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

[Smokeandsteam]

As for 'being around for longer and more consistently', if you want credibility that's massively important. I've seen community activism come and go around here, the last immediately local burst rather foundered when half the group went off to live elsewhere . I felt old and cynical when they suddenly started buzzing around everything- tbh it felt a bit like with the Mormon missionaries that show up every now and then to bring the Word to us vulnerable natives, to save us from our ignorance because we're obviously blank canvasses crying out for our betters to dig us out of our mire- and then they left a year or two later.

Churn is inevitable in any community or workplace.

IME, the key is active engagement. If you have 100 people prepared to help for 30 minutes a week that's better than 10 self appointed leaders going full tilt until they move out/burn out. Speading the work does not ease the burden on the core but it does spread the work and it can develop new key players over time.

The key to active engagement is a) to prioritise active engagement up front and from the start and not after 6 months. The work is for the community but it has to be by the community b) to ensure any action genuinely reflects the concerns of the community by listening to it. This might mean by the way that the priority issues are different to the priorities you have c) to accept the community as you find it and not how you'd like it to be. Both in terms of confidence and experience and also ideas.

 

[LDC]

The work is for the community but it has to be by the community b) to ensure any action genuinely reflects the concerns of the community by listening to it. This might mean by the way that the priority issues are different to the priorities you have c) to accept the community as you find it and not how you'd like it to be. Both in terms of confidence and experience and also ideas.

Largely I agree, but I think groups also shouldn't pretend or hide the fact they have a political agenda. And also to not just try and reflect concerns of the 'community' (or workplace or whatever) but to influence them in useful directions, especially I'm assuming here that people doing the work are living in that area as well. For sure this means being careful of how it's done, but if we just pretend we're there to neutrally 'make things better' or 'help people' then we might as well join a charity.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

Largely I agree, but I think groups also shouldn't pretend or hide the fact they have a political agenda. And also to not just try and reflect concerns of the 'community' (or workplace or whatever) but to influence them in useful directions, especially I'm assuming here that people doing the work are living in that area as well. For sure this means being careful of how it's done, but if we just pretend we're there to neutrally 'make things better' or 'help people' then we might as well join a charity.

Yes I agree, although sometimes the most effective way to make the political point is through doing something and allowing people to learn it for themselves, to see it, to experience it etc.

Also, if the group or whatever isn't living in the area/on the estate/in the workplace then 'influencing' can take on a different hue in my opinion.

 

[Red Sky]

Yes I agree, although sometimes the most effective way to make the political point is through doing something and allowing people to learn it for themselves, to see it, to experience it etc.

Also, if the group or whatever isn't living in the area/on the estate/in the workplace then 'influencing' can take on a different hue in my opinion.

I think this was discussed on another thread but is one of the obstacles to local (revolutionary) community organising not the fact that local government is already in a better position to deliver on any demands.

There's a structure of Local Action Teams, residents associations, community police officers etc etc. Where do we fit in?

 

[chilango]

I think this was discussed on another thread but is one of the obstacles to local (revolutionary) community organising not the fact that local government is already in a better position to deliver on any demands.

There's a structure of Local Action Teams, residents associations, community police officers etc etc. Where do we fit in?

That structure, where it exists - which is far from everywhere, fails. It has repeatedly. And now it's being cut, withdrawn and sold off to churches and charities.

There were always vacuums. They're just getting bigger,wider and deeper.

 

[Red Sky]

That structure, where it exists - which is far from everywhere, fails. It has repeatedly. And now it's being cut, withdrawn and sold off to churches and charities.

There were always vacuums. They're just getting bigger,wider and deeper.

In my experience, where I live, it can work quite well to redress the kind of issues that might come up in a big community meeting e.g dangerous driving, fly tipping , late night noise etc

 

[chilango]

In my experience, where I live, it can work quite well to redress the kind of issues that might come up in a big community meeting e.g dangerous driving, fly tipping , late night noise etc

I don't think that experience is universal. But sure, where communities can and do have concerns addressed by the council, there's less of a space for IWCA initiatives to lose an alternative.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Also I think it's worth pointing out that all of these things will have their own priorities, biases, levels of activity etc.

