Idiots’ guide to the idiot far right

To welcome in 2015, the Anti-Fascist Network has put together an idiots’ guide to the idiots on Britain’s far right. No need to thank us, it’s a public service.

British National Party

Introducing the man who will revive the fortunes of the BNP... Adam Walker


Formerly known as Britain’s most successful and ambitious fascist group since the 1930s, recent years have not been kind to the BNP. Membership and electoral support for the party has plummeted after a disappointing performance in the 2010 local and general elections. This unleashed a series of bitter internal disputes culminating in longstanding party leader Nick Griffin being unceremoniously booted out during 2014.

Alongside Griffin, most prominent party members who were at least semi-competent and kept the show on the road have either resigned or been expelled. This has left the BNP bereft of people with the kind of basic skills necessary to do organise election campaigns or community work. Adam Walker, Griffin’s replacement, is uniquely poorly placed to lead the party. Although he lacks political skill, charisma or any observable talents, he does have a conviction for chasing children in his car and threatening them with a knife.

The BNP thrived by occupying a political vacuum in working-class communities through community campaigning and hoovering up protest votes. The party’s patent inability to deliver what they promised to voters damaged their image as a viable opposition force while UKIP have stolen their thunder as the protest vote most likely to annoy the three main political parties. Once, the party had two MEPs, a member in the London Assembly and over 50 local councillors around the country. Now, they have been reduced to a solitary local councillor: Brian Parker in Pendle.

Happily, the future looks gloomy for the BNP. The party has collapsed across much of the country and the party’s leadership is widely detested across the rest of the far right. The time is ripe to put the group out of business permanently.

Do say: The BNP is one of the only household names among Britain’s crowded far-right scene.


Don’t say: Oi Walker, leave those kids alone!

 

Britain First

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During 2014, Britain First briefly transformed their image from a money-making scheme operated by former BNP fundraising chief Jim Dowson into the media’s number one scary Nazi bogeyman. Such publicity, however, did not translate into political success and following dismal results in the European elections, Dowson flounced out of the group.

The group’s origins are in the BNP. Along with many other people, Dowson had a falling out with Nick Griffin and joined forces with ex-BNP Councillor Paul Golding to form another venture to suck cash from gullible racists. Dowson has a keen eye for publicity and the group carried out several headline-grabbing stunts, including launching ‘Christian Patrols’ in East London.

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Dowson’s departure left the group in the incapable hands of Golding, who has tried to promote Britain First both as a respectable political party and as a militant street movement. Both of these strategies met with embarrassing failure in the Rochester and Strood by-election, when the party won a grand total of 56 votes and had their demonstrations in the town halted by anti-fascists.

Having lots of ‘likes’ on Facebook doesn’t mean much on the streets Paul.

Do say: Organising ourselves into “battalions” is even more fun than going paintballing.

Don’t say: Would you buy a used car from this man?

 

British Democratic Party

The British Democratic Party functions as a retirement home for ageing fascists who have fallen out with Nick Griffin in recent years and either been booted out of the BNP, or left in a huff. The BDP emerged as a faction in the BNP desperate to find someone to challenge Nick Griffin for the party leadership and rallied around Andrew Brons, a man less charismatic than a cardboard cut-out of himself. Brons unsurprisingly lost the contest and made sure that his campaign had lost all momentum before launching his own party.

The BDP do little apart from operate a website and it’s hard to avoid the welcome conclusion that its leading members are demoralised and exhausted after watching the BNP they worked so hard to build collapse very rapidly. The party managed to field only a handful of candidates in the 2014 and Brons did not even try to defend his seat in the European Parliament. With Brons out of the picture, this bunch of disgruntled no-hopers will likely sink without trace.

Do say: We’ve done well to avoid a BNP-style cult of personality…


Don’t say: …by electing the most boring man on the far right as our leader.

 

British Unity

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After being chucked out of the BNP and falling out with virtually everyone else on the far right, only Nick Griffin could launch could launch a group called ‘British Unity’ without any hint of contradiction or embarrassment. Hilariously, British Unity was hampered by infighting before it even officially launched as some of its supporters preferred the name ‘British Voice’ and so established a group called that instead.

Griffin hopes to imitate the strategy of Britain First by encouraging supporters to share pictures on Facebook and Twitter. He thinks he has spotted an untapped market for promoting his more hardline politics among UKIP supporters and, naturally, imagines he is the leader able to turn them from pub bores into fascist cadres. Radicalise the moderates Nick! Now, where have we heard that one before?

A man who once believed he had a good chance of becoming Britain’s first fascist MP now spends his days bothering people on Twitter. Anti-fascists could not have asked for a better outcome.

Do say: Well done Nick, you’ve always had a keen eye for emerging political developments.


Don’t say: Why do you only have one eye again, Nick?

