Anti-Fascist Network

We’ve all seen the change in tactics of the far right recently, as the hardcore grew too extreme for the EDL, and the fluffy patriot facade blurred into full scale street fascism.

Most people will have been keeping an eye on the goings on in Liverpool recently, in which a small gang of fascists turned up to have a go at a picket line of striking workers. Rather than repost the articles here, click on Libcom for a write up or see the one on Liverpool Anti-fascists blog to find out more about the incident.

Once again the fascists seemed to do little else but try to single people out, and of course call the trade unionists ‘paedos’. One guy got arrested and the other mugs wondered off, seemingly without much confrontation (although I’m sure it came as a shock to people who are not used to seeing this kind of thing). The fascists once home then decided to make a facebook page dedicated to calling a chap from  Liverpool Antifascists a ‘Paedo Lover’ (the page has been shut down by facebook). This really highlights the mentality of the people we are opposing here, to say they have a brain age of a 13 year old is definitely unkind to teenagers, but seriously, making a baseless facebook page about someone you don’t like is truly pathetic!  The fact that it was based on the fascists own fantasies rather than any evidence just makes them appear weak, and clutching at straws, desperate to try and fool people into believing them. It didn’t seem to work very well anyway, when I checked it out all the messages on the site were from antifas calling the scum out!

Playground Bullys In Liverpool Last Week Before Going Home To Update Their Status!

So they behave like dumb kids on the internet, but how about real life? From experience it seems they want to be the playground bully, perhaps trying to make up for something that happened in their early years. In general they only attack when they have much more significant numbers, or the most aggressive one singles someone out. From personal experience, they mouth off,  but once confronted most fascists will run, or try to turn it into a discussion before skulking off (and then quickly writing on their facebook accounts that anti-fascists are all thugs).

This is why we advocate numbers on the street, whatever your level of commitment, the hardest part is getting out of bed (and coping with the boredom that sometimes comes with fash watching at demos). When faced with a mob 9 times out of 10 they bottle it.

As for ‘Casuals United’, many of us are not sure that they have many casuals at all for the following reasons:

1. There are not a huge amount of firms in the UK. Those that do exist are made up of a cross section of lads, most of whom ain’t fascist or racist.
2. Loads of the blokes who go on about their firms are old (too old), and talking about the ‘good old days’ when hooliganism was at it’s height. They are not effective opponents.
3. Most of the younger lads seem to have watched a few footy hooligan films, bought a Stone Island cap, and call themselves casuals without any real knowledge.
4. The idea of ‘uniting’ the casuals for a common cause doesn’t really make sense, if you’re in a firm you leave the politics at the door and fight together, against other firms. Whilst many firms contained NF and other far right in the ’80s & ’90s, they also had guys from Red Action, and AFA.

An example of this was seen in Brighton the other week. 6 ‘casuals’ in a pub, 6 anti-fascists walk in. The Nazis jump to their feet & one picks up a chair – the chair is quickly taken off him and thrown to the side, the lads leg it, to the amusement of the anti-fascists trying to keep their town tidy! (Hopefully we’ll be getting an article through soon about militant left casuals.)

So what’s trying to be said here really is that we need to look after each other, like in Liverpool last week, stick together, don’t let the scum bully people. For people who shy away from confrontation, there’s always other work to be done, but just try challenging a racist next time you overhear them in a pub, you’ll be surprised how quickly they get embarrassed when stood up to! Also we should always remember that MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT RACIST, and yes, most people are against extremist religion…and paedos!!

(these are just my thoughts, in the next few months updating the blog will be passed onto another group to keep things nice and democratic! Anti Fascist Always!)