Anti-fascists used a variety of different tactics to oppose Tommy Robinson’s “Day for Freedom” on Sunday.
About 300 people from the AFN and Stand up to Racism demonstrated in Whitehall making sure there was a visible public opposition to the far-right demo. Some of Tommy’s “free-speech” loving crowd tried more than once to attack the anti-fascist demonstration. They were repulsed by the combined efforts of anti-fascists.
This weekend saw an excellent result for anti-fascists and a severe blow for Generation Identity’s attempt to launch their white nationalist youth movement in the UK as their “European conference” got shut down.
GI exist across Europe but want to build in the UK, partly as a way to break into the wider English-speaking world. Stopping them here has importance not only for this country but across Europe and the world. They are a dangerous new force on the far-right, with slick branding and a carefully maintained public appearance that belies the extreme positions they actually advocate. See here for more information about who they are and what they stand for.
On Sunday a demo that was initially promoted as a ‘Gays Against Sharia’ protest, timed to exploit the anniversary of the Orlando nightclub attack, turned into one of the largest and most violent far-right protests seen in this country for several years.
This has come as something of a surprise, coming only a week after a national EDL demo in Liverpool pulled about 100 people and was comprehensively outnumbered, blocked and laughed out of town.
That’s the whole EDL national demo there
from Merseyside AFN
On Saturday in Merseyside, the EDL thought they would hold one of their divisive, often violent, beer fuelled marches in our city. In the last couple of years Liverpool has set a precedent for not accepting bigoted fascists in whatever form they have taken, and yesterday was no exception.
UAF set up a static demonstration at Lime Street steps which was heavily policed and designed to have minimal contact with the fascists all day. Fortunately, many antifascists, both local and from outside the area had the common sense to ignore the kettle and headed down to London Road to confront the fascists in their own pub. Cans of lager flew from the fascists as police tried to keep an increasingly growing crowd of angry scousers back from the evidently tiny group of racists.
When we heard a few days ago that Tony Thommes, the Front National candidate for French Expats in Northern Europe, was planning a meeting at the King and Queen pub in Brighton today, we knew he’d regret it.
We put out a call at the last minute and gathered about 40 local militants outside the Pub, which was guarded by private security. Believing the meeting was already underway, we unfurled banners and placards and settled in for the long haul.
Then somebody spotted the man of the hour himself, Tony Thommes, walking up the road with a lone minder. There was a robust exchange of ideas between the FN candidate and local antifascists, which led to him fleeing across the Old Steine, pursued by a large crowd. After doing a loop of the Steine, the filth arrived, sparking another argument. Thommes was quickly escorted to a police van, and driven away for his own safety. Antifascists regrouped outside the King and Queen for a quick victory photo and then a trip to the pub, the racist’s meeting successfully cancelled.
Thanks to everyone who came out to keep Brighton fascist-free. We will always make sure that Brighton is a hostile place for the far-right, be they French, English or whatever. Contre le fascisme et le nationalisme, liberté pour tous!
Today, the pathetic far-right fantasists of the Pie and Mash Squad (or “South Coast Resistance” as they’d rather be known these days) held their inaugural demo of the year in Portsmouth. Given that it’s their home turf (most of them live in or around Pompey), they were probably expecting quite a large turnout. That’s not exactly what happened…
Today, anti-fascists from across the country stood in solidarity with locals from around Dover to oppose neo-nazis and assorted far-right rejects who decended on the town, once more openly flying fascist flags and seig heiling.
The pathetic fascist turnout.