 

English Democrats

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Not so long ago, the English Democrats persistently claimed they were simply a group of people who really liked England and would sue anyone who even hinted that they were far right or racist. Then they spotted the opportunity presented by the disintegration of the BNP and decided to drop any pretence of principles to try and hoover up their remnants.

The party has welcomed former leading BNP members and veteran fascists like Eddy Butler and Chris Beverely into their ranks and have tried to continue where the BNP left off on the far right road of respectability. This approach has yet to yield any successful results and the party has struggled to distinguish itself in a crowded right-wing field.

Do say: We’re not racist, but…


Don’t say: … loads of members used to be in the BNP.

 

Democratic Nationalists

Like many other small far right groups, Jim Lewthwaite and his supporters were once members of the BNP. The Democratic Nationalists emerged from a split within Bradford BNP when Lewthwaite, who was previously a BNP Councillor in the city, fell out with other local members. Since then, Lewthwaite and his small band of followers have been consistently unable to persuade the voters of Bradford that they can be trusted to tie their own shoelaces, never mind run Bradford City Council. Although they have relatively moderate politics on paper (i.e. they are not as openly racist as others on this list), they have recently banded together with the British Democratic Party, another group of BNP rejects.

Do say: We’re keeping the flag flying behind enemy lines.


Don’t say: White nationalist electoral politics are not really viable in areas where the majority of the population is non-white.

 

England First Party

Anti-fascists have long wondered why Mark Cotterill and his Lancashire-based England First Party even bother. Aside from publishing Heritage and Destiny – a fascist gossip sheet – the EFP keep busy by organising the annual John Tyndall memorial meeting, which every year brings together a collection of people Tyndall mostly despised when he was alive. This appears to be the sum total of their activity.

Other leading members include the snivelling inadequate Peter Rushton and, er, that’s it.

Do say: I’m glad we stopped standing in elections so we can concentrate on… what is it we do again?


Don’t say: Have you finished copying articles from Searchlight for the next Heritage and Destiny yet Pete?

 

Patria

Andrew Emmerson is a sad, obsessive individual who, if his life had taken a different turn, would be spending all his day writing letters to the local paper in ALL CAPS about the dangers of water fluoridation. Instead, he joined the BNP but found that this was not enough to satisfy his delusions of grandeur and left in a huff. Now, in the same way that some middle-aged men have model train sets in their attics, or immaculately preserved collections of stamps, Emmerson has a political party: Patria. What a complete waste of time.

Do say: ENGLAND NEEDS THE STRONG GRIP OF A DECISIVE LEADER TO REGAIN ITS GREATNESS

Don’t say: NO-ONE SHOULD ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT MY GRIP ON REALITY

 

Liberty GB

Paul Weston surveyed the far right scene in 2013 and was disappointed that there was no party that catered to his particular brand of racist insanity. So, after flirting with the English Defence League and Andrew Brons, Weston did what any self-respecting, self-important racist blowhard would do, and founded his own group. 
Liberty GB managed to stand three candidates at the European elections in 2014 and achieved a dismal vote. The group will likely disband when Weston’s attention span wanes.

Do say: Paul Weston is the only man who can save Britain from the Muslamic invasion.


Don’t say: Paul Weston is our only member.

 

English Defence League


Since the English Defence League’s formation in 2009, the group has been determined to walk through town centres all across the country because the Muslims. Able to carry out their slogan of ‘we go where we want’ when accompanied by several hundred police officers, the EDL are noticeably less confident when encountered without large numbers of police around.

The group’s fortunes have fluctuated between a dangerous fascist street force and a band of travelling pissheads. In the past, the EDL has been capable of mobilising thousands on the streets and even outnumbering the opposition. However, they have run into the same problem that protest movements across the political spectrum have encountered: having the same A to B march while penned in by legions of police will eventually demoralise even the most fervent supporter.

Numbers turning out on demos have dropped considerably as opposition to the EDL got larger and better organised. The EDL’s dwindling numbers were dealt a further blow in 2013 when leader ‘Tommy Robinson’ had a sudden public conversion that Muslims weren’t all that bad shortly before he was imprisoned for mortgage fraud. No surrender, eh Tommy?

Off the streets, the EDL maintains a large army of permanently offended keyboard warriors primed and ready to express outrage on Facebook when they hear stuff like Christmas has been cancelled because of the Muslims. This group is even more determined to ‘go where they want’ as long as they are sat safely behind a keyboard.

However, even in its current weakened state, the EDL represents the most significant far right street presence for many years and anti-fascists should not be complacent about it. The reaction to murder of Lee Rigby shows that the EDL can act as a lightning rod for anger on the far right. Any general upsurge in hostility towards Asians could swell its ranks again.

