richard Barnbrook
attended meetings to give support and to connect with American far right activists. In an April 2000 seminar in Texas, Griffin
met with David Duke
, Samuel T. Francis, Kirk Lyons, chairman of Southern Legal Resource Center
and Roy Armstrong, a member of the National Democratic Party of Germany
. He gave a speech in which he said, "[t]he BNP isn't about selling out its ideas, which are your ideas too, but we are determined to sell them. And that means basically to use saleable words — freedom, security, identity, democracy... So instead of talking about racial purity, we talk about identity.” " He met with Don Black in another meeting.
Issues advocated by the AFBNP included opposition to the NATO's intervention in the former Yugoslavia and the importance of "pan-Aryan" internationalism. Members of far right movements such as the Christian Identity
, the Council of Conservative Citizens
, American neo-Nazism, and various neo-confederate groups
participated in their meetings. The AFBNP also published a bimonthly magazine called Heritage and Destiny. In fall 2000, it attempted to gain influence within state chapters of the American Reform Party
, but it was unsuccessful.
On November 7, 2002, the Immigration and Naturalization Service
prevented Cotterill
from re-entering the country, saying that he lied about his initial reasons for coming in 1999 and summarily violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act
. Cotterill
stated that he would modify the organization into the "Overseas Friends of the British National Party". However, the group has since essentially folded.
White supremacist and anti-Semite James W. von Brunn was a member of the AFBNP in its short history, and he said that he met Nick Griffin twice through its connections. Brunn committed the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum shooting
, in which museum guard Stephen Tyrone Johns was murdered. A BNP spokesperson later said that the party had "never heard of" Brunn.
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
Mark Cotterill
Mark Cotterill
Mark Adrian Cotterill is a far right political figure who has been involved in a number of movements throughout his career...
in January 1999 that facilitated financial assistance for the British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
(BNP) from American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
supporters. It also fostered links between far right groups and individuals in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. According to BNP Chairman Nick Griffin
Nick Griffin
Nicholas John "Nick" Griffin is a British politician, chairman of the British National Party and Member of the European Parliament for North West England....
, the group made a "significant contribution to the BNP's [2001] general election campaign". The group disbanded after legal attacks from the Southern Poverty Law Center
Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is an American nonprofit civil rights organization noted for its legal victories against white supremacist groups; legal representation for victims of hate groups; monitoring of alleged hate groups, militias and extremist organizations; and educational programs that...
in 2001.
History and activities
It operated out of a small apartment in Falls Church, VirginiaFalls Church, Virginia
The City of Falls Church is an independent city in Virginia, United States, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The city population was 12,332 in 2010, up from 10,377 in 2000. Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Anglican parish, Falls Church gained township status within...
for much of its history. Nick Griffin
Nick Griffin
Nicholas John "Nick" Griffin is a British politician, chairman of the British National Party and Member of the European Parliament for North West England....
and party figure Richard Barnbrook
Richard Barnbrook
Richard John Barnbrook is a British politician and member of the London Assembly. Having been elected as a British National Party candidate, he resigned the BNP whip in August 2010. Barnbrook was a councillor, and leader , then deputy leader , of the BNP group on Barking and Dagenham London...
attended meetings to give support and to connect with American far right activists. In an April 2000 seminar in Texas, Griffin
Nick Griffin
Nicholas John "Nick" Griffin is a British politician, chairman of the British National Party and Member of the European Parliament for North West England....
met with David Duke
David Duke
David Ernest Duke is a former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan an American activist and writer, and former Republican Louisiana State Representative. He was also a former candidate in the Republican presidential primaries in 1992, and in the Democratic presidential primaries in...
, Samuel T. Francis, Kirk Lyons, chairman of Southern Legal Resource Center
Southern Legal Resource Center
The Southern Legal Resource Center, Inc. is a South Carolina non-profit public law corporation which offers legal support to defend what they see as First Amendment violations, violation of civil rights, or discrimination of advocates of Southern Heritage.-History:The SLRC was founded in 1995 by a...
and Roy Armstrong, a member of the National Democratic Party of Germany
National Democratic Party of Germany
The National Democratic Party of Germany – The People's Union , is a far right German nationalist party. It was founded in 1964 a successor to the German Reich Party . Party statements self-identify as Germany's "only significant patriotic force"...
. He gave a speech in which he said, "[t]he BNP isn't about selling out its ideas, which are your ideas too, but we are determined to sell them. And that means basically to use saleable words — freedom, security, identity, democracy... So instead of talking about racial purity, we talk about identity.” " He met with Don Black in another meeting.
Issues advocated by the AFBNP included opposition to the NATO's intervention in the former Yugoslavia and the importance of "pan-Aryan" internationalism. Members of far right movements such as the Christian Identity
Christian Identity
Christian Identity is a label applied to a wide variety of loosely affiliated believers and churches with a racialized theology. Many promote a Eurocentric interpretation of Christianity.According to Chester L...
, the Council of Conservative Citizens
Council of Conservative Citizens
The Council of Conservative Citizens is an American political organization that supports a large variety of conservative and paleoconservative causes in addition to white nationalism, and white separatism...
, American neo-Nazism, and various neo-confederate groups
Neo-confederate
Neo-Confederate is a term used by some academics and political activists to describe the views of various groups and individuals who have a positive belief system concerning the historical experience of the Confederate States of America, the Southern secession, and the Southern United...
participated in their meetings. The AFBNP also published a bimonthly magazine called Heritage and Destiny. In fall 2000, it attempted to gain influence within state chapters of the American Reform Party
American Reform Party
The American Reform Party is a minor political party in the United States that was formed in a factional split from the larger Reform Party of the United States in October 1997...
, but it was unsuccessful.
On November 7, 2002, the Immigration and Naturalization Service
Immigration and Naturalization Service
The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service , now referred to as Legacy INS, ceased to exist under that name on March 1, 2003, when most of its functions were transferred from the Department of Justice to three new components within the newly created Department of Homeland Security, as...
prevented Cotterill
Mark Cotterill
Mark Adrian Cotterill is a far right political figure who has been involved in a number of movements throughout his career...
from re-entering the country, saying that he lied about his initial reasons for coming in 1999 and summarily violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act
Foreign Agents Registration Act
The Foreign Agents Registration Act is a United States law passed in 1938 requiring that agents representing the interests of foreign powers be properly identified to the American public. The act was passed in response to German propaganda in the lead-up to World War II...
. Cotterill
Mark Cotterill
Mark Adrian Cotterill is a far right political figure who has been involved in a number of movements throughout his career...
stated that he would modify the organization into the "Overseas Friends of the British National Party". However, the group has since essentially folded.
White supremacist and anti-Semite James W. von Brunn was a member of the AFBNP in its short history, and he said that he met Nick Griffin twice through its connections. Brunn committed the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum shooting
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum shooting
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum shooting was a shooting at that nation's memorial to The Holocaust in Washington, D.C. on June 10, 2009, at 12:50 p.m. Security guard Stephen Tyrone Johns, 39, was shot, and later died from his injuries. Suspect James Wenneker von Brunn, 88, was charged...
, in which museum guard Stephen Tyrone Johns was murdered. A BNP spokesperson later said that the party had "never heard of" Brunn.
See also
- Umbrella organizationUmbrella organizationAn umbrella organization is an association of institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. In business, political, or other environments, one group, the umbrella organization, provides resources and often an identity to the smaller organizations...
- Organizations affiliated with the British National Party