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

[Magnus McGinty]

Is that how you do your skiving?

We’re the labourers polishing your floor? Come on.

 

[Red Sky]

We’re the labourers polishing your floor? Come on.

My throne, if it makes you happy.

 

[LDC]

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

Will listen to that and might like to get them up to Leeds to give the talk here too, will PM you.

 

[DaveCinzano]

I've had a few issues with them/him/her on Twitter

This will likely be our epitaph

 

[The39thStep]

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

touches nose and winks

 

[krink]

It's a very interesting idea and I've subscribed. Need someone to tweak the audio of the talk because it was quite hard to understand on speakers (haven't tried via headphones yet).

 

[killer b]

Will listen to that and might like to get them up to Leeds to give the talk here too, will PM you.

Joe Reilly posts here I think, you should PM him directly...

 

[steeplejack]

It's been a while since this chap was seen on the boards (a regular feature in threads as the pilotless Trot drones did political aerobatics on here during 2003-5; cliffite, rebel warrior, fishergate, et al)

Red Action's finest contribution to the admittedly minor sub genre of cartoons lampooning Trotskyites.

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Se the above ^^ in action here in 2010

 

[The39thStep]

It's been a while since this chap was seen on the boards (a regular feature in threads as the pilotless Trot drones did political aerobatics on here during 2003-5; cliffite, rebel warrior, fishergate, et al)

Red Action's finest contribution to the admittedly minor sub genre of cartoons lampooning Trotskyites.

​

​

Se the above ^^ in action here in 2010

dont forget Cockneyrebel

 

[steeplejack]

"frats comrade

Resistance MP3"

 

[The39thStep]

At one time it was estimated that !0% of Workers Power posted on here

 

[steeplejack]

excluding Mitch PIleggi who had fissured the revolutionary milieu in Darlington by that stage

 

[cantsin]

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.

Yr a weird one

 

[cantsin]

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

V listenable ( unsurprisingly )

 

[Red Sky]

Yr a weird one

Bit unnecessary.

 

[The39thStep]

excluding Mitch PIleggi who had fissured the revolutionary milieu in Darlington by that stage

LOL. I had forgoten all about him .

 

[Fedayn]

At one time it was estimated that !0% of Workers Power posted on here

And 1% on Newsnight.....

 

[belboid]

And 1% on Newsnight.....

You're exaggerating their membership, there. At least 2%

 

[Joe Reilly]

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.

As an analysis that's about as useful as the self-described anti-fascists who continue to speculate on 'AFA's collapse'. In both cases the impact on the opposition and how they responded is regarded as irrelevant. it is a pretend sophistication that simply denies the existence of the enemy.

 

[Joe Reilly]

And when the far right adopt a twin (or even triple) track strategy?

If they are already winning in the electoral arena why would they bother?

 

[Red Sky]

If they are already winning in the electoral arena why would they bother?

In the U.K at least they're not. So we're seeing a street and cultural movement. The last TR thing in London was an attempt to convert those into an electoral movement with pretty much every speaker urging those assembled to get involved with the UKIP party machine. The crowd weren't that enthused about the idea though.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

As an analysis that's about as useful as the self-described anti-fascists who continue to speculate on 'AFA's collapse'. In both cases the impact on the opposition and how they responded is regarded as irrelevant. it is a pretend sophistication that simply denies the existence of the enemy.

Please, do go on. I’m looking forward to your attempt to rewrite the history of the IWCA as a series of strategic successes culminating in the final glorious establishment of a local running club. No doubt it was a shrewd tactical move to confuse the enemy by withering away to nothing.

 

[The39thStep]

Aside from the odd march ( and the fash element has been in the minority on them) is there anyother evidence about a street movement? The other issue is that there isn't any leadership at present to direct a street movement or even to manage behaviour on the demos. You would have thought that after the Robinson/Trump march that the Cambridge one would have been supported or that an organised street movemnt would have at least had a go but it was a flop.