Do say: DEFINITELY HONESTLY NO FUCKING SURRENDER EVER TO ANYTHING (DHNFSETA)!


Don’t say: Having marches every now and again isn’t really working is it?

 

Scottish Defence League

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Tedious racist pricks whose idea of a good idea is to spend their Saturdays walking round town centres across Scotland shouting acronyms.

 

Welsh Defence League

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A pale imitation of their English cousin. Amazingly, a group whose main chant is ‘you’re not English anymore’ did not go down well in Wales. Who could have guessed?

 

March For England

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Confusingly, not a march but a group, led by Portsmouth resident and flat-cap aficionado Dave Smeeton. One of the groups involved in founding the EDL in 2009 after organising a protest in Luton against Islamists picketing homecoming troops. The protest ended in violence and damage to local Muslim-owned businesses. Smeeton attempted to disown the disorder, but by that time the ball was rolling and the EDL was formed. March for England banners and flags have been a regular on EDL protests since then.

Most anti-fascists will have heard of MfE due to their annual shit-shower in Brighton. Every year since 2008, MfE have attempted to drag their racist crap festival through the city, and every year since 2010 they have faced concerted local opposition, resulting in some spectacular successes for the anti-fascists. Due to this opposition, they have now re-located 2015’s event to “a sea-side town in the North”.

Do Say: Going up north isn’t surrendering!


Don’t Say: Maybe Brighton’s just got us beat.

 

English Volunteer Force

They took the pants straight off the line you know...


Another far-right splinter groupsicle from the EDL, most notable for being named after murderous terrorist group the Ulster Volunteer Force. Founded by ex-EDL and BNP wanker Chris Renton from Weston-Super-Mare, and headed up by another ex-EDL member, Jason Lock, who’s mates with notorious Nazis like Eddie Stampton and John “Snowy” Shaw. The EVF was envisioned as a tight “cadre” organisation, with local well-disciplined cells taking orders from a secretive “command group”. In reality, they are a drunken mess, similar to the EDL but much smaller. Their last few demos, in Croyden, Whitehall and Cardiff have been tiny and hampered by effective anti-fascist resistance.

Do Say: We’re a peaceful group with no link to the UVF, honest.


Don’t Say: Perhaps these white balaclavas weren’t the best idea…

 

Bristol Defence League

A drastic narrowing of political ambitions has led one group of EDL supporters to give up on the national group and focus on holding onto one small corner of the South-West. You can’t defend England, and you can’t defend Bristol either lads. Give it up.

Do say: We may not be able to defend England, but we can hold Bristol against the commies and Muslims.


Don’t say: Have you even been to Bristol recently?

 

South East Alliance

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Another one of the swastika-soup of far-right acronym groups to emerge from the EDL. Lead by ego-tripping snaggle-tooth Paul Prodromou (who calls himself Paul Pitt to sound more English), who has a history of violence and intimidation against left wing campaigners.

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Based around South Essex and North Kent, they were recently to be found “doing a MfE” by banging their heads against a brick wall in Cricklewood, North London. On the first of their three marches, several “white pride” and Golden Dawn flags were flown. Since then, they’ve wound their necks in a bit, but several known Nazis, like ex-BNP babyface Kevin Layzell and old-school fascist Eddie Stampton have attended.

Do Say: We haven’t been to Cricklewood in a while…


Don’t say: England for the English. That means fuck off Paul.

 

Infidels

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The various Infidels groups started off as a radical faction within the EDL. They soon split off, however, when it became apparent the EDL wasn’t racist enough for them, and became their own group under the leadership of notorious fascist John “Snowy” Shaw. Snowy once managed to get himself convicted of animal cruelty after buying up a bunch of llamas and then letting them starve, apparently under the impression they just ate wotsits or something.

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Since then they have split into two factions, the North West Infidels and the North East Infidels. Both groups consist of the worst of the worst – those people who were rejected from the EDL for being too fascist. Infidels demos are characterised by a mix of anti-Muslim chanting and neo-nazi symbols. Mainly confined to the north of England, rarely seen south of the Midlands.

Do Say: Seriously mate, a llama farm is a great idea.


Don’t Say: Snowy, mate, those llamas look a bit peckish…

 

Englisc Resistance

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A tiny group consisting of slightly nutty men who like medieval re-enactments a bit too much. They believe they are the defenders of the Anglo-Saxon people against the “immigrant invasion”, and if that means recalling the fyrd and forming a shield-wall at the cliffs of Dover, then by Wotan they’ll do it! They’re a few centuries out of date, to put it lightly. Occasionally their flags (white dragon rampant on a red field, if you wanna get technical) can be seen on EDL or other nationalist demos, but most often they’re found touring the country taking photos of obscure Saxon monuments, commemorating forgotten battles with mead or burning the occasional cross in a forest for the benefit of Vice journalists.

