ANTIFA INTERNATIONAL are printing T-Shirts for us this month and all money from the sales go to the fight against fascism in Bristol and the wider country. Pleae support and buy your T-Shirts in a number of colours or the lovely hoodies. This is what Antifa International say:
This month we are raising money for Bristol Antifascists – an antifascist crew in Bristol, UK. All proceeds from sales of these shirts go directly to help them fight against bigotry and fascism!
The Antifa Shirt of the Month project raises money to support a different antifa crew every month.
This month we are raising money for Bristol Antifascists – an antifascist crew in Bristol, UK. All proceeds from sales of these shirts go directly to help them fight against bigotry and fascism!
The Antifa Shirt of the Month project raises money to support a different antifa crew every month.
Follow Antifa International onTwitter, Instagram,Tumblr, and Kolektivaevery month to find out which antifa crew we’re supporting that month & to check out the new shirts!
Follow Antifa International onTwitter, Instagram,Tumblr, and Kolektivaevery month to find out which antifa crew we’re supporting that month & to check out the new shirts!
*Stop the fascists in Bristol – Saturday 17th October – spread the word and be ready to mobilise!*
On Saturday 17th October Bristol’s resident fascists, the ‘Bristol United Patriots,’ claim to be holding a demo in the city.
Despite their attempts to disgise this as a demo to raise awareness about homelessness, Ed Dowden along with other organisers of Bristol United Patriots have already made their intentions clear as to why they are protesting. Their real intentions are to inflame anti immigrant anger, promote extreme right wing views and to attack ‘the lefties’.
We cannot let them take the streets and allow them the opportunity to attack and divide our communities. Bristol Antifascists along with other local groups and antifascist organisations will be mobilising in order to stop the fascists in their tracks.
Our rally point will be at Dame Emily Park in Bedminster and we will be there from 12pm. At 1pm Bristol Anti-BNP will be holding their homes for all demo in East Street, which is very close to our rally point and other groups will also be supporting this. We will be marching from Dean Lane to East Street at 1pm to show support for their demo. Please check back on this page and the ‘Homes for All : Stop the fascists in Bristol’ event page (link below) for any updates as specifics are likely to change. In the meantime; continue to spread the word and we hope you can join us in the mobilisation to confront the fascists on our streets.
GUIDELINES FOR THOSE ATTENDING
– Call the Bristol Anti-BNP mobile phone number for the latest information on the day.
– Check the Bristol Antifascists facebook page for any updates or changes
– Try to stay in groups when entering or leaving the area and throughout the day.
Please share.
Some of the fascists (local or otherwise) likely to be about on Saturday
Bristol ABC & Bristol Antifascists show solidarity with anti-fascists imprisoned around the world
Big thanks to Bristol Anarhcist Black Cross and everybody who came down to the night of solidarity with anti-fascist prisoners at Kebele on Sunday night. The night was a big success, with letter writing to comrades inside, ‘bash the fash’ piñata, a raffle and meal. Around £150 was raised for anti-fascists in need of support. Below is a summary of the other solidarity events held around the world…
The July 25 International Day of Solidarity with Antifascist Prisoners was a resounding success! In addition to comrades in Britain, the United States, Finland, Australia, Germany, Sweden, and Bulgaria taking part, the call to action was translated into five different languages and shared thousands of times on social media. The Day of Solidarity brought awareness to antifas that have been imprisoned in the struggle against fascism, and we have shown them that they have support all over the world!
Many cities took part in the United States, as well. In New York City, the NYC Anarchist Black Cross hosted a night of videos of the fash getting what they deserve, while supporters ate vegan empanadas and listened to presentations on the prisoners, as well as a speaker from One People’s Project. Portland, Oregon’s Rose City Antifa called for a week of sending postcards to prisoners, asking that they be posted online with the hashtag#PostcardsToPrisoners. In La Puente, California, the Bunny Alliance and Bridgetown DIY hosted a night of music and talks about contemporary fascism, militant anti-fascist resistance, the social revolution in Rojava, and “dealing with fascists and white nationalists within animal liberation and earth liberation movements.” Philly Antifa,Southside Chicago ARA, and Columbus, Ohio’s Sporeprint Infoshop held letter-writings, while the Denver Anarchist Black Cross screened the film 161>88. And RASH USA issued a statement demanding the release of all antifa prisoners without reprisal.unk festival in Finland.
