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

[Anudder Oik]

Cool interview.

I never tire of reading stuff like that and all that went on re AFA and also their sharp political perspective on both the fash and the left.

Will be checking back for more links.

Meanwhile, any chance of some elaboration on the role of the women? ie, When, like it says in the interview, they went into enemy territory to get information. That requires a rare quality called audacity and deserves more mention.

Secondly, refering to the book it talks about a falling out at a meeting between AFA and a woman ANL organizer, Julie Waterson, I believe. What was that all about again? I can't reread it for a while as I've lent out the book. Was it political or sectarian?

 

[Riklet]

Really interesting reading that interview, was particularly interested by the responses to the Q about women involved etc. Brave and audacious indeed...

Is this elaborated a lot more on in the book, or not so much?

 

[intersol32]

Cool interview.

I never tire of reading stuff like that and all that went on re AFA and also their sharp political perspective on both the fash and the left.

Will be checking back for more links.

Meanwhile, any chance of some elaboration on the role of the women? ie, When, like it says in the interview, they went into enemy territory to get information. That requires a rare quality called audacity and deserves more mention.

I can assure you that the role of women in AFA wasn't limited to intelligence gathering. There were two women in particular involved in our local group and they definitely put themselves at the physical end on a number of occasions.

I can remember watching one break a glass lucozade bottle* over a Fascist's head when we run up against them in Mansfield one day.

It's true what Gary and Andy assert in the interview regarding their abilities for garnering info etc. The Fash more often than not were blinded by their adherence to an ideology that saw women as "the lesser sex" and (in particular) those on the left to be hairy, dreadlocked aberrations. Therefore by wandering into pubs, dressed up for a night out and chatting to lads at the bar, it meant they could access intelligence in places where male activists couldn't (or wouldn't) go.

I always assumed the concept of camouflage was "to hide in plain sight". Which is why the majority of AFA and Red Action people weren't your usual crusty looking Black Bloc types (aside from not emerging from that background anyway). Stepping off a train platform to go scouting around some town center looking like that, immediately exposed you as a member of the political opposition. Even though there were some very good activists of the hippy type, many of them began to change their appearance out of sheer operational necessity.

One of the advantages of AFA at the time was that the Fash just didn't know where they could be hit from. It meant psychologically they were on the back foot all the time. They could walk into a bar or cafe and not realise that the table full of people sat across from them were political opponents until they felt the chairs crashing over their heads.

As an example, one of my first times out around Leeds as an AFA member I remember being sat in a pub and two middle aged businessmen came walking in (newspapers, briefcases, suit and ties) and my colleague excused himself to go and talk to them. When he came back I asked "who the hell are those guys?" and he replied "oh don't worry, they're our scouts". I thought to myself "fuck me, these lot don't mess about."

 

[intersol32]

Note* - Glass Lucozade bottles were a weapon of choice in those days due to the textured grip on the neck, and the glass itself being quite thick. A couple of us had even toyed with the idea of doing an "AFA: Sponsored by Lucozade" type T-Shirt at one point.

 

[Pickman's model]

Note* - Glass Lucozade bottles were a weapon of choice in those days due to the textured grip on the neck, and the glass itself being quite thick. A couple of us had even toyed with the idea of doing an "AFA: Sponsored by Lucozade" type T-Shirt at one point.

i remember going down bethnal green years back and a load of us were searched round the back of york hall. the copper searching me was rather surprised to discover we all had the famous bottles with us cue a short conversation:

cop: why do you have half a bottle of lucozade on you?
me: i was a bit thirsty and saving a bit for later
cop: so you weren't going to use it the wrong way?
me: eh? the wrong way? what's that then? it's a drink, i drink it.

 

[bignose1]

dont bin it for fex sake!

No problems....

 

[miktheword]

 

[Red Storm]

View attachment 16011

Oh shit. I want one of them t-shirts!

If anyone is up for selling one PM me!

 

[Fedayn]

View attachment 16011

Want one....

 

[gawkrodger]

I'd be up for re-printing them and donating all profits to the IWCA

 

[Red Storm]

I'd be up for re-printing them and donating all profits to the IWCA

I'd be up for buying one if reprinting them is cool with the IWCA.

 

[DaveCinzano]

FYI:

Just found an early 1995 article on the Independent website entitled CHARGE OF THE NEW RED BRIGADE, written by Matt Seaton in the wake of the Taylor/Hayes convictions the previous year.

By global standards, 20th-century Britain has been remarkably free from political violence. Red Action hope to change all that. Angry, ruthless and close to the IRA, they preach socialism through terror

What an introduction!

And here's one by Nick Ryan from 1998, just after the Sargent/Cross convictions, with the slightly less hysterical title of Combat 18: Memoirs of a streetfighting man.

 

[Red Storm]

FYI:

Just found an early 1995 article on the Independent website entitled CHARGE OF THE NEW RED BRIGADE, written by Matt Seaton in the wake of the Taylor/Hayes convictions the previous year.

What an introduction!

And here's one by Nick Ryan from 1998, just after the Sargent/Cross convictions, with the slightly less hysterical title of Combat 18: Memoirs of a streetfighting man.

The first article is on the Red Action website.

 

[DaveCinzano]

The first article is on the Red Action website.

Ah yes, so I see - and infinitely better formatted than on the Indy's as well!

 

[Smokeandsteam]

I'd be up for re-printing them and donating all profits to the IWCA

I'd buy at least one

 

[ayatollah]

i remember going down bethnal green years back and a load of us were searched round the back of york hall. the copper searching me was rather surprised to discover we all had the famous bottles with us cue a short conversation:

cop: why do you have half a bottle of lucozade on you?
me: i was a bit thirsty and saving a bit for later
cop: so you weren't going to use it the wrong way?
me: eh? the wrong way? what's that then? it's a drink, i drink it.