Do Say: I would have stood with Godwinson in the shield-wall!


Don’t Say: Isn’t all this leather and sword-play a bit homo-erotic?

 

Casuals United

Small group with a website pretending to be football hooligans. The group’s founder Jeff Marsh was a football hooligan but he has since decided that he loves Britain and hates immigrants so much that he moved to Spain. Casuals United now divide their time between posting news stories about something bad some Asians did and writing fictional accounts of incidents where two unnamed casuals battered 50 commies, which they mysteriously never have any pictures or film of and no-one else seems to have witnessed.

The group declared in 2014 that they were ‘going underground’ with the new name of the ‘Pie and Mash Squad’. Does ‘going underground’ mean you’re dead and buried?

Do say: The reds were quaking in their boots when some of our lads infiltrated the Antifa bloc and nicked their banner.


Don’t say: That never actually happened, did it?

 

National Front

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The NF is one of Britain’s oldest far right political groups and trades on past glories. Outshone for most of the 2000s by the BNP’s electoral success – which ensured that anyone with half a brain left the group to join the BNP – the NF has proved unable to capitalise on the BNP’s misfortunes.

The party’s failures are obvious to even the most dim-witted fascist and this has provoked fierce internal bickering. Currently, personal disagreements have split the NF into two rival factions, broadly speaking a northern and a southern faction. The northern faction appear to have taken the majority of the remaining membership, but the southern faction have kept the right to use the official ‘National Front’ name in elections and managed to stand a handful of candidates in 2014.

The larger northern faction has thankfully torpedoed their chances of any progress in the near future by readmitting the serial group wrecker and alcoholic thief Eddy Morrison, a man who is notorious for flogging far right membership lists to anti-fascists when he runs low on beer money. Not that we’d know anything about that. If you are short of a couple of quid though Eddy, you know where to find us, although the membership list is probably not worth more than a couple of cans of Special Brew these days.

Do say: It’s great that the National Front is attracting support from veteran nationalists like Eddy Morrison.


Don’t say: I gave the collection tin from the meeting to Eddy Morrison. I’m sure we’ll see that money again.

 

National Action

A small activist group populated entirely by the kind of kids who are bullied relentlessly at school. There is some crossover with the Young BNP, who cater to a similar demographic. National Action members want to dress like black bloc anarchists, graffiti stuff and wave banners with aggressive logos because they think it’s cool but they can’t join the anarchist movement because they are racist obsessives.

The group has successfully attracted some media publicity by having really scary, uncompromising political rhetoric, but do not have any semblance of street presence to back this up. They have also successfully attracted the attention of the police by harassing a Jewish MP online. This resulted in one of their members, Garron Helm, doing a short stint in prison and the group has been noticeably quieter since then.

Hopefully they’ll grow out of it before they come to serious harm.

Do say: The youth of Britain will flock to our ranks when they see how cool I look wearing this bandana. 

Don’t say: I can’t come and graffiti the flyover because my Mum says I’ve got to be in by nine.

 

Blood & Honour

Blood & Honour was founded in 1987 by Ian Stuart Donaldson (Skrewdriver singer and bad driver) as a way to popularise ‘white power’ music and raise money for other fascist groups. In Britain, it has failed at both of these aims and the group has been very quiet in recent years. Elsewhere in Europe, Blood & Honour have gone onto bigger and better things and have been important in the spread of far right ideas. At home, they struggle to do more than have the occasional gig in the sticks as they are unable to advertise their events openly for fear of the opposition.

The group also struggle with the fact that their music is unbelievably shit.

Do say: Ian Stewart’s name will certainly live on with you guys about
.

Don’t say: Of course all the original Skinheads only listened to Jamaican music.

 

Combat 18

Combat 18’s unrepentant neo-Nazi politics and violent image were like a wet dream for the media and the group are still wheeled out occasionally in the press as the ultimate terrifying, psycho Nazi bogeyman to scare the gullible. This group has been rarely sighted in recent years and is believed by most observers to be effectively extinct. Members sometimes meet up at gigs but any wider political ambitions were (literally) knocked out of them many years ago.

C18 had a smaller, less effective offspring in the form of the Racial Volunteer Force who came a cropper for trying to publish the most racist magazine in history: Stormer. Following a round of prison sentences for the would-be publishers, the group is seldom heard from.

Do say: At least journalists are still scared of us.

Don’t say: Do you lot do anything, ever?

 

British Movement

Once a dangerous neo-Nazi street movement, the British Movement never really recovered from revelations in the 1980s that one leading member, Ray Hill, worked for the police and Searchlight magazine and the decision of another leading member, Michael McLaughlin, to retire from politics to run an army surplus store. The group occasionally crawls back into the daylight every few years for a MASSIVE STREET VICTORY AGAINST THE REDS where they hand leaflets to bored shoppers in a provincial town centre. Still publish the unreadable Broadsword, which no-one reads.

