(White) Pride comes before a fall…

The dregs of Britain’s neo-Nazi scene imposed themselves on Manchester today for their annual ‘Worldwide White Pride’ day. For the last two years the march has been held in Swansea and previously saw neo-Nazi Darren Clifft jailed after he hung an effigy of a golliwog whilst dressed as a KKK member.

So no worries here about accusing people of being Nazis when they might only be extremely right wing racists. No – these were proper Nazis. Any many of them were only too proud of it.

 

One ‘White Pride’ steward laughably claimed that they were not neo-Nazis, despite being surrounded by what was apparently an I-Spy collection of Nazi iconography – Celtic crosses – Check, SS death’s heads – Check, Blood and Honour flags – Check, Golden Dawn flags – Check… We could go on…

In other definitely non-Nazi news, Richard Edmonds, founding member of the BNP and international Holocaust denier, showed his face. He once shoved a glass into the face of a black man who dared to walk past him with a white girlfriend.

The famed Mancunian weather did its best to deter the fascists and the rain kept them in Wetherspoons (of course) for a while before they were allowed a brief outing heavily escorted by police.

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Depending on which report you believe there were possibly up to 100 fascists on the ‘White Pride’ march and they were pretty much what you’d expect – almost all old bald men, a small number of women, and a statistically higher than average number of facial tattoos. There were the 3 or 4 polish skinheads from NOP (National Rebirth of Poland) who are now ubiquitous at every far-right gathering.

There were at least two Nazis arrested – one tried to attack an Asian woman and another tried to attack a passing black man. This shows the dangerous nature of these fanatics and why they should never be allowed to gain an inch.

Polish fascists dressing up hard then getting nicked for attacking an Asian woman (via https://twitter.com/AlinaFriedman)

Luckily the Nazis got to experience some of the famed Mancunian hospitality – getting some slaps and ending up on the pavement after run-ins with anti-fascists.

Birkenhead bonehead Liam Pinkham who is not long out of prison for an assault on a man walking through Liverpool with his two children was separated from one of his shoes in the fray and then later arrested into the bargain.

Mr Plod assist Liam Pinkham

On a serious note, it is worrying that this demonstration managed to attract as many as it did and that it comes only a week after the National Action ‘White Man’s March’ in Newcastle. There seems to be a mini revival of proper Nazi loons as the far-right becomes ever more splintered. A fractured and divided far-right can’t be a bad thing, but it also means there are more little groupuscules to keep track of and they become more dangerous as they become more desperate and extreme.

We’ll let local AFN group ACA Manchester have the last word: “SHITE PRIDE DAY, Manchester. Final score Mancs 4 – 0 Fash”

NB: thanks to @rednessie for the title!

Shut down the “White Man March” in Newcastle on 21st March

http://stopwmm.tumblr.com/

North East Anti Fascists

Official Press Statement – Embargo till 12th March 2015

Our Banner will Read – “SMASH THE WHITE MAN MARCH”

Stand Against Racism and Nazism

The North East Anti Fascists recently mobilised successfully against Pegida in Newcastle, and are now looking to develop the movement so that it can confront all far right attempts to spread hatred that divides our communities.

Amidst the wreckage of the tiny and splintering fascist scene, a group of young ‘want to be stormtroopers’ (‘National Action’) are attempting to resurrect the deceased Nazi tradition.

We are aware that these Nazis and racists intend to try and goosestep through Newcastle on the 21st March 2015, an area which was bombed by Nazis previously and which fought against them.

The North East Anti Fascists state that such a development is to stir up racism and division, to undermine community cohesion, and is merely a self serving exercise to feed their own egos. National Action must be stopped from spreading their message of racist hate and violence, and from getting organised in Newcastle and the UK.

The provocative racist ‘White Man March’ is thought to be occurring on the Quayside.

It is clear to us that the anti fascist movement needs to be more confrontational and can do, as we need to start blocking these Nazi ‘want to be’ stormtroopers. Gathering far away and going nowhere near them is a recipe for continual failure, and is only a means of controlling and neutering what opposition there is to racism and fascism.

We had previously stated that we will be meeting at first at the official Newcastle Unites (NU) event which was advertised as starting at 10am and lasting till 1 at the Monument, when the White Man March is due to start at 2. However, NU have changed their times to 1.30pm till 4pm. NEAF will still attend the Monument, to begin with, but then we will be going on a Nazi hunt and all those who are serious about their anti fascism will be welcome to help.

The latest news is that the Nazi march will be confined to the Millennium Footbridge, by the Baltic. NEAF will be encouraging people to take anti fascism into their own hands, to be their own leaders, to take their own initiative and do what is necessary.

We do not think that a comforting message of bread and circuses, ‘do nothing and listen to the music’, when the fascists are across town is anywhere near good enough. We need to be and do better comrades, if we wish to be effective.

We will announce another convergence point and time, a demonstration – to give it its just so 20th century label, for all anti fascists shortly.

We will be present throughout the day to provide a provisional attempt at the anti fascist spirit and intent necessary if we are to effectively smash fascism off our streets. Watch this page for updates.

ALERTA ALERTA ANTIFASCISTA!!

Bristol Anarchist Bookfair 2015

2015_poster_medIt’s back! It’s Angry, not apathetic!

Coming at you live and direct from east-central Bristol, just 13 days before the 2015 British General Election & local elections, we are pleased to invite you to the 7th Bristol Anarchist Bookfair – and there wont be a single lying, corrupt, austerity-enforcing, media-spinning politician in sight.

Saturday 25th April 2015,
11.00am – 6pm,
at
Trinity Centre, Trinity Rd,
Bristol BS2 0NW
.

Forms for booking stalls & proposing meetings/workshops are available online now. Full Bookfair Info.

Seven years on from our first Bookfair, 7 years on from the start of the global financial meltdown, after 7 years of austerity cuts and the rich getting richer, we are still here struggling and acting, providing alternatives and creating a new world based on co-operation, total equality, and freedom – a new world we carry in our hearts and dreams.

We’ll bring you probably Bristol’s largest, free, open to the public, political event in the month before the election. As just a small part of a Britain-wide anarchist intervention into the key issues & events surrounding the election, we may well be a part of the largest electoral block – the Non-Voters. Because just as you know, whoever the public votes for – the government always gets in.

The Bookfair will include – 2 halls filled with stalls from local campaigns & groups to national anarchist distros & publishers; workshops & meetings to discuss & debate the key issues; the Radical History Zone down the road at Hydra Bookshop; activities in Trinity Garden’s outdoor permaculture green space; an outdoor Soap-Box for Ranters; a quality vegan cafe; an indoor kids space; and a few surprises too!

The Bookfair is a space for you, radicals, independent thinkers and those pissed off with & alienated from the political system, to come together and think outside the box. To discuss, network, laugh, cry and share the ideas, inspirations and strategies to resist and thrive. Leaders, politicians and representatives are never going to create the future we want. A better world is in our hearts – but it is only through considered self-organised action, together, that we can make it a reality.

In solidarity!
Bristol Anarchist Bookfair Collective

Note: for further info see ‘2015 Bookfair
FB – bristolanarchistbookfair
FB event – 7th Bristol Bookfair
Twitter – @bristolbookfair and hashtag #BABF2015
or email us queries at bristolanarchistbookfair[at]riseup[dot]net