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

[happie chappie]

There was a notorious clash between the NF and anti-fascists at Hatfield Poly in the late 1970s when the Front came off by far the worst.

http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/gig-and-festival-violence

One of the key anti-fascist organisers on the day was a well known Man United Cockney Red (and RA activist). A top bloke.

Ironically, Nicky Crane was also a Cockney Red from South East London. He had “MUFC” tattooed on his knuckles below his British Movement Kent Branch tattoo.

I sat next to him on a coach going to an away game once and had no idea who he was until afterwards.

 

[barney_pig]

There was a notorious clash between the NF and anti-fascists at Hatfield Poly in the late 1970s when the Front came off by far the worst.

http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/gig-and-festival-violence

One of the key anti-fascist organisers on the day was a well known Man United Cockney Red (and RA activist). A top bloke.

Ironically, Nicky Crane was also a Cockney Red from South East London. He had “MUFC” tattooed on his knuckles below his British Movement Kent Branch tattoo.

I sat next to him on a coach going to an away game once and had no idea who he was until afterwards.

Did he make a pass at you?

 

[bignose1]

err, we queue in this country! where's the rest of the bnp sunderland demo you promised??

Sorry theyll be on soon...scanner went a bit flaky at work

 

[bignose1]

There was a notorious clash between the NF and anti-fascists at Hatfield Poly in the late 1970s when the Front came off by far the worst.

http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/gig-and-festival-violence

One of the key anti-fascist organisers on the day was a well known Man United Cockney Red (and RA activist). A top bloke.

Ironically, Nicky Crane was also a Cockney Red from South East London. He had “MUFC” tattooed on his knuckles below his British Movement Kent Branch tattoo.

I sat next to him on a coach going to an away game once and had no idea who he was until afterwards.

MOF top bloke...does FC United these days and got a book in the pipeline. Thats deffo a revelation about Crane being Man United...never fuckin knew that...

 

[The39thStep]

Not Maloney then, he's a fat fella, AWL fellow traveller but a rather likable fella as it goes. Can't think who you'll be meaning.

John McLoughlin

 

[happie chappie]

MOF top bloke...does FC United these days and got a book in th pipeline. Thats deffo a revelation about Crane being Man United...never fuckin knew that...

MOF is certainly a good bloke and is very highly regarded by older Cockney Reds. His book should be really interesting.

You can just make out Crane’s Man United tattoo on this video if you look carefully at his hand about 27secs in:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e6e__qbL7E

 

[The39thStep]

MOF and me were witnesses for a SWP member ( an ambulance driver at the time, now a barrister) who was arrested on a demonstration. When we got there there was also another kid quite middle class but very nervous who we thought would be a liability. The defence solicitor met with us all and was worried about both MOFs and my antecedant history if asked if we were 'of good character'. Sure enough the prosecution had a right go about whether or not we were seasoned activists with a political grudge and then as the defendant began to look nervous the middle class kid gets in the box tells us in a stuttering voice that he is at Oxford University and then gets absolutely bullied by the prosecution about how he could be sure of what he saw from fifty yards and what he accurately remembered. It all looks a bit glum for our comrade but then the magistrate stepped in and said to the prosecutor ' Are you seriously saying that a man from Trinity cannot see accurately form 50 yards, in my exprience at Trinity scholars had the best eyesight and best memory of all of the University' and promptly dismissed the case.

 

[bignose1]

MOF and me were witnesses for a SWP member ( an ambulance driver at the time, now a barrister) who was arrested on a demonstration. When we got there there was also another kid quite middle class but very nervous who we thought would be a liability. The defence solicitor met with us all and was worried about both MOFs and my antecedant history if asked if we were 'of good character'. Sure enough the prosecution had a right go about whether or not we were seasoned activists with a political grudge and then as the defendant began to look nervous the middle class kid gets in the box tells us in a stuttering voice that he is at Oxford University and then gets absolutely bullied by the prosecution about how he could be sure of what he saw from fifty yards and what he accurately remembered. It all looks a bit glum for our comrade but then the magistrate stepped in and said to the prosecutor ' Are you seriously saying that a man from Trinity cannot see accurately form 50 yards, in my exprience at Trinity scholars had the best eyesight and best memory of all of the University' and promptly dismissed the case.

Oh Ambulance driver turned lawyer.........................barramedic

 

[Smokeandsteam]

Whats going on with the Red Action website?!

IWCA site is also gone now?

 

[Red Storm]

IWCA site is also gone now?

I can get on the IWCA site. Gutted the RA site is gone

 

[Smokeandsteam]

I can get on the IWCA site. Gutted the RA site is gone

I can't, I just get links to the other sites -
http://www.iwca.info/

Tried via Google too.

Agree re RA site but perhaps its just being moved as part of the long trailed move to put the back issues up?

 

[Red Storm]

I can't, I just get links to the other sites -
http://www.iwca.info/

Tried via Google too.

Agree re RA site but perhaps its just being moved as part of the long trailed move to put the back issues up?

I can still get on it using that link and via google

Perhaps.

 

[past caring]

John McLoughlin

That's him.

 

[malatesta32]

MOF top bloke...does FC United these days and got a book in the pipeline. Thats deffo a revelation about Crane being Man United...never fuckin knew that...

any details on the book? publisher? shd be a good resource.