Do say: Going underground is really important.


Don’t say: Didn’t you lot disband in 1982?

 

Redwatch

If the website Redwatch did not exist, then Searchlight and Hope not Hate would have to invent it. Redwatch purports to be a far right hit list and intelligence gathering operation on anti-fascist and left-wing groups. In reality, it is the product of several years obsessive trawling through photos on websites like Indymedia and then reposting them on Redwatch, complete with the claim that this represents an intelligence breakthrough. These people are total fantasists.

The website’s proprietor, Kevin Watmough is notorious in far right circles for co-operating with the police. Hilariously, one of the other main figures behind the site, Stephen Whittle, tried to dodge an incitement to racial hatred charge by skipping bail and flying to US as an asylum seeker! You are more likely to be struck on the head by a coconut than come to harm after featuring on Redwatch.

Do say: Know your enemy.

Don’t say: Has your cheque from Gerry Gable arrived yet?

 

British Peoples Party

This party once operated as a kind of holding pen for all the misfits, alcoholics, career criminals, grasses and agent provocateurs thrown out of other fascist groups for various misdemeanours. The political home for such individuals is now the National Front.

The BPP’s main claim to fame was holding a demo against hip-hop in Leeds. Following that disaster and other embarrassments, plus the usual bout of infighting, the group appears to be defunct.

Do say: Well you are definitely more radical than the BNP!


Don’t say: Behead those who insult hip-hop.

 

New British Union

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British Nazi obsessives have long run up against this country’s legal ban on political uniforms. For a couple of years now, former Scotland BNP organiser Gary Raikes has been advancing the fascist cause by testing the logical limits of this legislation. Can your regalia really be called a uniform if there’s only one person wearing it? Isn’t that just a costume? And can you really be a threat to public order if you’re too frightened to leave the house?

Whatever consenting adults what to get up to in the privacy of their own homes is their own business, the problem is that these uniform-fetishists (assuming there is more than one of them) want to take their particularly bizarre brand of far right politics onto the streets, where they are likely come unstuck.

Do say: Hurrah for the Blackshirts!

Don’t say: The last time I saw one of those uniforms was at a fetish night.

 

International Third Position

Cryptic weirdoes with baffling and boring politics. Avoid.

Don’t say: Anything.

 

Foreign fascists

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One unhappy by-product of recent immigration to London is that the city has become home to significant numbers of foreign fascists who love their own countries so much that they have moved to the UK. The capital’s appearance as a multi-cultural melting-pot disguises the fact that there are probably more active foreign fascists in the city than the home-grown variety. 
In recent times, neo-Nazis from Greece, Poland and Hungary have all tried to make a nuisance of themselves in London and have come unstuck after robust encounters with anti-fascists.

Do say: It’s so great that British nationalists are finally welcoming immigrants to our shores.


Don’t say: Can you lot just please fuck off back home.

 

Some similar efforts from friends:

East Midlands Anti-Fascists guide to their local far-right

SchNEWS’ Field Guide to the Far-Right

UK Aktion’s Guide to the far-right

Sheffield AFN’s guide to their local fash

Victory as anti-fascists get Britain First’s national conference cancelled!

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A campaign led by Berkshire Anti-Fascists has resulted in getting Britain First’s national conference cancelled in the week that they were hoping to celebrate their publicity-hungry intervention in the Rochester by-election.

Intelligence gathering by Berkshire Anti-Fascists discovered that the wannabe paramilitaries and notorious racists were due to hold their national conference (and disco!) at the The New Owlsmoor Community Centre in Sandhurst, which is owned by Bracknell Forest Council. This was the same venue they used last year.

A public campaign to get the council to cancel the booking was supported by huge numbers of people, both locally and from across the country.

In the course of this campaign it was revealed why Britain First has been able to use this venue – the guy responsible for running the venue is John Blewitt – a Britain First member! And furthermore, one of the trustees of the venue – Andrew McBride – is a past south east regional organiser for the BNP and currently another Britain First member.

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Initially complaints to the council were met with text-book far-right rhetoric:

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But eventually, after holding out for a day or two, when newspapers started taking a interest, the council caved in to pressure and Cllr Paul Bettison, the Leader of Bracknell Forest Council, issued a statement saying: “We have had confirmation from the Owlsmoor Community Association committee that a meeting scheduled on Saturday, November 22, will not be taking place.” The council’s full statement is here.

Also see local news reports from Bracknell News and Get Reading.

Berkshire Anti-Fascists said: “Bracknell Forest Council has a responsibility to keep its residents safe. We will not allow a platform for racism and hatred in our county or anywhere else, we stand in solidarity against fascist groups and will continue to do so. Our thanks go to the hundreds of locals who have organised and campaigned against the decision to allow Britain First a platform in Bracknell.”