In Finland, the Varis antifascist network distributed literature at the Puntala punk festival in Lempäälä. In Helsinki, they held a small demonstration in support of Russian antifascist prisoners Alexey Sutuga and Aleksandr Kolchenko and painted solidarity graffiti; and in Tampere they also passed out flyers in support of the prisoners.
In Sweden, the Föreningen Fånggruppen, in conjunction with seven antifa prisoners,issued a statement about the importance of prison solidarity.
In Australia, AFA Sydney hung banners for Jock Palfreeman, an Australian man imprisoned in Sofia, Bulgaria for defending two Romani men who were attacked by fascist football hooligans. (The July 25 Day of Solidarity originated in 2014 as a Day of Solidarity with Jock Palfreeman.) And in Bulgaria, antifascists also held an event for Jock.
Last, in Berlin, Germany, Minor Treat held a joint benefit dinner for refugees in Germany, and also wrote letters to the antifascist prisoners.
We are excited by the support this event attracted, and hope it expands to even more countries next year—because until fascism is buried in its grave, our comrades will be imprisoned for helping to bury it. NYC Antifa will keep updating the list of anti-fascist prisoners, in order to facilitate solidarity with antifa prisoners year round. We thank everyone who participated in the July 25th Day of Solidarity, and urge all people to not only write these prisoners, but to also continue their work.
** 1 banner
** a bunch of airhorns
** a minibus
** all dignity
… These were some of the items a sad crew of 30 assorted fascists lost on today’s ‘Secure our Borders – Support the Truckers’ shuffle round the roundabout on the Dover seafront, opposed by around 40 autonomous antifascists.
The fascist plan to ‘blockade the port’ was promoted by a few obscure fascist groups on their Facebook sites, the demo being designed to coincide with “Sauvons Calais” anti-immigration demo on the other side of the Channel. English Volunteer Force, National Front, and white power flags were spotted on the Dover demo.
As is traditional, the fash gathered in a car park under a grey sky, and on seeing us antifascists retreated to the garden of a local pub – which turned out to be closed. So they were confined to the garden for a pintless hour until they mustered up enough numbers to move.
With an escort of Kent police, the Master Race shuffled their way towards the sea front as we dodged trundling lorries and tried to block their path at every turn. It was good to see comrades well organised, fast moving, and looking out for each other at all times – and not a single UAF placard in sight. That the fash were able to leave the pub at all and do their photo op on the roundabout was however a problem – one we probably could have dealt with with larger numbers.
The fascists were eventually escorted back to their car park and left, apparently too dejected to hang about for a celebratory drink. In a final humiliation, one minibus of dimwits thought it would be a good idea to drive past and taunt the antifa mob – whilst stuck at the red lights. The driver, in a panic, tried to reverse over members of the crowd. However the van ended up stopped in the road. The driver was arrested (presumably for dangerous driving) and made to do the walk of shame to the police car, before their minibus was confiscated by the cops. Two of our comrades were arrested – we’re still awaiting news of whether any charges will be brought.
Over on the other side of the channel, the Sauvons Calais demo was banned by the local authority, and comrades there say it was a quiet day with no serious incidents.
Just over a year ago a vicious attack took place on a family orientated anti-racist demonstration by a mob of Swedish neo-Nazis belonging to the ‘Swedish Resistance Movement’ in Kärrtorp, a district of Stockholm. Despite having prior knowledge that an attack by the Nazis was likely, the police failed to act. Militant anti-fascists and locals defended the demonstration and forced the fascists, who attacked with sticks, knives and bottles, to retreat. During the fight a number of the Nazi attackers were wounded and some anti-fascists were later arrested. One of these was Joel Almgren, who is now serving 6.5 years in prison for ‘attempted murder’ for is part in defending the demonstration.
