U.S. Extremists Banned From Entering the U.K.

The BBC reported today that five American right-wing extremists were among 16 individuals banned from entering the United Kingdom since last October for reasons of "fostering extremism or hatred."

According to a new report from the Home Office (the lead U.K. government department for immigration and passports), the five Americans and the reasons they were not allowed into the U.K. were:

• Stephen Donald Black, a.k.a. Don Black, former Alabama Klan leader and creator of the white nationalist online forum Stormfront, banned for “promoting serious criminal activity and fostering hatred that might lead to inter-community violence in the UK.”

• Erich Gliebe, chairman of the neo-Nazi National Alliance, for “engaging in unacceptable behaviour by justifying terrorist violence, provoking others to commit serious crime and fostering racial hatred.”

• Fred Phelps, Sr., and Shirley Phelps Roper, leaders of the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church, for “picket[ing] the funerals of Aids victims and [claiming] the deaths of American soldiers are a punishment for US tolerance of homosexuality.”

• Michael Alan Weiner, a.k.a. Michael Savage, right-wing talk radio host, for “seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred.” The Home Office also noted that Savage’s “views on immigration, Islam, rape and autism have caused great offence in the US.”

Other individuals banned from entering the U.K. in the past six months include Muslim extremists, a Jewish militant and two Russian skinhead gang leaders.