Despite this victory questions still remain over Bracknell Forest Council. The council claims it did not know the venue was booked by Britain First – however, previously the council had explicitly acknowledged that the booking was for Britain First. It appears that the council only reluctantly pulled the booking after large amounts of outraged people contacted them. Previously they declared the whole matter was out of their hands as they didn’t run the venue. Also they appear to be happy to employ racists and homophobes to run publicly funded venues for them. Are Muslims, or members of any of the other groups hated by Britain First (gay people, trans* people, immigrants of any sort etc) going to be happy to use this venue or have their taxes pay for it? How does this fit with the council’s equal opportunities policy?

Britain First are still claiming their conference is going ahead in a back-up venue. So keep your ears to the ground and let’s see if we can track it down. Check out Berkshire Anti-Fascists (Facebook | Twitter) for any further info and updates.

Britain First stopped in Rochester

Reposted from London Antifascists

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A great day for antifascists as Britain First were stopped in their tracks.

Police were nowhere to be seen as they let the visiting band of fascists move off from the train station and attempt to charge through the group of antifascists blocking the road. However, they were stopped in their tracks by militant antifascists that were more than a match for the plastic patriots. Paul Golding later bragged that they would have moved through the antifascists like a ‘knife through butter’ if the police weren’t ‘sabotaging’ their march. Well Paul, you had your chance and you failed. Maybe next time you might want to lead from the front rather than cowering behind your security? The police then took control of the fascist march, forcing through the lines of antifascists before it was finally blocked at the high-street and turned back.

This is just the latest in a string of defeats for the toothless Britain First that has seen its activists chased from the streets across the country. After being turned back from marching twice in Rochester it must be dawning on their leader that facebook likes do not translate into a street movement.

Paul Golding has promised more action after this latest defeat, we think he should learn his lesson and stay at home next time.

ITN Video: http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/update/2014-11-15/clashes-between-marchers-as-rochester-by-election-campaign-continues/

See you on the streets!

London Anti-Fascists

Britain First Fascists Embarrassed in Rochester

from antifascistnetwork.org

Yesterday (01/11/14) was Britain First’s “National Day of Action” in Rochester, the town in which their deputy leader, Jayda Fransen, is standing for election. Despite talk on the internet of “hundreds of patriots”, barely 80 fascists actually made it, virtually none of whom were actually from Rochester or Strood. They were opposed and outnumbered by around 100 to 150 local residents and militant anti-fascists.

Britain First and Antifascists in a stand off at the Station.

Although the party leadership told members that “good standards of behaviour apply”, right from the get-go, Britain First were embarrassing themselves. They hurled racist and homophobic abuse at anti-fascists, and clearly many of them were very much up for a fight, including Party Führer Paul Golding himself.

Paul Golding and his security team thugs attempt to start a fight with a black army reservist who called them racist.

As both sides gathered at the station, things took a lurch towards the surreal as Britain First started playing epic orchestral music over a PA system. Hey guys, taking yourselves too seriously much? At this time prospective MP Jayda Fransen turned up, grabbing the mic in order to hurl abuse at anti-fascists, calling them “brainwashed traitors” who should be “hung, drawn and quartered”. Way to win over the local electorate, Jayda!

Prospective MP Jayda Fransen aggressively canvassing for votes in Rochester

Meanwhile, anti-fascists regaled BF with some inventive chants including “You’re losing your deposit”, “where’ve your leaflets gone?” and “Royal Mail Royal Mail Royal Mail!”, those last two in reference to the fact that, hilariously, the Royal Mail has refused to deliver BF’s election leaflets, calling them “threatening” and “abusive”.

Soon the fascists tried to move off for a march. Quickly, anti-fascists got in front of them with a large “No Pasarán!” banner and blocked the road, leading to an hour-long stand off.

Antifascists block the Britain First march.

Whilst the local plod panicked and tried to figure out what to do, Führer Golding took to the microphone to repeatedly threaten anti-fascists, saying that “if the police don’t get rid of them, we will!”. Despite this posturing, they never made good on their threats (although Golding’s security team did repeatedly try to start fights with individual counter-protesters) and instead had to rely on Kent’s finest to force their march through.

This stand off lasted almost an hour.

Eventually, around an hour after they started their march, Britain First managed to reach their destination, a car park around 200 yards from the station where they initially mustered. They were promptly surrounded by anti-fascists and spent the next two hours attempting to give speeches over the heckles and abuse of locals and anti-fascists. Bizarrely, Jayda also burned a placard showing her face, which led to some very strange photos.

Jayda burning a picture of herself as a Nazi.

