ANTI-REFUGEE SCUM SEEK REFUGE ON THE STEPS ON ST GEORGE’S HALL

What a fantastic day! Not, of course, for the fascists who had a day they will never forget! What happened on Saturday on the streets of Liverpool will go down as one of the great moments of antifascist history. The goose-steppers cannot, if they have any self-respect, claim this as a victory, although knowing their pathological bullshitting ways, they may yet be able to convince themselves otherwise.

The NORTH WEST INFIDELS along with NATIONAL ACTION and some confused Polish nationalist ultras decided to hold a measly “proud to be white and racist” demo up in the North – only they appear to have chosen the wrong city. In a pathetic attempt to catch antifascists and locals off guard Shane ‘diddyman the grass’ Calvert declared that his band of white supremacist fuckheads would host a demo in Manchester, while in reality they headed for Liverpool to attempt to spread their white supremacist filth.

We can’t know for sure what was going through their minds before deciding to host this demo in such a place as Liverpool, but when they chose to host a neo-Nazi demo in a city that has, over it’s history, suffered the worst bombing outside of London by Hitler’s Luftwaffe in the blitz, has destroyed The Sun newspaper’s trade within its own city limits, has celebrated a proud left-wing history, kicked out National Action last August, and is a community built from people of so many backgrounds, did they really think that they would be able to take to the streets of Liverpool without any resistance?

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Numbers on their side were, according to reports on the day, at a miserable count of fifty, possibly because most fascists who did not attend decided better than to dig their own graves in Liverpool. BRISTOL ANTIFASCISTS along with other groups affiliated with the ANTIFASCIST NETWORK went to support MERSEYSIDE ANTIFASCIST NETWORK’S counter-mobilisation at Lime street station. The day started off well and by the end of it all there was no doubting how successfully events had turned out for those who came out to oppose the fascists on the steps of St George’s Hall. Almost immediately after the NWI planned demo had started, Merseyside AFN along with support from other locals had already surrounded The Crown public house, who were unfortunate hosts for the Nazi scumbags. True to their words, the fash decided to use their method of attack of attempting to walk amongst the antifascists. Almost as soon as they infiltrated the group two boneheads were forced to flee following a physical reminder that they were in the wrong group. Then the hooligans from Poland arrived, kitted up in their new anti-antifa merchandise in an attempt to show off the latest in their fascist fashion craze, the critics were merciless in their response as three of the hooligans had to be rescued by the police after being surrounded by clearly pissed off antifascists and a fourth attempted to run away only to find out that he had run in a circle back to the same group of pissed off folks he was running from!

Eventually the police began their attempts to move the scum out of the pub and back onto the streets, while meeting heavy resistance from antifascists easily blocking their advance. As this was happening, a number of fascists from a separate group were spotted on the steps of St George’s Hall and were almost immediately surrounded by antifascists and numerous locals; the police at this moment moved in to protect the far-right and try to prevent the public from confronting the Nazi thugs. The police, realising that they could not possibly help the group from the pub join with their fellow Nazis now trapped on the steps, had no other option but to escort the pitiful group to the Lime Street Station ready to to be sent away for their own safety. They managed to march a few hundred yards only to be sent back home. By this point, word had got around Liverpool of the far-right presence in the city and many more locals turned up to confront the Nazis on the streets. The diversity of the antifascist resistance was impressive, from kids to old age pensioners. Along with them arrived plenty of eggs to remind the Nazis of their previous defeat in Liverpool last August. Volley after volley of eggs, flour, bottles, and bricks turned the fascists from being all smug that they had “taken” the steps of St George’s Hall to being defeated and humiliated after receiving a battering of groceries and masonry.

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The police, as the situation developed, were desperate to protect the fascists from the ever growing mob of Liverpudlians, who by the end of the day reached as many as one-thousand in strength, along with many more onlookers from across the street. Agitated by the overwhelming constant barrage of missiles from the locals, the far-right made four attempts to try to break out of their cordon to confront the mob that had now completely surrounded them, but the space around them only got smaller and smaller each time – by the end, they were quite literally in a corner, appropriately covered in filth and with an undeniable feeling of deja vu! In one attempt to break out they came close, but Liverpudlians from across the city and from many backgrounds raced up the stairs towards the police line to face them off and make sure that any Nazi who escaped the cordon would not come out of it unharmed.