Yes I too remember the strange liking we all had for this beverage, or really any thick glass bottle, on anti fascist events. I too also remember being stopped by a cop on one such event . He looked suspiciously at the bottle in my plastic carrier bag.. opened it.. sniffed it ... NOT petrol... hmmm... demanded I emptied it out on the spot. Then he just said "mind how you go sonny jim" ... and I tootled off , still with the , now empty, but perfectly servicable bottle. Bit lacking in judgement sometimes the cops !

 

[krink]

Found this via a blog link on the B&H gig thread. It's from the first and last big venture BNP had in sunderland. Taken in 1992 I think. They called a national demo and there was maybe 40 of them and loads more antis. This was the first anti-fascist thing I went to since the mid 80s and it was great to see them literally run away from the assorted crowd of locals/anl/other lefties etc who were being very vocal about wanting to bash the stupid nazis to fuck. I remember the non-political mates I was with found it a right laugh giving the boneheads loads of stick. Odd factoid - one of the people in the rather militant anti-fascist crowd that day is now the leader of sunderland council Paul Watson. Shame he's a full-on Labour bod now.

 

[Red Storm]

View attachment 16032

Cool pic.

 

[krink]

Cool pic.

indeed, wish it was mine!

 

[bignose1]

Found this via a blog link on the B&H gig thread. It's from the first and last big venture BNP had in sunderland. Taken in 1992 I think. They called a national demo and there was maybe 40 of them and loads more antis. This was the first anti-fascist thing I went to since the mid 80s and it was great to see them literally run away from the assorted crowd of locals/anl/other lefties etc who were being very vocal about wanting to bash the stupid nazis to fuck. I remember the non-political mates I was with found it a right laugh giving the boneheads loads of stick. Odd factoid - one of the people in the rather militant anti-fascist crowd that day is now the leader of sunderland council Paul Watson. Shame he's a full-on Labour bod now.

View attachment 16032

Ive got 40 big black and white photos of this event.....some of the characters featured would make great extras in a Fraggle Rock movie..One in particular is hilarious...Ill try and upload it tomorrow..

 

[bignose1]

Heres some of those photos from that demo

 

[malatesta32]

the orangu-fash in full voice. remarkable!

 

[krink]

Ive got 40 big black and white photos of this event.....some of the characters featured would make great extras in a Fraggle Rock movie..One in particular is hilarious...Ill try and upload it tomorrow..

They are excellent and it also reminds me how town used to look - I'd forgot about victoria wines being there

Would love to see the whole set if possible though you need to re-label them...newcastle indeed it's all in glorious Sunderland!!

 

[bignose1]

They are excellent and it also reminds me how town used to look - I'd forgot about victoria wines being there

Would love to see the whole set if possible though you need to re-label them...newcastle indeed it's all in glorious Sunderland!!

Aghhhh sorry will correct. Its just that during that period I was up int North East quite a lot. I know how touchy people are up there about mis-labelling. Its akin to a Manc being called a Scouser....also as Ive said earlier I do fancy the skin girl look..not in a fetish way( I dont think..well I havnt looked!) Those two in the pictures might stretch it a bit..think one is Kath Murphy and.....is the other Janet Appleyard?. In fact I ve just had another look and theres three of them.....and they all look related-ish...mmmm

 

[The39thStep]

Aghhhh sorry will correct. Its just that during that period I was up int North East quite a lot. I know how touchy people are up there about mis-labelling. Its akin to a Manc being called a Scouser....also as Ive said earlier I do fancy the skin girl look..not in a fetish way( I dont think..well I havnt looked!) Those two in the pictures might stretch it a bit..think one is Kath Murphy and.....is the other Janet Appleyard?. In fact I ve just had another look and theres three of them.....and they all look related-ish...mmmm

weren't you banged up with one of the North East's finest; Kev Turner ?

 

[bignose1]

weren't you banged up with one of the North East's finest; Kev Turner ?

Yes...and Ive got a photo of him when he was quite young..looks like a studio shot...maybe he was doing glamour..Ill dig it out..still an ugly twat though..

 

[krink]

kev turner - the daft twat is still lurking about he turned up as one of those happy-hardcore rave djs.

 

[bignose1]

kev turner - the daft twat is still lurking about he turned up as one of those happy-hardcore rave djs.

Hasnt he yo-yo'd between rave and nazirock for quite a while..last I heard he was back doing (and badly) the racist shite...excuse me if I say it and most pointers would say Im wrong (tattoos on face for one) but he is quite an intelligent and reasonably articulate twat...but that counts for nowt I suppose when you look back as I suppose theres fuck all clever in following an ideology thats been twatted pretty much all over the show....oh eck Franco hung about a bit and Muckerlini did a 20 spot..well you know what I mean....

 

[krink]

yes, he's still with skullhead mk2 who are not racist or nazis, honest guv. I mean, you'd at least change the name of the band...oh and he says he is a Buddhist now too. Oddly enough I was watching a band a few weeks back featuring Spin who was in skullhead but he has publicly renounced his past.

 

[bignose1]

yes, he's still with skullhead mk2 who are not racist or nazis, honest guv. I mean, you'd at least change the name of the band...oh and he says he is a Buddhist now too. Oddly enough I was watching a band a few weeks back featuring Spin who was in skullhead but he has publicly renounced his past.

That would be one hell of a rep to shake off...I mean who would go to their gigs now...sounds pretty schizoid