Luca Benincasa

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26.

January

2023.

Luca Benincasa

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: media@hopenothate.org.uk// 0207 952 1183

The UK's leading anti-fascist organisation HOPE not hate respond to news that Luca Benincasa is the first person to be convicted of belonging to banned white supremacist group the Feuerkrieg Division.

Patrik Hermansson, Senior Researcher at HOPE not hate said:

"We are seeing children as young as 12 being drawn into extreme far-right circles and in some cases organising their own small groups and recruiting their friends.

The barrier of entry has lowered as the groups organise online and recruit via social media meaning young people can be in constant contact in a way they could not before.

However, this isn’t limited to online forums. These chat groups spur on radicalisation with young people urging each other on to take action offline, such as in the case of Luca Benincasa.

There are many overlapping complex explanations for this small but worrying trend. Some young people find an attraction in the extreme and transgressive element of fascism. Societal reasons also play in, feelings of missing out and not getting the same opportunities as previous generations are elevated by the cost of living crisis. The far right provide simple, albeit misdirected, answers.

Importantly far-right groups and ideas gets an increasing amount of space on social media and young people spend more and more time there. In this way isolation post-covid has contributed. Often young people are accessing these groups online without the knowledge of their teachers, family or friends.

At HOPE not hate, we are working to fill that gap. We support teachers, pupils and parents to help them recognise and tackle the signs of hate through education workshops and training."

Notes to Editors:

1. HOPE not hate provide free training and workshops to schools across the UK. You can find out more here: https://hopenothate.org.uk/communities/in-schools/
2. Patrik Hermansson is a leading researcher on the far-right in the UK and internationally. You can read his report on Hitler Youths: The rise of teenage far-right terrorists here: https://bit.ly/3kJE6El
3. HOPE not hate's STATE OF HATE 2022 explores the far-right terror threat in chapter 8
https://hopenothate.org.uk/2022/03/09/state-of-hate-2022-on-the-march-again/

hopenothate.org.uk | @hopenothate

HOPE not hate uses research, education and public engagement to challenge mistrust and racism, and helps to build communities that are inclusive, celebrate shared identities and are resilient to hate.

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