razor blades under fascist stickers - myth or not?

[kenny g]

Surprised ICF and suchlike didn't make printed razor blades a thing.

 

[hitmouse]

Just spotted this on a FLAF page, which made me laugh:

 

[PTK]

This cropped up again on twitter today as part of a discussion about NF stickers appearing around Camden.

Basically the story goes that one should be very careful when removing fascist stickers from lamp posts, walls, wherever, because they might have razor blades underneath them.

It was suggested that the best thing to do is to carry around your own stickers to put over the fascist ones.

I have to say, I've been removing fash stickers since the mid 80s and my fingers are very much still intact.

Has this ever happened to you, or someone you know?

Yes, in Loughton in the 1970s there was a sticker on a lamp post with a razor blade beneath it. I had heard about this practice, so removed it using a door key.

 

[Larry O'Hara]

Definitely not a myth: both C18 and NA advised razor blades under stickers

 

[MrSki]

This from RMT

 

[DaveCinzano]

This from RMT

DUNTON GREEN

It's a tiny station, between Orpington and Sevenoaks.

 

[maomao]

This from RMT

That's not a razor blade, it's a blade from a stanley knife. Like to see them try and shave with that.

 

[Elpenor]

DUNTON GREEN

It's a tiny station, between Orpington and Sevenoaks.

Shocked, felt that was more of a Knockholt thing

 

[SmoothFinish]

This from RMT

This looks to me like an attempt to deter people from removing the stickers. It even includes a call not to remove the stickers. Just one sticker with a blade is enough to keep people afraid, if it's even real. And then well meaning folk will perpetuate the message.

I wonder if the two stickers in the two pictures are even the same, on the left the sticker is on a beige surface but we can see different colored paint residue (blues and reds) on the sticker on the right.

Use a tool regardless (coin/key/knife/screwdriver/scraper/whatever) and you will be safe and it's also a lot easier.

Thanks to everyone but especially Serge Forward and Pickman's model for their help with this:

Sticking with it: razorblades and anti-fascist folklore - F. Bear

Gwent Police have been instructing people not to remove offensive stickers. They want us to report these items to them instead. I will be ignoring their advice, for three reasons.

libcom.org

What a a great resource, thank you for writing!

 

[AverageJoe]

Just popped up on my Facebook. It's Sevenoaks in Kent.

 

[emanymton]

Just popped up on my Facebook. It's Sevenoaks in Kent.

View attachment 436594

It looks oddly neat to me. Recreated for the photo?

 

[Saul Goodman]

It looks oddly neat to me. Recreated for the photo?

Almost as if the person posting the stickers has staged the photo to dissuade people from removing them.

 

[Pickman's model]

Almost as if the person posting the stickers has staged the photo to dissuade people from removing them.

I know the man who found them, who's a sound anti-fascist - slurs like this do you no favours

 

[Saul Goodman]

I know the man who found them, who's a sound anti-fascist - slurs like this do you no favours

Misreading/misrepresenting my posts does you no favours.

 

[Epona]

I'll make sure to remove any I see with a swiss army knife or waiter's friend rather than my fingers.