Racial Volunteer Force
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Racial Volunteer Force (RVF) is a violent neo-Nazi splinter group of the British neo-Nazi group Combat 18 (C18) with close ties to the far right paramilitary group, British Freedom Fighters. Although originating as a breakaway group, the RVF has since re-established links to C18 whilst maintaining a distinct identity.[1] In addition to the United Kingdom, RVF has chapters in the Netherlands and Finland.[2][3]
The RVF emerged in 2002 after a split in C18. The long-established extreme right group had entered a period of severe inactivity under the leadership of Will Browning, leading to a sense of frustration amongst activists keen to reignite activity. As a consequence a group of militants under the leadership of Mark Atkinson, a long-term activist in C18, and John Hill, an Oldham-based organiser, split to establish the RVF as a separate paramilitary organisation.[4]
The RVF claims to be part of an international organisation led by a European Council and states that it aims for unity between all National Socialists and white nationalists (including Combat 18) in an alliance against the supposed Zionist Occupation Government.[5] The group has garnered a reputation for its highly violent nature to the extent that other groups on the fringes of the British far right have sought to avoid being publicly associated with the RVF.[6]
