Monthly Archives: January 2012

Bristol EDL ‘meet and greet’ shambles

“A meeting of the Bristol EDL didn’t get off to a flying start (or any start at all for that matter) as they found 30 militant antifascists waiting for them in the Drawbridge pub on St. Augustine’s Parade last night. Around 10 visibly nervous EDL members turned up and didn’t stay long when they realised they didn’t have many friends in the pub. One was overheard on the phone saying “There’s about 30 of them. They’re big. Don’t come here.” One of the Bristol EDL’s players, Chris Pugh arrived fashionably late (like, an hour and a half late!) and stood on his own by the bar looking sheepish and more than a little bit down in the mouth as anti EDL leaflets were distributed around the pub. 2 hours after the supposed start time of the meeting, with the EDL crowd dispersed, we were happy to agree the job was done.The successful occupation of their meeting place by antifascists prevented the local right wing bigots from meeting up as intended and will not have done much for the confidence and self esteem of an organisation already floundering with infighting and lack of direction. It was clear to all involved that for all their big talk and tough guy image, when faced with serious opposition, the EDL, like most fascist groups, back down quicker than you can say “Where have all the fascists gone?!”

Bristol EDL or any other fascist scum can expect more of the same. Zero tolerance of fascism in our city.

Bristol antifascists.”

from – http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/707295


Fascists confronted in Lisbon, Portugal

On January 21st, a demo against unemployment, austerity measures and the government in Lisbon, Portugal was infiltrated by a small group of fascists.

“It didnt go well for them as anarchists, antifascists and Anonymous confronted them, and then, to our surprise, old people, many of them old enough to have lived through the fascist regime joined in insulting and even kicking the fascists.
In the end they got their flags burned, they kept two flags with their blood wich they now call ‘sacred’ because they have blood shed in the fight for Portugal. ”

 


Anti-fascist news update

London Calling

The far-right English Defence League recently went on another jolly in London, rallying in Barking with a poor turn out yet again. Not content with the days outing, a group of around 20 decided to pay a trip to Whitechapel. After hitting the pubs, the drunken mob assembled outside the East London mosque.

According to one anti-fascist witness “They were there briefly, shouting ‘Allah is a paedo’, then almost straight away one of them got knocked out. Within ten minutes there were three or four hundred locals there ready to confront them. There were also TSG [riot police] all over the shop. The EDL were then all arrested for their own safety” Nice one guys!

Note ambulance crews treating injured EDL member on right of the picture

Back in September, 3 Counties Anti-Fascist Alliance joined a mobilisation against the EDL, who planned (and failed) to march into Tower Hamlets. They have it in their heads that getting pissed up, threatening people and marching mob-handed into areas will heal community tensions and deal with the problem of Islamic extremism. How many more times will they try this before they realise that it doesn’t work?

‘Fighting Talk’

Back issues of anti-fascist magazine, ‘Fighting Talk,’ have finally been made available to read online. ‘Fighting Talk’ was the magazine of the UK-wide militant anti-fascist organisation, Anti-Fascist Action, who are widely credited with driving the National Front, British National Party and other fascist groups away from street-based activism and marches in the 1980s and 1990s.You can view the magazine here.

Ex-AFA activists were recently interviewed by magazine Red Pepper. The extensive interview, covering the history and aims of militant anti-fascism, the origins and the activities of AFA can be read here.

Antifa Hack-Attack

Anti-fascist ‘hacktivists’ affiliated with Anonymous have crippled the websites of neo-Nazi groups, as well as leaking membership lists and individuals personal information. As part of ‘Operation Blitzkrieg,’ 15 websites linked to Germany’s extreme far-right National Democratic Party have been shut down, along with the details of UK customers of neo-Nazi music enterprise, Blood and Honour, and the BNP membership list being released. To view all of the leaks, go to the NaziLeaks website.

From the 32 counties

Anti-Fascist Action Ireland have been busy lately, keeping an eye on visiting fascists, opposing Nick Griffin’s visit to UCD and taking part in speaking tours and commemorations. You can check out the latest issue of their newsletter, ‘In the Area,’ here.

Anti-fascists over there are also organising to oppose a planned visit by Nick Griffin to speak at Cork Uni. We wish our comrades over there every success for spoiling his little visit.


Leeds anti-fascist film festie

Programme

Saturday 4th February

11.00am – Auschwitz – Recollections Of Prisoner No. 1327 – Kazimir Smolen survived four and a half years in the Nazi concentration camp. In this Polish-made documentary, he returns there to tell his tale. Running time 42 minutes.

12.00 Noon – Remembering Auschwitz – A short talk by Javaad Alipoor and Imran Manzoor about the infamous death-camp and their work in taking West Yorkshire teenagers to visit the site.

