Twelve men linked to the British National Party were released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of distributing racist material in a city centre, police said.
The men were arrested after handing out leaflets on behalf of the BNP at around 12.50pm on Saturday in Whitechapel, Liverpool city centre.
The organiser of the Blackpool and Oldham branches of the far-right party, Roy Goodwin, confirmed 12 members of the party were arrested.
He said: "There was nothing unlawful in the leaflets - all the contents of the leaflets had been carefully vetted, or they would not have gone out."
Merseyside Police said those arrested were: a 29-year-old and a 51-year-old from the Liverpool South area; a 64-year-old from the Wirral area; a 19-year-old; a 46-year-old and a 41-year-old from Liverpool North; a 61-year-old and a 42-year-old from Knowsley; a 70-year-old; a 44-year-old; and a 29-year-old and a 48-year-old from St Helens.
The men were bailed to appear at a police station early in the New Year.