A huge campaign of solidarity has been taking place since with anti-fascists around the world taking to the streets and social media to support Joel and the Swedish anti-fascists, including some in Bristol (picture below). More of this can be seen at the Free Joel facebook page.
Some antifascists in Bristol earlier this year showing support for imprisoned Swedish antifascist, Joel Almgren, as part of an international campaign of solidarity
Below we have reproduced a recent interview with Joel originally published on the #freejoel page.
anti-fascism is always self defence
Today it is 1 year after the riots in Kärrtorp and beacuse of that we publish this interview with Joel.
1. How do you look upon what happened in Kärrtorp today?
We shouldn’t have to need to experience what happened in Kärrtorp to see how close to us the fascism is and growing. And now a year after what has happening it seems already been forgotten.
I haven’t changed my view about what happened that day. I don’t need to experience “Kärrtorp” to be reminded how important it is to take the fight to the streets. I have seen Nazis attack demonstration, antiracists concerts and union blockades all my life. It don’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that antifascism is self-defense.
2. How do you look upon your trial, your sentence and the attention from the media?
There’s maybe not much to say about the trail. Me and my attorney thought that both trials went good but apparently it didn’t. I did hope for a shorter sentence and that the judges would see the situation for what it was, that is self-defense. But on the other hand I was prepared for a longer sentence than I got. Of course I think that I would get acquitted but you have to be realistic and I refuse to sit here almost 4 years and get bitter.
The attention from the media had no proportions at all. They published articles about me with my personal numbers and pictures. But they didn’t published information about the nazis who threw bottles and firework against children and old people. The author of one of the articles even sat on TV and told that they didn’t exposed.
I haven’t raped or killed anyone; I have defended a legal demonstration when the police was not able to. Jimmy Åkesson (the leader of a Swedish racist party) gets a cake in his face and they say that’s a threat against the democracy but when nazis attacks a demonstration it’s a fight between extremists.
3. What’s antifascism to you?
I think that the antifascism in Sweden has slipped behind. It’s been made in a square pattern and I think it’s time for the antifascist groups in Sweden to sit down and evaluate the past 5-10 years. Also I think we should put more effort to build up the autonomous left and less in chasing nazis.
Antifascism to me is to get from word to action. Most of the people with a brain can see that we don’t want fascists marching on the streets but that don’t make all of them an antifascist.
4. Do you feel that you had big support? If yes, from where have you got that support from?
I think that I got more support than I deserve. All the people who have been involved in the campaign have been doing an enormously good work.
I have received letter/cards/support from Russia, New Zeeland, Mexico, Chile, Europe, USA, and U.K to mention some. I feel a little bit spoiled on that actually, but I am forever grateful to all those who has been in touch. The time wouldn’t have gone so fast as it has done if it wasn’t for all these letters specially the time I spent in custody. I think it is hard for someone to imagine what it’s like in custody. To be isolated for 24 hours a day, accused of something that could give you a long sentence hasn’t been easy. But thanks to the entire letter I received I held myself above the surface. Apparently this has provoked the Kriminalvården (The Swedish prison and probation service) that the support has been this extensive. A huge amount of letters has been stopped, they have try to hidden some of the senders addresses. They have taking away all my unguarded visits and have done so because “they want to restrict my contact surfaces”. The result of this is that I haven’t been able to see my son in more than 17 weeks and as it seems like in this present maybe we are not able to do at all during my time in prison. All I been given is guarded visiting 1 hour at the time and my son is not able to come on one of those. The inquiry they made on Kumla has been used now to put me in higher security.