Also, eagle eyed anti-fascists spotted that the Britain First armoured Land Rover, last seen crashing into a car park barrier and being utterly humiliated in Swanley, spent the whole day parked in a disabled parking bay. Stay classy, lads.

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One anti-fascist was arrested for refusing to give the police their details, but they were released without charge around 2 hours later.

All in all, Britain First were utterly humiliated, and it’s clear they have absolutely no local support in Rochester. Odds have shortened on them losing their deposit in the by-election on the 20th November.

In other anti-fascist news, several members of London Anti-fascists were on the huge Kobane solidarity march in central London yesterday. Solidarity with the Kurdish resistance!

London Antifascists in solidarity with the Kurdish Resistance to ISIS.

Far-right loses two leaders in a week! Fascists in disarray – Anti-fascists can take credit

taken from – antifascistnetwork.org

BsSWowJIQAAJo00They’re falling like nine-pins!

This week saw BNP fuhrer Nick Griffin pushed out by his own party shortly after becoming unemployed due to losing his seat in the European Parliament. As if that were not enough, a few days later we had Britain First founder and main funder Jim Dowson quitting and pulling the plug on funding the far-right wannabe paramilitary group.

Just like when chief racist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon quit the EDL because – surprise-surprise – the organisation he founded was full of racists, long-time Christian bigot and racist Dowson’s sudden implausible discovery that Britain First was a bit racist really tells another story.

 

With both Griffin and Dowson (and Yaxley as well), it has been the relentless pressure on the far-right from anti-fascists and anti-racists that has undermined and worn down the fascists. From researchers digging the dirt and websites cataloguing or mocking their every racist utterance, to leafletters on the streets, crowds of local people opposing them wherever they go and dedicated anti-fascists confronting them physically on the streets – it has been this work of thousands of people that has been responsible for their failure and our success.

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Their lack of success has exacerbated tensions within the far-right that have then led to splits, denunciations and total failure. A Britain First statement admits as much by saying Dowson’s decision was partly due to his “persecution” by the “far-Left” – i.e. opposition from people who don’t like racists.

Piss Poor Tour of Shame

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Britain First looked like a slick professional outfit and appeared to be on a roll with hundreds of thousands of Facebook followers, until they were stripped of 150,000 of them for purchasing them from a click farm. Then they embarked on a ‘national roadshow’. This would seem like a natural move, but it only highlighted the gulf between their pretensions on social media and their lack of real-world support. None of their meetings across the country attracted more than 20 people, and that’s including the goon squad they brought with them. They faced opposition from anti-fascists almost everywhere they went and had their venues cancel on them in Sheffield and Dartford. Eventually they just abandoned the whole thing, cancelling gigs in Bristol and Belfast that were supposed to be the culmination of their tour.

In a further humiliation, Britain First were chased out of Stevenage and given a slap by soldiers of the Royal Anglian regiment that they idolise.

Now following Dowson pulling the plug, Britain First’s remaining leader Paul Golding says their strategy of ‘mosque invasions’ will cease. He also said “we’re not going anywhere”. Funnily enough that’s exactly what Griffin said before being kicked out as BNP leader. Note to fascists: Groups which aren’t failing don’t need to keep repeating that they’re not going anywhere.

How will Britain First manage without Dowson’s money? Will Golding try and struggle on with ever increasing appeals to the faithful for cash or without it’s sugar-daddy will the groupuscule just evaporate into nothing?

And what now for the BNP? They’re going to start looking like a less professional outfit as the Euro MEP money dries up and it’s not looking good as they just pushed  Griffin out in favour of an even less attractive leader.

One thing’s for sure: Even though anti-fascists are currently getting organised and stronger as the fascists fall to pieces, the threat still remains and we must remain vigilant and organised against racists and fascists to make sure they don’t get a chance to re-organise.

Britain First bottle Bristol date

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.

http://darkroom.sundayworld.com/800/0/7c43f8c2d1fffe70615a73760574aa41:491649d56af8a99dfc5eeefca12dc5c5/a-britian-first-rally
Britain First – combining far-right electoral politics with Loyalist paramilitary-inspired ‘defence forces’

However it would appear their large online pressence has not translated into support in the non-virtual world. They have had a pitiful turnout at all of the dates on their tour and have faced opposition wherever they have been in the country so far.

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.

 

Article below taken from – schnews.org.uk

Going for Golding

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.

Growing opposition to Britain First’s pathetic ‘national tour’

taken from – antifascistnetwork.org

Britain First – the new kids on the block of right-wing racial and religious hatred – have spent the last few days on a ‘national tour’ of pub function rooms. Previous to this their main activity has been a series of controversial publicity stunts ‘invading’ mosques. With a notable lack of irony they chose to protest against Muslims supposedly imposing Islam on everyone by forcing their way into mosques around the country, intimidating elderly Muslims and forcing Bibles into their hands.

