Martial arts instructor in Toothill reportedly loses his job for being a member of National Action
A martial arts instructor in Toothill in south west England has reportedly lost his job for being a member of National Action, a deeply antisemitic, violent organisation whose fascist ideology and terrorist operations threaten British society.
National action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in December 2016 following a long campaign by Campaign Against Antisemitism and others. Under section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000, membership of a proscribed terrorist organisation is a criminal offence.
According to the Swindon Advertiser, the man who taught children at Total Martial Arts Premier Academy in Toothill, has now been removed from his post at the academy. The paper understands that he was “closely involved with National Action”.
Wiltshire Police confirmed that the martial arts school recently sent a letter to parents addressing concerns over radicalisation. A spokesperson for the force said: “This letter was issued as part of a long term safeguarding strategy. The investigation is still ongoing and we are unable to comment further.”
A spokesman for Total Martial Arts Premier Academy (TMA) reportedly spoke of the school’s shock. In a statement, the academy said that the instructor was asked to leave TMA as soon as the issue was raised: “We have been co-operating with the police and the local authority in their investigation and in making the decision on how to inform our students. We were shocked and appalled to learn of the potential extremist views held by this individual and had absolutely no idea that they held these views or of their potential involvement in any organisation that share or promote them. We at TMA totally distance ourselves from such views and have no connection to them. We do not condone such ideologies and they couldn’t be further from our culture at TMA.” The spokesman added that they are committed to “the safety and security” of students and stressed their “zero tolerance policy on any behaviour that may promote the wrong image or bring our academy into disrepute.”
The Swindon Advertiser also reported that members of National Action have in the past held secret meetings in Swindon.
Campaign Against Antisemitism welcomes the decision by Total Martial Arts Premier Academy to remove the instructor. This sends a very strong message that antisemitism and hate will not be tolerated by principled employers.