 

[Red Sky]

Aside from the odd march ( and the fash element has been in the minority on them) is there anyother evidence about a street movement? The other issue is that there isn't any leadership at present to direct a street movement or even to manage behaviour on the demos. You would have thought that after the Robinson/Trump march that the Cambridge one would have been supported or that an organised street movemnt would have at least had a go but it was a flop.

There's been these three large demos in Central London. The Cambridge thing was a local initiative and a flop. The leadership such as it is seem to have decided not to repeat the structure of the EDL with its autonomous ROs (regional officers).

 

[The39thStep]

There's been these three large demos in Central London. The Cambridge thing was a local initiative and a flop. The leadership such as it is seem to have decided not to repeat the structure of the EDL with its autonomous ROs (regional officers).

I'm not convinced that there is any meaningful overall real leadership or structure. Btw have you read briefing on the far right by rs21 ? (I only have because a friend of mine who has a son at some University sent the link to me.
After 9 June: on labelling fascists

 

[Joe Reilly]

Seeing as we're currently witnessing the biggest far-right street protests in many decades, alongside the collapse of both the BNP and UKIP, I don't think things have turned out quite as predicted by AFA leadership at the time.

Look at Europe and the AFA prediction is playing out almost exactly as forecast. But all that to one side, let's assume for the sake of argument that every member of the thousands of FLA and the Free Tommy Brigade and so on are all dyed in the wool fascists, what then?

Whats the plan?

 

[Joe Reilly]

In the U.K at least they're not.

Not yet.

 

[Joe Reilly]

Please, do go on. I’m looking forward to your attempt to rewrite the history of the IWCA as a series of strategic successes culminating in the final glorious establishment of a local running club. No doubt it was a shrewd tactical move to confuse the enemy by withering away to nothing.

Your the one zealously re-writing history. Attempting to paint the IWCA as a laughable is fairly absurd when you consider how your Trot fellow travellers fared when they ever they stood against it.

In the local elections in 2006 the IWCA candidate came pretty close to securing a seat in Clerkenwell, even though it was 40% gentrified already. Across two wards there the IWCA candidates (half recruited locally) took approx 3,000 votes. At the time the IWCA was still looking to expand from its base in Blackbird Leys. Nevertheless a line was drawn under the pilot scheme strategy at a national level later that year. There never was any ''withering away'. The plug was pulled partly to avoid giving its many enemies that satisfaction.

But naturally, more than a decade on, they/you are running with the 'inevitable demise' storyline anyway.

25 years after driving the far-right from the streets for a generation we are still reading about AFA's "collapse" for the same reason. Revisionism.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

Please, do go on. I’m looking forward to your attempt to rewrite the history of the IWCA as a series of strategic successes culminating in the final glorious establishment of a local running club. No doubt it was a shrewd tactical move to confuse the enemy by withering away to nothing.

In the last five years I reckon you’ve posted this, or something similar about the IWCA, about 20 times. Every single time ending in a sneering attack on a community run project. A project which has encompassed sport, cinema, day trips, working class history events, anti drug dealer activities, an effective challenge to the miserable complacent labourism that’s done fuck all for the people who live on Blackbird Leys and much much more. All of it achieved by working class activists who are from the estate.

And every time you belittle it as the actions of wankers who a) are defeated and b) are inferior to your superior politics which, of course, have led precisely nowhere.

I think we all know who the wanker is.

 

[RD2003]

In the last five years I reckon you’ve posted this, or something similar about the IWCA, about 20 times. Every single time ending in a sneering attack on a community run project. A project which has encompassed sport, cinema, day trips, working class history events, anti drug dealer activities, an effective challenge to the miserable complacent labourism that’s done fuck all for the people who live on Blackbird Leys and much much more. All of it achieved by working class activists who are from the estate.

And every time you belittle it as the actions of defeated wankers who a) are defeated and b) are inferior to your superior politics which, of course, have led precisely nowhere.

I think we all know who the wanker is.

Nigel is a real leftie. It isn't what happens that counts-it's whether the rhetoric sounds good.