1.00pm – Conspiracy (15) – The chilling true story of how, at a short conference in Wansee, just outside Berlin, in 1942, the Nazis decided on ‘The Final Solution’ to the European ‘Jewish Problem’. Stars Kenneth Branagh and Stanley Tucci. Running time 92 minutes.

3pm – When The Violins Stopped Playing – A short talk about the Gypsy Holocaust.

3.30pm – Edelweiss Pirates (15) – Politically and culturally the Edelweiss Pirates were the polar opposite of the Hitler Youth. This film focuses on a group of young Edelweiss Pirates in Cologne towards the end of World War Two. In German with English subtitles. Running time 96 minutes.

5.30pm – The 43 Group – Returning home after World War Two, many Jewish ex-servicemen and women were astonished to see Oswald Mosely’s fascists once again trying to stir-up anti-Semitism on the streets. This short film chronicles the militant response of the antifascist 43 Group.

6.00pm – Antifascist recollections from the 1970’s – A short reading.

6.10pm – The Welling Case – A talk about last year’s prosecution of 20 antifascists on trumped-up ‘conspiracy’ charges by one of those acquitted.

6.20pm – Spinach Fer Britain – The 1943 anti-Nazi Popeye cartoon which wasn’t released until 2003.

6.30pm – Laughing At The Enemy – Bod Green tells some of his favourite antifascist jokes, including some genuine 1930’s gems.

7.00pm – The Army Of Crime (15) – The true story of one of the most notorious resistance groups in Nazi-occupied France. In an attempt to discredit them, they were dubbed ‘The Army of Crime’ by the fascists they fought against. French (mainly) with English subtitles. Running time approximately 135 minutes.

Sunday 5th February

12.00 Noon – Land And Freedom (15) – Ken Loach’s inspiring film about the Spanish Civil War, which follows a (fictional) young antifascist volunteer who leaves his native Liverpool to go and fight in Spain. In English and Spanish with English subtitles. Running time 109 minutes.

2.30pm – Living Utopia, The Anarchists & The Spanish Revolution – Juan Gamero’s 1997 documentary, which contains moving and inspiring interviews with 30 survivors of the Spanish Revolution. Regarded by many as the best film of the genre. Spanish with English subtitles. Running time 95 minutes.

4.30pm – The Anarchist Black Cross – A short talk about the work of Leeds ABC.

5.00pm – Pan’s Labrynth (18) – Guillermo Del Toro weaves fairy-tale imagery into this powerful film set in post Civil War Spain. Spanish with English subtitles. Running time 119 minutes.

7.15pm – The Dead Fascist Quiz – What it says on the tin!

7.45pm – To The Barricades! – Javaad Alipoor performs a set of international antifascist songs.


Free Jock Palfreeman

Jock Palfreeman Solidarity Demo. Thursday 15th March 2012. 11am – 2pm. London.

Demonstrate outside the Bulgarian Embassy in solidarity with Jock Palfreeman, the young Australian man who was set up by the Bulgarian police and criminal justice system after he stepped in to stop an attack on a young Roma in December 2007. Jock Palfreeman was sentenced in December 2007 to 20 years in Bulgaria’s notorious Sofia Central Prison.

11am – 2pm. Bulgaria Embassy.
186-188 Queen’s Gate.
London.
SW7 5HL

For more go to the Free Jock website.


Racism at Ross-on-Wye hunt

Lee Peters, huntsman with the Herefordshire-based Ross Harriers hunt, was arrested on Saturday after racially abusing a hunt saboteur who was present to try and stop illegal hunting from taking place.

The Hunt Saboteurs Association said, “As the Harriers left their meet at Penny Farthing, Aston Crews, Mr. Peters shouted racist remarks about a saboteur to other members of the hunt. Fortunately he was overheard by an independent witness who called the police.”

Only weeks ago Alan Morgan of the neighbouring Cotswold Vale Farmers Foxhounds, based in Gloucestershire, plead guilty to racially abusing another hunt saboteur and was fined £100 and ordered to pay £200 compensation to his victim.

If hunts in the region think it’s acceptable to use racial abuse and intimidation as a weapon then they’ll soon be attracting the attention of not only animal rights activists and the police, but also anti-racists and anti-fascists.

The Hunt Saboteurs Association press release on the incident is here.


UK anti-fascist prisoners Sean Cregan & Andy Baker released

Taken from Leeds Anarchist Black Cross

We are very pleased to be able to announce that two of the UK antifascists sent down last year were released on 30/12/11 on ‘Home Detention Curfew’ (electronic ‘tag’). We wish Sean Cregan and Andy Baker the very best of luck and hope that they can successfully rebuild their lives. Thank you to the many groups and individuals who have allowed us to properly support these comrades. For the moment, the other three antifascists sentenced in relation to the same case remain inside and in need of support.

You can read an article recently written by Sean Cregan here.


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