Sure as shit they can't/won't all be militant pro-working class orgs working at full capacity. And if they were it would simply be case of getting on board and helping anyway.

With Hackney Independent we ended up making good contacts with some TRAs, or just individuals in a given block who might tell us what was happening (or just buzz us in when we needed that).

So you try to work in partnership with people who have their ear to the ground. Your newsletter or website can amplify what the TRA is doing (whether that is shaming the landlord or promoting a social event). You can then maybe use prominent people on the TRA to endorse other things you want to do (which could be a kids' cinema event or a wider campaign like a local election or against some bullshit regen project).

In other areas you might find that a Residents Association is unrepresentative of the wider w/c community so you'd need to take a different approach.

I reluctantly ended up going to a community police meeting once and it was all middle class people with too much time on their hands. Apparently nobody there knew about the issues on my estate at the time. (I mean, like fuck the cops didn't know, they just turned a blind eye to it all).

 

[The39thStep]

I don't think that experience is universal. But sure, where communities can and do have concerns addressed by the council, there's less of a space for IWCA initiatives to lose an alternative.

Or IWCA type group can be the best advocates ?

 

[chilango]

Or IWCA type group can be the best advocates ?

At times, perhaps.

The Greens have that role sewn up round here.

But as cuts bite I'm not sure they'll be able to deliver,

 

[Red Sky]

The only explanation I've heard for the IWCAs trajectory was "lack of resources". It wasn't made clear where those resources were intended to come from.

 

[The39thStep]

The only explanation I've heard for the IWCAs trajectory was "lack of resources". It wasn't made clear where those resources were intended to come from.

Presumably from what was AFA at the time ? After ten fifteen years of activity it was quite understandable that some members were either tired or that some couldn't make the break. AFA was always ambitious .

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Presumably from what was AFA at the time ? After ten fifteen years of activity it was quite understandable that some members were either tired or that some couldn't make the break. AFA was always ambitious .

It’s not just a matter of tiredness. There was plenty of energy around the early IWCA. The problem was that they never found a way to (a) spread local successes to the next estate or ward or town over or (b) recruit people to active ongoing regular involvement faster than the work involved ground down the people who started a local group. So a series of local groups were set up, a lot of unglamorous local activity was carried out, resulting in some very localized electoral support. Then the key people in each local group wore themselves out or slowly dropped out for various reasons and a decade later there was nothing left.

 

[krink]

U OK hun?

 

[The39thStep]

U OK hun?
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I've had a few issues with them/him/her on Twitter

 

[The39thStep]

obviously it is possible to be socially conservative (measured by todays liberal left) , economically left and a good anti fascist

 

[Smokeandsteam]

obviously it is possible to be socially conservative (measured by todays liberal left) , economically left and a good anti fascist

That’s the same place that the bulk of Britain is on measure one and two - although those under 40 are marginally less economically left and marginally less socially conservative- with the third measure contested along cultural (rather than genuine fash/anti fascist) lines.

 

[Red About Town]

Some anti fascism history from a new podcast launched today:

Joe Reilly of Red Action outlines the origins and history of the organisation, from the militant anti-fascist early days in Chapel Market to the Independent Working Class Association (IWCA) and electoral politics. This is from a talk given to the SolStar Sports Association in north London in Spring, 2018.

Cutting Edge No.2 - The Origins of Red Action

 

[The39thStep]

Some anti fascism history from a new podcast launched today:

Joe Reilly of Red Action outlines the origins and history of the organisation, from the militant anti-fascist early days in Chapel Market to the Independent Working Class Association (IWCA) and electoral politics. This is from a talk given to the SolStar Sports Association in north London in Spring, 2018.

Cutting Edge No.2 - The Origins of Red Action

It's a good little initiative this podcast which deserves support

 

[Red About Town]

sure is.

The Cutting edge aims to be a political podcast that acts as an antidote to the prevailing right-wing narratives, especially the divisive ideas that the far-rig...ht peddles in working class communities. We will also occasionally be scrutinising the politics of those who claim to be on 'our side', whether far-left, liberal, or soft-left.

