The Nationalist Social Club (NSC-131), a fringe group known for xenophobic protests, is gaining strength in Massachusetts. Rising discontent has allowed this organization to begin influencing mainstream discourse. Originally, they only targeted drag queen story hour events but have since extended their protests to emergency shelters for migrants. The escalating presence of NSC-131 on the South Shore demands an alert law enforcement.
A report by the Boston Globe describes NSC-131 as an extremist organization functioning in New England. The group, founded by Chris Hood in 2019, consists of 30 to 40 members, including former military personnel. Recently, state-contracted hotels and motels providing asylum for immigrants has been the primary focus of their protests.
NSC-131 uses alarming rhetoric to portray these sheltering families as invaders. Another Boston Globe op-ed reveals that the group's recent demonstrations, propagated on their messaging app Telegram, are gaining media attention which adds approximately 6,500 subscribers to its ranks.
As part of the group's expansion plan, fliers from NSC-131 have been found in several Plymouth communities. These fliers, uncovered by the Plymouth Police Department and reported by The Patriot Ledger, advertise the organization as a pro-white street-oriented fraternity which shows explicit efforts to recruit new members.
An article on WBUR dating back to September states that NSC-131 has targeted various state-run hotels in Marlborough and Woburn, sheltering immigrant families, which includes communities from Haiti. Their fearful actions have deeply disturbed these families; causing one mother, who wished to be referred to as Marie, to confine her children indoors.
Responding quickly to mitigate the growing hostility of the NSC-131 is of paramount importance. The Plymouth police have taken promising steps by collaborating with federal partners to investigate the group's activities.
