Apart from British National party (BNP), English Defence League & Britain First, a number of individuals have also had their accounts removed, including BNP's former chairman Nick Griffin, Britain First's leader Paul Golding and former deputy leader Jayda Fransen; EDL's Paul Ray, right-wing activist Jim Dowson, the National Front leader, Tony Martin; and former spokesperson for National Action Jack Renshaw.
Facebook explained the ban by referring to its guidelines:
"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," the social network added in a statement.
The English Defence League and Britain First prioritize British national interests and traditions, while opposing "global Islamification" and "oppose all trends that threaten the integrity of the Union [of the UK]".
Facebook and Instagram accounts of EDL's founder, Tommy Robinson, were also shut down earlier this year, for repeatedly breaking the sites' policies on hate speech, the social network has announced, according to Facebook.