I want at the same time point out that this treatment and the lack of been able to have contact with my son aren’t unique. A lot of interns are denied contact with their children and are transferred to a prison far away from their families.
I lost track from the question there but the support has been from all kinds of people. Unexpected big support has been from the hardcore scene that has made me extra thrilled as it were there I got politicized.
5. What is a good prison support to you?
It’s a lot of components that decides a good prison support. To mention some of them,
• One thing that often got forgotten is the family to the one in prison. All the focus is on the one in prison or custody but the rest of the family is also get afflicted.
• To have a good contact with the attorney helps a lot.
• Money has more value outside the walls. Of course you should send in money but its more important that the family getting help with the rents and to get help with money so they could travel for visiting the one on the inside.
To work with prison support doesn’t get as much cred as to be an activist on the streets but it is as important unfortunately.
6. You are still working with prison support from the inside as you were doing on the outside. Can you tell the readers little more about that?
Except from writing letters to other comrades in prison we in Fånggruppen started a newspaper to all the antifascists who are in prison right now. The idea with the newspaper is to create a forum for us on the inside to discuss. We are placed in different prisons but through the newspaper we can create a feeling of community. And also the newspaper gives us news that isn’t often published in right-wing media. It can be news about strikes and demonstrations but also interviews and reportages. Last number, we could for an example read about that Ireland plans to take charge for fresh water. We who are behind Fånggruppen are doing interviews with comrades in prison all over the world. What else? Yes, we are about to start some form of campaign for our comrade Jock to collect names for his appeal to get transferred to a prison in Australia. And also we got some thoughts about how we can collect money to prison support.
We want to use all the publicity that Free Joel got to enlighten people about prisoners who got it a lot worse than me.
7. Inside of the walls you have a lot of time to think. Has the time in prison and in custody given you something good?
Not much to be honest. But the contact to other comrades in prison has given me some perspective and all of a sudden my situation doesn’t seem to be that bad.
8. Any final words?
Don’t forget the streets. Don’t forget the struggle.
Raybeez (Warzone)
The woeful Britain First national roadshow became even more of a shambles yesterday as the Bristol date was postponed at the last minute. This followed the cancellation of their Dartford meeting the night before, along with a humiliating turnout and disruptive opposition from anti-fascists who rumbled their new meeting point in Swanley, Kent.
The far-right group was formed by ex-BNP members in 2011 following heavy infighting in the party. Hoping to use the traditional far-right strategy of combining electoral politics with a street pressence, their ‘battalions’ (usually only made up of the same small handful of activists) have gained media coverage with ‘Christian patrols’ in east London and ‘Mosque invasions,’ and recently with leader Paul Golding trying to get himself arrested. Britain First have also built a large online profile through the use of social media, albeit through misleading means and with the help of ‘bought’ popularity to push their poisonous message.
The choice of tactics should hardly be surprising given that the two main players and founders of the party, Paul Golding and Jim Dowson, are the ex-Head of Publicity for the BNP and a ferociously anti-choice, Christian fundamentalist with links to Loyalist paramilitaries, respectively.
Britain First – combining far-right electoral politics with Loyalist paramilitary-inspired ‘defence forces’
Yesterday the organisation were due to meet at Patchway train station at 1.30pm but postponed the event the night before blaming ‘adverse police actions.’ The police have denied any involvement in this and insist that BF decided to cancel the meeting themselves. Sure that the actions of our south eastern comrades the night before and work done by locals played a huge part in the Bristol postponement, we spent the afternoon playing a celebratory game of football in the glorious north Bristolian sunshine.
Britain First claim that they will be back in Bristol within a month. We will have to see if they come true on this but we’re sure that many people will be out to oppose them if they do.
The much heralded Britain First roadshow ain’t going too well. After being forced to cancel their Dartford meeting, Britain First were once again humiliated tonight after another pathetic turnout, this time in nearby Swanley.
