Who are Scottish Dawn? Banned far-right group profiled

Far-right Scottish Nationalist group Scottish Dawn has been officially outlawed by UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd.

Domestic Terror laws have been used to outlaw Scottish Dawn and NS131, which are believed to be aliases of proscripted neo-Nazi group National Action.

The order, which comes into effect this week, means that becoming a member or promoting support for these organisations will now be an offence punishable by up to ten years in prison.

11 men were recently arrested under the laws on proscripted organisations, who were believed to have been members of National Action, which praised the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox.

Scottish Dawn describes itself in online materials as a ‘new identitarian social movement’ and was formed in 2017.

The broad term of ‘identitarian’ is considered by many a byword for white nationalism, and as used by a number of far-right groups who advocate what they call a preservation of traditional cultures.

In a Google hangout with a far-right Youtube channel, an anonymous member of Scottish Dawn, known only as ‘SD’ says that the group was formed from members of nationalist groups as disparate as UKIP and the Scottish Defence League.

The same online interview saw “SD” describe Scottish Dawn as a Youth Movement, claiming that future generation is being burdened by multiculturalism.

Setting out their stall that only ‘White Europeans’ could claim any form of Scottish identity, Scottish Dawn became infamous shortly after their formation after teaming up with elements of the Scottish Defence League and the National Front to hold an anti-refugee protest in Alloa.

A preview article on the Scottish Dawn website, which is adorned with a Saltire that bears the slogan ‘Blood and Soil’ set out their stall on the issue, claiming the now banned movement was for “true Scots, not new Scots”.

In a podcast with an American alt-right network, anonymous Scottish Dawn representatives claimed that they had no immediate interest in pursuing elected politics, though they said it wasn’t ruled out.

Pressed on their main policies, “SD”, seemingly the titular leader, (mis)quoted Ghandi and urged Scots to ‘be the change you want to see in the world’.

He added: “We need to challenge the modern school of thought, and start to look after our own as a country.”

On Instagram, the group claimed to have been influenced by controversial former SNP leader Arthur Donaldson, who was accused at the height of World War II of being a Nazi Sympathiser.

A picture of Donaldson features prominently on the group’s social channels, and they describe him as “A great inspiration in the establishment of Scottish Dawn.”