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Antifa's gift to the BNP

By fighting with police and scaring residents, the militant anti-fascists made the BNP seem the more reasonable group

This July, the militant anti-fascist organisation Antifa were in newspapers around the world because one of its members decapitated a waxwork Adolf Hitler in Berlin's Madame Tussauds. The attention-grabbing stunt was ultimately harmless, but other activities engaged in by the group are - in intention at least - far from benign.

In the middle of August, the British National party held their annual Red, White and Blue festival in Denby, Derbyshire. The UK branch of Antifa who, like their European counterparts advocate the use of violence against neo-Nazis, planned to descend on the event. Postings on internet message boards encouraged people to join their bid to "shut down" the "scumfest". One posting, boasting of Antifa's physical might, declared: "Let them tremble at our wrath."

The local police were so concerned about the threat they posed, they advised Amber Valley Borough Council not to grant the BNP a licence. They added that an 8ft Glastonbury style ring-of-steel fence along with dozens of security guards were needed to stave off trouble. In the face of the police's opposition, the BNP withdrew their licence application. But despite not being allowed to sell alcohol or host live music, the party went ahead with the bash. When the festival kicked off on Saturday, August 16, the prospect of a bloody clash between thousands of BNP members and busloads of hardline anti-fascists seemed a real possibility.

In the event, there was a clash, but it was over in less than 20 minutes and did not involve a single member of the BNP. After emerging from a field dressed in anarchist black and attempting to block the road with objects from farmyards, Antifa were dealt with – severely and quickly – by riot police. Assessed simply against their own aim - that of stopping the festival - the group's expedition to Derbyshire can only be seen as a complete failure. What should be of more concern to Antifa than impotency though, is that their actions served to help their opponents. By fighting with police, taking private property and scaring residents, they gifted the BNP a PR victory by allowing them to seem the more law-abiding and reasonable group.

At the heart of BNP are some extremely unpleasant things, but they are anxious to keep their most unpalatable values behind a facade of normalcy, and even openness. For example, before Antifa arrived, I was given a tour of the festival site and saw, in the party merchandise stall, golliwogs dressed in BNP T-shirts. When our photographer raised his camera towards them however, he was stopped by BNP security. Elsewhere, there were creepy war-grave-style crosses marking victims of "black-on-white race crime", but Nick Griffin had happily posed flipping burgers for the kids, to all appearances the average family man. It is this practised deception that Antifa, in their contrasting lawlessness, help perpetuate.

Some denunciation, outcry and opposition of the BNP is no doubt required. Hopefully Antifa's members now recognise that their approach was ineffective and counter-productive. At the other end of the road from where Antifa were beaten back by baton-wielding police and dog handlers with alsations, a dignified, peaceful protest against the Red, White and Blue Festival was taking place. Members of Unite Against Fascism, Stop the BNP and trade unions held a well-attended march and rally. Next year, I urge Antifa to take off their black bandannas and hoods, put down the missiles, and join them.

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