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Later on in the afternoon, after getting some much needed back-up, the police tried to move the far-right thugs off to the station, but they were not going to withdraw so easily. Even as they left, hundreds of people surrounded the group and continued to humiliate them as they were being escorted away by police; it was much like a pillory for the Nazis, all they could do was walk and carry their injured in shame as they were mercilessly pelted by missiles and eggs. Eventually they made it to the station under heavy police protection and were transported away from Lime Street station, hopefully never to return.

It was an outstanding victory today for the antifascist movement, and the credit truly goes to the good people of Liverpool who have shown – by means of direct action and solidarity amongst their community – how to defend their city against the threat of fascism and its violently racist agenda. Other groups from the wider AFN were also in the thick of it to support Merseyside AFN and the community, but we are sure that in our absence the people of Liverpool could easily have confronted these boneheads without trouble and still sent them packing. It would be an even greater achievement to see this impressive example of community response to the far-right echoed in whichever city, town or village they dare to show their faces at again. In fact, the next best opportunity for this will be here in Bristol when the SOUTH WEST INFIDELS and NEW BRITISH UNION will be hosting their next neo nazi debacle on the 12th March. See you on the Streets!

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BLOCK PEGIDA IN BIRMINGHAM – SATURDAY 6TH FEBRUARY

blockPEGIDAMEETING SATURDAY 6TH FEB. 1PM OUTSIDE BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL TRAIN STATION.

https://www.facebook.com/MidlandsAntifascists/

JOIN US – Midlands Antifascist Network, the Anti-Fascist Network and the people of Birmingham to block the racist PEGIDA march at Birmingham International railway station.

====== “WHAT’S GOING ON?” ======
Tommy Robinson, ex-EDL leader, is now setting up EDL version 2.0 in the UK, called “PEGIDA UK”. It aims to provide a ‘safe’ environment for people to march against Muslims, migrants and refugees, to attract more middle-class and ‘better behaved’ racists than the EDL. Now the Tories have tried to make islamophobia ‘acceptable’ in government and education, PEGIDA aim to make islamophobia ‘acceptable’ on the streets.

====== RACIST VIOLENCE ======
PEGIDA has originated in Germany, and as the racist, Islamophobic messages have been said more openly and presented as ‘reasonable’, racist violence has greatly increased. This has repeatedly been shown to happen when racists and fascists are allowed to march, in the history of far-right movements both in the UK and across Europe. Attacks on people of colour, Muslims, migrants and refugees in the street, at home or associated shops have been attacked. Birmingham has seen a taste of this violence, particularly after Charlie Hebdo and the latest Paris attacks, but in Germany, things have become far worse.

In January, the single most destructive racist attack was carried out by over 200 neo-nazi’s rampaging through Leipzig, smashing and burning property connected with connections to perceived ‘foreigners’ and left-wing organisations. The attack was staged at the same time as a PEGIDA demonstration, and more directly violent racists have been given courage by the widespread racist marches. Tommy Robinson now wants to bring this movement here, to engage in activity which is proven to further provoke racist violence. We cannot and will not allow this!

====== BLAMING MIGRATION FOR SEXISM ======
When it comes to sexual assaults, rape and other sexist acts, PATRIARCHY IS THE PROBLEM. But since the widespread public harrassment of women in Cologne and other cities on New Year’s Eve, racists everywhere have jumped on this and claimed to be the world’s best feminists. They aren’t. They have denied that harrasment, sexual assault and rape has always been widespread and committed primarily by white men, stating that “Rape Culture Is Imported”. Denying the existence of white patriarchy is not only deeply racist but incredibly sexist. The crimes of men don’t just belong to black and asian migrants.

====== “WHY BLOCK PEGIDA?” ======
PEGIDA does not want to be opposed and in Germany they have developed tactics to limit counter-demonstrators where they need to build strength. To them, this first march in the UK is important. It is staged entirely for the cameras! Alcohol has been banned, and stewards will enforce ‘silent walking’. They have chosen the NEC to reduce opposition to the march (instead of marching in a busy city-centre), to almost ‘edit out’ counter-demonstrators from the media images. These images will then be used to promote the next marches and attract a larger, wider audience – people that usually wouldn’t go near the EDL. We need PEGIDA to remain reliant on the EDL drunks for numbers.