Under police guard Britain First fail to be mobbed by enthusiastic support in Swanley
Paul Golding (co-incidentally winner of this week’s Crap Arrest) might have expected a better turn out in a town where he once was a BNP councillor. In the end though despite the last minute venue change and an attempt at eluding discovery* Britian First found themselves outnumbered and surrounded by anti-fascists.
After a 45 minute stand off they left escorted by police, with no local support.
Within minutes they had cancelled the next stop on the itinerary – Bristol, blaming ‘adverse police action’. We’re sure that’s true and not in any way because they got cold feet at the thought of heading to a town with an even more fearsome anti-fascist reputation than Swanley.
**Top tip – while a Land Rover in desert camoflauge is probably great for lurking in a wadi in the Yemen it’s a tad conspicous in a Kentish town centre.
Bristol Antifascists stand in solidarity with the Tottenham community and anti-fascists in London following the recent attack on a family music event by a mob of Polish fascists
At a time when far-right attacks are on the rise in this country and the political establishment along with the mainstream media are using the age old tactic of divide and rule, we need to stand together now more than ever. We are proud to work alongside anti-fascists from across the world here in the UK and realise that the recent events stress the need for a diverse, organised and militant anti-fascist movement in this country. Fascist organisation must be and will be resisted in whatever guise it takes, wherever it comes from.
For international working class solidarity and community self defence. Zero tolerance of fascism!
So it’s now June and we’ve all been hearing about and discussing the recent ‘earthquake’ European election results. There’s been a fair few headlines in the last week reading things along the line of “2014 the rise of the far right” and they are not far wrong. The mainstream political system across Europe has just taken a big step to the right and unfortunately with that comes a threat much closer to home. Times are hard and the living standards of the working class have been in severe decline for some years now thanks to our lapdogs of the rich coalition government and their forced austerity measures attacking and strangle holding every single community up and down the country. Everyone is looking for someone to blame and fair enough, but as always at times like this and as repeated throughout history, the ruling elite have done a pretty good job of convincing everyone that it’s not them and their monstrous swollen bank balances always going up that are to blame. They’ve been giving us easy scapegoats. They’ve been telling us to blame the immigrants, the disabled, terrorists, Muslims, Europe, people without a job and it has been working for them and we are now seeing a new rise of the far right street movements. Whilst the recent buzz of the European elections has been going on, with Nigel Farage all over the TV and in the newspapers, there was a left wing gig in Portsmouth attacked by EDL thugs, an openly fascist white pride demonstration in Swansea, a huge Islamaphobic hooligan march in Brighton and fascists having to be kicked out of Easton in Bristol by the locals to name but a few of these far too often occurring incidents. Uniformed fascists Britain First were invading (their words) mosques in East London the other day!!! This cannot carry on. With this new rise of the mainstream far right across Europe comes a new rise of street level fascism from right within the heart of the communities we live in. It must be stopped and the most effective way to stop fascism is by organising and confronting it in our streets as soon as it rears its ugly head. We must fight back and we must do it now.
“The Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) is pleased to announce its affiliation to the Anti-Fascist Network (AFN).
The HSA has always had a policy of inclusion, welcoming anyone into our ranks regardless of race, creed, gender, religion or sexuality, and has been forced over the years to confront and exclude people who have been proved to be racist or fascist. Our active members have for years been the subject of racist (and sexist) abuse from the hunting community which only highlights that our struggle to end hunting also promotes a more ethical attitude to both humans and animals.
Both the HSA and AFN promote a policy of confronting those engaged in racism and hunting respectively, on the streets and in the countryside. To not only stop such activities continuing but also to highlight them to the wider public. While other organisations hide their heads in their hands, hoping that a few leaflets or email shots will make the problems go away, we are clear that the only way to end both hunting and racism is confront it head on, so those who partake of such actions and attitudes are clear that we will oppose them until they stop.
For any further enquiries please contact our Press Officer here.
“The Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) is pleased to announce its affiliation to the Anti-Fascist Network (AFN).