9th September saw another embarrassment for the neo nazis of Patriotic Alternative, this time outnumbered 3 to 1 in Portland, Dorset. They were there to spout their anti migrant, fascist ideology but were strangely silent, with apparently nothing to say for themselves when faced with around 50 antifascists from the local area and the south west. The anti racist community response was a solid show both of local organisation and contempt for the racists and fascists. Our crowd and banners did a good job of blocking their nazi shitshow from public view.
Despite laughable attempts by overstepping cops to tone police our demo, threatening arrests for calling nazis “scum” (no, really!), the counter demo was just the right mix of merciless mocking of the assembled representatives of the “master race” and loud and proud refugee solidarity.
Pathetic Alternative, or PA for short, members must be wondering how their secret flash demo got rumbled, how their not so tight security got so effectively compromised and how their demo got so fully upstaged by the antifascist response. We’ll enjoy the ensuing internal discussions and inevitable infighting. Mass movement material this is not. Further splits and bickerings material, this definitely is.
Meanwhile local anti racists continue organising in the community to build a broad based resistance to fascism, opposition to the state’s relentless attacks on working class and migrant communities and real support and solidarity for refugees and migrants.
They are working hard to push back against government and fascist hysteria and hate speech which aim to spread racist division and divert people’s attention and anger from the real causes of our problems – the bosses, the landlords, the rich and capitalism.
All strength to the Portland antifascists. They showed what community solidarity and anti racism looks like and are part of a proud worldwide tradition of fighting fascism. During the Spanish civil war antifascists fighting Franco’s forces had a saying “Ni agua al enemigo” – “Not even water for the enemy”. You know you’re on the right side of history when local people come to dish out water and ice lollies to your demo, leaving the fascists to sweat it out and feel the heat, looking hot and bothered, lonely and isolated.
Let’s all support antifascist calls to action, organise, share the work, show up and stand side by side to defeat racism and fascism everywhere.