Former BNP leader Nick Griffin one of 12 banned from Facebook and Instagram
Former BNP leader Nick Griffin has been banned from Facebook and Instagram along with a host of far right parties and individuals.
Mr Griffin, from Llanerfyl, near Welshpool, has been banned along with the British National party (BNP), the English Defence League (EDL) and Britain First under its “dangerous individuals and organisations” policy.
The ban, which came into effect on Thursday, extends beyond the groups and individuals specifically cited as hate organisations.
In total 12 individuals have been banned including Mr Griffin, Britain First leader, Paul Golding, and former deputy leader Jayda Fransen; the EDL and Paul Ray of the group; Knights Templar International and the far-right activist Jim Dowson; the National Front and its leader, Tony Martin; and the far-right activist Jack Renshaw, a former spokesperson for the proscribed terrorist organisation National Action.
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In a statement, Facebook said: “Individuals and organisations who spread hate, or attack or call for the exclusion of others on the basis of who they are, have no place on Facebook. Under our dangerous individuals and organisations policy, we ban those who proclaim a violent or hateful mission or are engaged in acts of hate or violence.
“The individuals and organisations we have banned today violate this policy, and they will no longer be allowed a presence on Facebook or Instagram. Posts and other content which expresses praise or support for these figures and groups will also be banned. Our work against organised hate is ongoing and we will continue to review individuals, organisations, pages, groups and content against our community standards.”
Facebook banned Britain first in 2018 for repeated breaches of the site's posting poliices.
The latest bans come two months after Facebook designated the far-right activist Tommy Robinson – whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – as a dangerous individual, deleting his accounts on the site and on Instagram, with YouTube also taking action.
On Twitter, Mr Griffin said: "How much longer before Twitter follow suit? Join me on #Gab and #Telegram and help build the #freespeech resistance."