We will develop features as the podcast grows, but from the outset this is not about making cash, or courting fame and notoriety. There is a battle of ideas going on; our part in that battle is to try to advance progressive, common sense, working class politics as a counter to the extremes of identity politics that are promoted by the left and the right.

The podcasts will be relatively short and to the point, there will be views expressed and opinions sought via the responses on social media.

Future shows will be around themes like:

The Politics of the Free Tommy Robinson Movement
Nationalism
The Working Class
Immigration
Fascism & Anti-Fascism
Economics
Identity Politics
Sport & Politics
Religion & Politics
A Republic or A Monarchy?

 

[The39thStep]

sure is.

The Cutting edge aims to be a political podcast that acts as an antidote to the prevailing right-wing narratives, especially the divisive ideas that the far-rig...ht peddles in working class communities. We will also occasionally be scrutinising the politics of those who claim to be on 'our side', whether far-left, liberal, or soft-left.

We will develop features as the podcast grows, but from the outset this is not about making cash, or courting fame and notoriety. There is a battle of ideas going on; our part in that battle is to try to advance progressive, common sense, working class politics as a counter to the extremes of identity politics that are promoted by the left and the right.

The podcasts will be relatively short and to the point, there will be views expressed and opinions sought via the responses on social media.

Future shows will be around themes like:

The Politics of the Free Tommy Robinson Movement
Nationalism
The Working Class
Immigration
Fascism & Anti-Fascism
Economics
Identity Politics
Sport & Politics
Religion & Politics
A Republic or A Monarchy?

if you can find the space do something on both the Iwca sports club and Jim Slaven's project? also SEWorking Class Action

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Just listened to the first episode. Very good.

Worth getting it on iTunes to spread the message wider. (Also easier for me - I can subscribe via the iPhone podcast app and new episodes download to my phone automatically).

 

[Red Sky]

Some anti fascism history from a new podcast launched today:

Joe Reilly of Red Action outlines the origins and history of the organisation, from the militant anti-fascist early days in Chapel Market to the Independent Working Class Association (IWCA) and electoral politics. This is from a talk given to the SolStar Sports Association in north London in Spring, 2018.

Cutting Edge No.2 - The Origins of Red Action

What's the intro music? Dunno about the political content but I think I've found my new ringtone.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

What's the intro music? Dunno about the political content but I think I've found my new ringtone.

It’s the title music from the film The Long Good Friday.

East end gangster, Bob Hoskins, fights a turf war with the IRA whilst tying to court the mafia to help him muscle in on the the regeneration of the docks. Classic of the field

 

[Red Sky]

It’s the title music from the film The Long Good Friday.

East end gangster, Bob Hoskins, fights a turf war with the IRA whilst tying to court the mafia to help him muscle in on the the regeneration of the docks. Classic of the field

Seen that a couple of times. Didn't place the music at all. Fits it perfectly.

(Iirc your post needs a spoiler alert)

 

[The39thStep]

What's the intro music? Dunno about the political content but I think I've found my new ringtone.

good to see that despite having shite politics you know a good tune when you hear one

 

[Red Sky]

good to see that despite having shite politics you know a good tune when you hear one

Played it at work today and a labourer said "Oh yeah Synthwave" , which is apparently a thing now. I don't have the wherewithal to know if he was bullshitting me so kept my silence.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Played it at work today and a labourer said "Oh yeah Synthwave" , which is apparently a thing now. I don't have the wherewithal to know if he was bullshitting me so kept my silence.

Were you busy checking if he’d been in the toilet too long?

 

[Red Sky]

Were you busy checking if he’d been in the toilet too long?

Is that how you do your skiving?

 

[Fedayn]

It’s the title music from the film The Long Good Friday.

East end gangster, Bob Hoskins, fights a turf war with the IRA whilst tying to court the mafia to help him muscle in on the the regeneration of the docks. Classic of the field

The closing scene is perfectly 'framed' by the music.