Today saw anti-fascists confront a “no more mosques” demo in Bolton in Greater Manchester. Former BNP activist Bryn Morgan, the organiser of the demo, stated it was “not a racist protest” despite it being absolutely stuffed with overt Nazis such as the repugnant National Action and North West Infidels pulling sieg heil salutes.
Luckily the assembled anti-fascists significantly outnumbered the racists.
According to Manchester Anti-Fascists who mobilised for the demo: “A small group of Nazis from minuscule various groups and some assorted local racists were kettled by the police while being pelted by abuse and missiles from locals and antifascists.”
“After being escorted by the police into a nearby pub adorned with butchers rags and Help the Heroes flags, they were not allowed to leave by the authorities as blocs and squads of antifascists and local youth controlled the streets.”
“The far right thinks that deprived working class towns are ‘safe spaces’ for them to march and spread their vile ideology. Today proved that is a fantasy when communities are united, not by race or religion but by class and sheer hatred of fascist bastards.”
Wigan Anti-Fascists said: “Apart from a drowned out “megaphone” the fash kept quiet, and when a group of locals and AFN broke police containment to have a free and fair discussion of views, without metal barriers interfering, the fash ran and hid behind their protectors in blue.”
“All in all, a successful trip with good local networking and a strong AFN presence from all across the country. 10/10 would visit Bolton again!”
Meanwhile…
Fascists and anti-fascists in Egham today – guess which is which…
At the same time at the other end of the country an even smaller group of Nazis from the Racial Volunteer Force were outnumbered even more comprehensively by locals and activists from AFN in Egham, Surrey. The fascists were protesting Royal Holloway College, where two of their members got sacked from their jobs for attending anti-Semitic demonstrations.
Check out Egham Antifa
Meanwhile…
On a happier note, while all of this was going on, 2000 people marched in Glasgow in the Scottish TUC’s annual St Andrew’s Day anti-racism demonstration. This event originates in 1989 when the BNP tried to hijack the Scottish patron saint’s day to promote their own far-right politics. The response has dwarfed the original cause and the annual anti-racist demonstration has continued ever since.
This all goes to show the state of the far-right at the moment – fractured into tiny groupuscules, increasingly extreme, drifting ever more into out-and-out Nazism, talking big on the internet, but considerably more shy on the streets…
Anti-Fascist Network 
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