 

[malatesta32]

nice!
http://www.anti-fascists-online.com/2012/02/anti-fascist-archive.html

 

[malatesta32]

http://antifascistarchive.com/2012/02/14/427/

^^^ Violence with Violence

Ta daaaaaaa

If anyone wants a DVD of it, PM me.

whats with that bit about the geezer in profile 'fearing reprisals from the ANL'? i mean, come on man!

 

[malatesta32]

about 15 mins in on the bit about the away team, just at the end of the clip, a wee lassie sneaks in a gets a sneaky boot at some tarmac'd tearaway!

 

[intersol32]

whats with that bit about the geezer in profile 'fearing reprisals from the ANL'? i mean, come on man!

Viewing the WIA documentary again, it's certainly reflective of the atmosphere at the time. The response by the mainstream left (and obviously the state, occasionally in cahoots with the former) against any kind of militant anti-fascism was palpable ("...an excuse for violence", "willing to use violent tactics" ad infinitum). It wouldn't have been difficult to find an individual who falsely claimed that the ANL were organizing on a physical force level. As ridiculous as that may sound. There will always be the occasional oddball or Walter Mitty type hanging around any political group, they're also the ones who appear most willing to talk to the press (or the cops) once they get told to fuck off.

Thankfully, the AFA and RA folks interviewed come across as the most articulate. I cringed again when I saw the guy from (Panther uk?) with the Malcolm X type fur hat.

 

[intersol32]

about 15 mins in on the bit about the away team, just at the end of the clip, a wee lassie sneaks in a gets a sneaky boot at some tarmac'd tearaway!

Yeah. That bit always makes me laugh. Also the floored fash having a copper stood over him whilst some fella aims a few kicks round the cops legs.

The "away team" was also primarily a load of bollocks of course, and likely to be fished from some unnamed individual source.

 

[Joe Reilly]

MOF is certainly a good bloke and is very highly regarded by older Cockney Reds. His book should be really interesting.

You can just make out Crane’s Man United tattoo on this video if you look carefully at his hand about 27secs in:

[URL='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e6e__qbL7E[/quote']http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e6e__qbL7E[/URL]

Love the bit where he say's he 'was 'building up quite a violent reputation'. An understatment if I ever heard one.

 

[malatesta32]

the doco attempts to conflate anti-racism and anti-fascism. the ARA were against racism, AFA against fascism and fascism includes racism, homophobia, marching to crap music and lots of other stuff. it was not about 'fighting for' asian/black victims but against fascists. the doco is also, as i think joe pointed out, promoting an anti-extermism agenda whether left or right.

 

[malatesta32]

joe, is this guy one of 'ours'?
http://antifascistarchive.com/2012/02/01/battle-of-waterloo/#wpcom-carousel-128

 

[Red Storm]

joe, is this guy one of 'ours'?
http://antifascistarchive.com/2012/02/01/battle-of-waterloo/#wpcom-carousel-128

He's AFA (the skinhead being attacked) I've been told. He's the one where loads of people are trying to land punches but he's dodging the majority. Just after the AFA chap with long hair and glasses runs away on the video clip.

http://antifascistarchive.com/literature/ Been sent 3 new leaflets too. Still need to credit the persons.

 

[Red Storm]

Thankfully, the AFA and RA folks interviewed come across as the most articulate. I cringed again when I saw the guy from (Panther uk?) with the Malcolm X type fur hat.

Especially when he was from the non-militant wing (although I might have remembered that wrong).

Yeah the two AFA/RA blokes did come across as the best. The YRE blokes hesitated and stammered and the Class War chap came across a bit crap. The ANL guy was articulate but he was ANL.

 

[Fedayn]

I cringed again when I saw the guy from (Panther uk?) with the Malcolm X type fur hat.

That is Graham Campbell, aka Graham Cee, latterly of London now of Glasgow, a rather 'robust' (ie frothing) Sheridanite, Solidarity and SWP? member and generally all round interesting chap.

 

[Joe Reilly]

He's AFA (the skinhead being attacked) I've been told. He's the one where loads of people are trying to land punches but he's dodging the majority. Just after the AFA chap with long hair and glasses runs away on the video clip.

http://antifascistarchive.com/literature/ Been sent 3 new leaflets too. Still need to credit the persons.

Liverpool Dam. A key member in AFA across the North West.

 

[malatesta32]

thanks! i think it may be P?

 

[malatesta32]

and i seem to remember him trading blows on occasion with failed nietzschean joey owens which he forgets to mention in his 'memoir.'

 

[bignose1]

thanks! i think it may be P?

Yep Top guy and so was A from the same area. Owens was pissed off he never got a mention in NR cos he claims he caused us all sorts of problems...he didnt..and fair play to P if he had the better of him....

 

[bignose1]

This is a good ruse...to draw them out...We(local AFA+Searchlight) needed some good shots of Blackpool BNP Organiser. We knew he signed on and what time so we covered over some fash stickers and put some fresh ones up opposite the dole office. We booked into a b & b directly opposite and waited. Bingo...said fash arrives bang on time and starts peeling away..we run off a load of pics..use them to identify him regards some local misdemeaners and he's in the bag. We knew where he lived but it was in a muti storey block so an ID was hard. Ill scan and post the sequence of pics later.

Heres those photos...His name is Dave Blezzard . Blackpool BNP Organiser (1994)