Beating the Fascists: The authorised history of Anti-Fascist Action

[The39thStep]

I don't think he was addressing the working class of whatever colour at all. His aim seemed to be to convert others like himself; to alert them to the threat lurking beneath the surface. Diane Abbot for one was not impressed. On This Week she rubbished the programme, "nonsense"; Phillips own motivation, ("a knighthood" might be in the offing) and an Asian broadcaster for the temerity in suggesting that the cultural and religious background of the perps in Rotherham was in any way significant. He was "naive" she sneered. Instead she offered up a very specific set of political circumstances that led to key agencies turning a blind eye. If pressed she would no doubt have come up another set of specific conditions for Rochadale, Bradford. Keighly, Oxford etc where race/religion/culture did not feature at all. It's not likely he will ever convert her, but ironically, in her robust rebuttal she brilliantly confirmed his key point: anti-racism orthodoxy as preached, was very much part of the problem.

I watched it with my partner and step daughter. They have lived all their lives in social housing, my partner has never earnt more than £10k a year and has been a single mother most of her life. None of their family come from any tradition of organised working class so are completely outside the 'left bubble'. My partner was married to an Iraqi for years and her daughter is mixed race. Aside from the language which they said made it hard for them their observations were : Philips 'shocking facts' only confirmed their experiences and what they thought was true anyway, were convinced that you weren't allowed to say various things if you were white and thought immigrants got more benefits and access to housing, liked reducing immigration but treated anyone born here as English, asked if UKIP were for the English why didn't they raise wages, scrap zero hours contracts and put more money into the health service, didn't understand what Blair was drivelling on about, thought the views of residents on Immigration Street were nearer to their own than the people interviewed and asked why there was no one normal was on the programme, stepdaughter asked why wasn't there a party that represented the working class.

 

[malatesta32]

Even though this is a thread that deals with both electoral and street threats from the far right?

to be honest im not sure what this or the EDL thread are supposed to be. i tried to get 1 started but butchers did not approve so that was the end of that.

 

[The39thStep]

Well if you at first don't succeed , try ,try and try again .

 

[Citizen66]

It's a fair point. Butchers raised the criticism that he wanted a new thread as he was tired of this and the EDL one 'hoovering up' all discussion. Then he didn't bother because other people's fault and ran down others trying to do the same as the title was wrong or something. He reminds me a bit of my oh.

 

[SpackleFrog]

Dunno if this is the right place for this but does anyone know much about the French Antifa in the 1980's and whether or not there were that many similarities between them and Anti Fascist Action?

 

[gamerunknown]

There's this documentary.

 

[SpackleFrog]

There's this documentary.

Yeah, was just watching that and wanted to get a better sense of perspective with which to understand it!

 

[Limerick Red]

.

 

[Thunderfist]

.

Ever the man of mystery.

 

[Thunderfist]

What we could do with is a thread about society not fetished by anti-fascism.

?????

 

[Joe Reilly]

Dunno if this is the right place for this but does anyone know much about the French Antifa in the 1980's and whether or not there were that many similarities between them and Anti Fascist Action?

I don't recall hearing anything of them at the time. But if the documentary is anything to go by, any similarities are likely to be one dimensional and superficial.

 

[Patteran]

I don't recall hearing anything of them at the time. But if the documentary is anything to go by, any similarities are likely to be one dimensional and superficial.

Remember the photo that was sent through of French redskins posing with weapons in front of RA graffiti? Was that ever sourced?

 

[Joe Reilly]

Remember the photo that was sent through of French redskins posing with weapons in front of RA graffiti? Was that ever sourced?

If by 'sourced' you mean actual political contact resulting, then not as far as I know. However that they felt they had to cross the channel to find an anti-fascist standard bearer they were comfortable with may tell us a fair bit about the efficacy of physical force anti-fascism in France at the time.

 

[Patteran]

It was a striking image - not every man can look menacing in dungarees.

 

[Limerick Red]

It was a striking image - not every man can look menacing in dungarees.

Afaik and I'm not going to pretend to know alot here, but of the antifa gangs (more part of the Paris gang culture than fronts for political groups) that were around Paris at the time, the prefix red was put on a lot of names of the crews, the internets suggests that one of these crews was called "red action skinheads" , others included "red warriors" "lenin killers" etc. so likely just a coincidence.
One of the geezers in the photo is Julien the drummer from brigada Flores magon, who is a CNT member if were clasping at political affiliations.
From what I know from people in Paris, the antifa skinhead "scene" is very fragmented with different gangs regularly attacking each other, and apparently always rucks between redskins and sharp skins, I guess Paris is just that kinda place and looks like subculture is placed well above politics in priorities.....anyways Tis all anecdotal I could be talking shite!

 

[framed]

Militant Anti-Fascism
A Hundred Years of Resistance

M. Testa (Author)

$14.21

• • Publisher: AK Press
  • Format: Book
  • Binding: pb
  • Pages: 320
  • Released: Apr 14, 2015
  • ISBN-13: 9781849352031

Fascism is not a thing of the past. In this era of crisis and austerity, it is growing even stronger. The question is: How do we stop it?