They have got a bunch of publicity and a lot of Facebook ‘likes’ from stunts involving a handful of members, but have never held a demo or been forced to show their hand on the streets in terms of how much support they actually have. So the last few days of their ‘national tour’ have been an interesting illustration of how Facebook likes relate to real world boots on the street, i.e. not at all – you might have got a lot of clicks for posting up pictures of sick puppies and Rik Mayall, but that doesn’t mean anyone’s willing to leave the house for you.

Thursday – Glasgow

The tour got off to a bad start in Glasgow on Thursday as a grand total of 18 fascists turned up (eventually!) to be met by a couple of hundred anti-fascists. Most of the 18 were the same halfwits who invade mosques
, i.e. they brought them with them – not locals.

A Scottish comrade writes: “Where was Britain First? Nazi Britain First stood us up tonight in Glasgow! Where was the leadership? Despite the menacing talk and threats, they were a no show at 7.30 pm tonight at Cessnock Subway – their publicly advertised meeting place and time. On the Britain First Facebook page they were ‘Calling all loyal Scottish Patriots’ to come join them at this time. Looks like they didn’t bother!”

“Eventually towards the end about 5 members of Nazi Britain First straggled out of neighbouring side streets, close to our counter demo and were quickly opposed to shouts of ‘Nazi scum of our streets’.”

“It was apparent from Britain First’s lack of appearance tonight, that they do not have the confidence, the leadership or cadre to take to the streets (pre-announced) and be challenged by organised local communities and workers. Britain First prefer to arrive unannounced and to invade mosques during the daytime where their only challenge is Muslim elders.”

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Newcastle  – Friday

In Newcastle on Friday, Britain First met at the Forest Hall Workmans Social Club. They appeared to have lost a few as only 13 turned up. Most of the 13 were the halfwits who invade mosques
.

‘Sheffield’ – Saturday

Britain First’s gig in ‘Sheffield’ on Saturday was actually in Dronfield, which is in a different county! They had booked the meeting in a pub under a false name and when the pub found out who they were hosting, Britain First had their event cancelled got told to fuck off when they turned up. They ended up having to meet on a patch of grass by Dronfield station.

If you’re in the area, support the pub that told Britain First to go elsewhere.

Wigan – Sunday

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On Sunday in Wigan the fascists were down to 8 actual punters in addition to the usual goon squad. Yet again the secret location of their meeting was rumbled by anti-fascists. When fascists showed up at the Park Lane Club in Bryn they got chased by 20 anti-fascists. The police turned up and Britain First’s leader Paul Golding was forced to hide (no doubt unwillingly) in an Asian corner shop.

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Up next…

So for a new far-right street movement hoping to seize the EDL’s mantle as thugs-du-jour they are hardly covering themselves in glory so far. They havent managed more than 20 people anywhere even if you include the leadership and all the goons that travel with them, despite their 500k Facebook likes!

The next dates for Britain First’s  pathetic attempt to drag their sorry caravan of racism around the country are:
*18th July – Coventry
*19th July – Dartford
*20th July – Bristol
*23rd July – Belfast

Locals in some of these areas are organising to oppose the dismal convoy of Nazis. Give them your support!

More information about Britain First here

Britain First is anti working class

taken from – londonantifascists.wordpress.com

Anyone that has worked a minimum wage job will know that it doesn’t matter how hard you work, how much profit you create for your company you will not see a penny of it. This, however, is not the view of the fascist grouplet Britain First who recently shared this image:

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Underneath in the comments section there are numerous angry ‘supporters’ who assumed that this party was the party of the ‘white working class’, the party that would liberate them from Jewish bankers, immigrants and whoever else the right wishes to scapegoat for the misery of working class people. And things certainly are miserable for us, I work in a well known British coffee chain three days a week while doing a full time degree and I barely make enough to pay the rent, meanwhile my stores profit has rocketed by 19% on last year in a time of recession. What we have seen since the financial crash is massive profits for the rich and a squeeze on wages and conditions for working class people like myself that has pushed us into living a hand to mouth existence. In response to this the right and the far-right has gone into overdrive blaming this crisis on everything from ‘health tourism’ to cheap Romanian labour driving wages down.

What we see in both the Britain First example and the stories in the rightwing media is a very simple fact, they are both against the interests of the working class. It doesn’t matter how Paul Golding talks, the flat cap he wears or his appeals to the white working class, he does not represent you. When the far right say cut immigration, we say raise the minimum wage. When the rightwing press say cut back on migrants taking benefits we say tax the rich. When they all say they will make Britain rule the waves again, we say let the working class rule.

Our antifascism is working class unity, it is first and foremost in defence of working class interests and it is for the realisation of working class power. In contrast, groups like Britain First are nothing but a razorblade in the hands of the bosses.