We must oppose racists where they march, and not just leaflet some shoppers, miles away. To avoid PEGIDA building a popular, middle-class, extra-parliamentary racist movement, we need to seize the limelight from PEGIDA’s dreary, racist march. By blocking PEGIDA, we can show that racism is never ‘reasonable’ or ‘acceptable’. We can show that TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER!

TWO FRONTS IN ONE DAY: HOW FASCISTS WERE CONFRONTED IN BOTH DOVER AND BRISTOL

antifascist blockadeBy now, there have already been numerous reports and articles on what happened in Dover on Saturday. A stinking cocktail of failing and ever-shrinking groupsicles from Britain’s far-right decided to return to Dover for another attempt to ‘send the refugees and migrants back’ and to show their ‘support’ for truckers. Kent Anti-Racist Network, along with support from the national Anti-Fascist Network, organised a mobilisation of our own to send a direct message to these fascist leftovers that their bigotry, single-minded hate and oppressive politics have no place anywhere.

One of many Sieg Heil's as well as the Nazi flag the far-right marched under
One of many Sieg Heil’s as well as the Nazi flag the fascists marched under

BRISTOL ANTIFASCISTS answered the call-out to resist the fascists at the White Cliffs and organised our largest group of militant antifascists to date. Together we joined the AFN and resisted the fascists alongside comrades from all parts of the country. Despite their best efforts, and a constant barrage of posturing propaganda, their numbers have shrunk since the last mobilisation and there was a striking lack of unity between different far-right groups. The infighting observed on Saturday goes to show they haven’t learned how to play nicely together.

Fascist infighting in Dover
Fascist infighting in Dover

It was evident to us that the police had no interest whatsoever in dealing with the vile boneheads or their openly racist chanting and Nazi saluting. We saw many of them complaining bitterly and whinging to the cops, demanding shamelessly that they take action against us. Fascists have a long history of grassing, and this is just another example of how they are enemies of our class.

shitpunchDespite their chest-beating and delusions of grandeur, it was clear to everyone that the fascists got the worst of Saturday’s confrontations. And it would have been a lot worse for them, too, if the numerous coaches of antifascists stopped by cops had made it to the demo. The fascist scum nursing sore heads, injuries and broken teeth this week should think seriously about not coming next time. The bravery, solidarity and effective direct action of the antifascists in Dover was impressive and we are very proud to be a part of it.

A fascist feeling rather down and out in Dover
A fascist feeling rather down and out in Dover

Everything we saw in Dover strengthens our resolve and determination to fight fascism with everything we have, and to each time smash them harder. We cannot allow sieg heiling Nazi scum any space, and we will not sit and watch their racist, hateful attacks on refugees and migrants. Now is the time to get involved, get active and get organised to beat them off the streets.

Meanwhile, back in the West Country… The far-right’s own fancy dress outfit the NEW BRITISH UNION decided to arrange a “mass” gathering of their own in Bristol. Presumably they were hoping Saturday would be a good opportunity to meet in an unguarded city. Unluckily for all forty five… wait, sorry, I actually meant to say five, of these reenactment enthusiasts, antifascists and groups including comrades from the BRISTOL ANARCHIST FEDERATION and CLASS WAR chose to explain a few matters to them about what happens when the far-right choose to mobilise in Bristol. When approached, the NBU tried unsuccessfully to Jedi mind trick their way out of confrontation of any kind by stating timidly that they were not the fascists that everyone was looking for, even after our comrades pulled out pictures of these joker’s faces from the NBU’s own photo shoots. They sought refuge in the Cathedral before being asked to leave there too, doh!

Three members of the 'New British Union' are asked to leave Bristol Cathedral after going there to take shelter from antifascists. (Thanks to Bristol Anarchist Federation for the photo)
Three members of the ‘New British Union’ are asked to leave Bristol Cathedral after going there to take shelter from antifascists. (Thanks to Bristol Anarchist Federation for the photo)

After making quick their escape from this apparent case of mistaken identity, the vast and enormous numbers of the NBU managed to get a triumphant picture of themselves with their vintage flag outside the Will’s memorial building at the University of Bristol before getting the hell out. They say there will be a video and more photos soon, we’re looking forward to seeing that! Master race? You’re ’avin a laugh! Jokers!