According to M. Testa, the fight against it must be aggressive and unrelenting. Using a mixture of orthodox history, eyewitness accounts, and unflinching analysis, he makes the case for a resolutely militant anti-fascism, one that gives no quarter and tolerates no excuses. Unlike other partisan accounts of contemporary battles against fascism and ultra-nationalism, Militant Anti-Fascism takes us from proto-fascists in nineteenth-century Austria to modern-day street-fights in London, providing a broad context for its arguments and looking at numerous countries over a longer period of time. The result is both a serious historical study and a story of victory and struggle, past and present, designed to inspire and energize militants.

Lay aside, as M. Testa does, your faith in liberal, legislative, and state-approved approaches to today’s fascist threat. Start by reading this provocative and unapologetic overview of militant anti-fascism and the strategies that have successfully confronted the far right when it has reappeared in its many guises.

M. Testa, undercover anti-fascist blogger, has analyzed the changing fortunes of the British far right since 2009. He has written for the anarchist magazine Freedom and is a member of the Anti-Fascist Network.

 

[Citizen66]

According to M. Testa, the fight against it must be aggressive and unrelenting.

...and talking of 'smashing' the EDL and other inflammatory phrases whilst holding placards is likewise offputting.

 

[malatesta32]

thanks for posting that framed. i didnt think it had been published yet!
'and talking of 'smashing' the EDL and other inflammatory phrases whilst holding placards is likewise offputting.'
i dont think i have ever held a placard in my life.

 

[Joe Reilly]

When the BNP first emerged on the isle of Dogs in the mid 90's, Christine Shawcroft a Labour Councillor played a prominent role in alienating swathes of the working class on the island. Even when she was accused by fellow Labour Party members of egregiously skewing housing allocation to favour Bangladeshis she denounced them as "racists and gangsters". (BTF,p 317)

So when Lutfur Rahman's ('Bangladeshis First Party') was found responsible for pursuing a policy of racialism and gangsterism in Tower Hamlets, a member of Labour's NEC stepped forward in his defence.

"A complete travesty" Christine Shawcroft called the judgement.

 

[Pickman's model]

thanks for posting that framed. i didnt think it had been published yet!
'and talking of 'smashing' the EDL and other inflammatory phrases whilst holding placards is likewise offputting.'
i dont think i have ever held a placard in my life.

you should chamge your tagline to unflinching analysis

 

[belboid]

When the BNP first emerged on the isle of Dogs in the mid 90's, Christine Shawcroft a Labour Councillor played a prominent role in alienating swathes of the working class on the island. Even when she was accused by fellow Labour Party members of egregiously skewing housing allocation to favour Bangladeshis she denounced them as "racists and gangsters". (BTF,p 317)

So when Lutfur Rahman's ('Bangladeshis First Party') was found responsible for pursuing a policy of racialism and gangsterism in Tower Hamlets, a member of Labour's NEC stepped forward in his defence.

"A complete travesty" Christine Shawcroft called the judgement.

Gangsterism? Even the absurd and patently nonsensical judgement doesn't claim that.

Of course, the police found no evidence of criminality - http://www.theguardian.com/society/...r-hamlet-mayor-lutfur-rahman?CMP=share_btn_fb

 

[cesare]

Gangsterism? Even the absurd and patently nonsensical judgement doesn't claim that.

Of course, the police found no evidence of criminality - http://www.theguardian.com/society/...r-hamlet-mayor-lutfur-rahman?CMP=share_btn_fb

A BBC spokesperson said: "We continue to stand by the programme's findings which uncovered serious concerns about the use of public money, which are still being investigated by the government. Our programme did not say there was evidence of criminality. The allegations relate to potentially unlawful expenditure, not to a criminal matter. For the avoidance of doubt, the Metropolitan Police were not investigating allegations made within the Panorama programme, and any such claims are misleading."

 

[belboid]

So, the police don't think there is anything to answer for. Certainly not 'gangsterism'

 

[cesare]

After that Guardian article of a year ago, a lot more has come to light. For example the sale of Old Poplar Town Hall to Dreamstar (an unregistered company controlled by the owner of Rahman's election campaign wesite) for nearly half the amount it was valued at.

The Met is currently deciding whether to carry out a full criminal investigation, so it's misleading to say that the police don't think there is anything to answer for.

Also, the Judgment isn't "absurd and patently nonsensical" and you should note that LR won't be able to appeal on findings of fact.

 

[belboid]

There is nothing new re the Town Hall sale, it was reported well before the guardian article. More old news, that came to nothing.

 

[cesare]

The reason why those four voters picked up the case was *because* the police weren't doing anything to address concerns about LR's behaviour. The police might do now, of course.

 

[belboid]

Or they might not. I'd expect them to wait to see what happens in any possible judicial review.

 

[Joe Reilly]

Gangsterism? Even the absurd and patently nonsensical judgement doesn't claim that.

Of course, the police found no evidence of criminality - http://www.theguardian.com/society/...r-hamlet-mayor-lutfur-rahman?CMP=share_btn_fb

Because if there was 'evidence of criminality' we could all trust the police to be right on it couldn't we?

 

[Pickman's model]

Because if there was 'evidence of criminality' we could all trust the police to be right on it couldn't we?

shurely 'right in on it'

 

[Joe Reilly]

Gangsterism? Even the absurd and patently nonsensical judgement doesn't claim that.

Look at his track record. Among his known associates: fraudsters, sex offenders and similarly unsavoury characters. Even without prohibition (or sharia law) he had all the makings of an early 'Nucky' Thompson!