'Militant' UAF in action!

[nuisance]

It appears that 14th July has been a very busy one for the joint UAF secertary Weyman Bennett! Not only did he get published in the Times, boasting proudly of UAF belonging to the militant tradition within antifascism, stating that the opposition 'should be physically confronted wherever it tries to organise', he also headed off an anti-BNP rally in Leeds city centre the same day.
Alike the other rallies of this nature running up and down the country, this is meant to show the distain people feel to the election of two BNP MEPs and three councillors. Approximatley 400 people gathered in the city centre to watch a bunch of speakers denounce the BNP and cheer on the 'eggsellent' intervention in London. Last to speak was our militant mate Weyman! After his usual name dropping of Adolf Hitler, he stated that the rally was now over and that people should hastily swarm out of the area in one large group, perhaps for a few more chants and making their presence known?
Unfortunalty not. Yet again plans where made with the police and UAF leadership to allow fascists and their sympathisers to march without any aggro. This time we saw the first Loyalist march- consisting of Orangemen and other assorted fascist supporters aswell as NF members attending- in Leeds for 40 years. If it wasn't bad enough that the speakers didn't mention that the march was happening to the rally attendees, the Loyalist march was right through where the rally was held! This meaning that their was a decent number of protestors who could of atleast attempted to hold the area and show opposition. Despite this ideal chance, the 'militants' of the UAF leadership decided to dupe the participants of the rally and clear out the area, quick sharp.
UAF/ANLs past is littered with such examples, yet the likes of Bennett still declare themselves as a militant organisation.
What jokers!

[Shadow Weaver]

I agree. But just remeber the UAF/ANLS can provide a useful function at these events. They can hold the attention of the Police neccessary to give ANTIFA the space to act.

sw

[Hit The North]

OOH. you big bad boyz of antifa make me cream my panties.

Wankers.

[Pogue]

OOH. you big bad boyz of antifa make me cream my panties.

Wankers.

Oi mate, you better take this back or I'm gonna deck you, cos I'm a fuckin hard man!

Nah but of course your right, waving placards and telling people to vote Conservative = ANTI-FASCISM RAWR RAWR RAWR

[The Feral Underclass]

OOH. you big bad boyz of antifa make me cream my panties.

Wankers.

It's amazing how consistent SWP members are with petty name calling and contempt in response to criticism. It's really quite pathetic.

[Forward Union]

I will remind people that G.Brown and David Cameron are supporters of the UAF.

[Pogue]

I will remind people that G.Brown and David Cameron are supporters of the UAF.

I hear Gordon Brown lost the use of one of his eyes taking on the hardnuts of the National Front in Lewisham in the 70s.

David Cameron was the main man at the battle of waterloo station. I hear he was AFA's 'top boy'.

[Forward Union]

I hear Gordon Brown lost the use of one of his eyes taking on the hardnuts of the National Front in Lewisham in the 70s

I heard he pulled it out himself after they had run out of things to throw at the fash. That's militant.

[Hit The North]

It's amazing how consistent SWP members are with petty name calling and contempt in response to criticism. It's really quite pathetic.

Just giving it back, chum.

Actually thought my post would enliven yet another sorry, carping thread attacking rival anti-fascists from your irrelevant organisation.

Maybe you should rename yourselves antiUAFa, as it seems to be all you do.

[The Feral Underclass]

Just giving it back, chum.

Actually thought my post would enliven yet another sorry, carping thread attacking rival anti-fascists from your irrelevant organisation.

Maybe you should rename yourselves antiUAFa, as it seems to be all you do.

Firstly, I'm not in Antifa. Secondly, I don't see how your attempts at "my cock is bigger than your cock" actually addresses the legitimate criticisms raised against UAF. Clearly you don't feel the need to justify the fact UAF call for a broad based coalition with Tories and Labour, two of the most right-wing, racist and downright reactionary organisations in this country. The Labour government has done more to attack the rights of immigrants than the BNP could only dream of managing, yet you lot feel it fitting to cozy up to them.

The UAF analysis of fascism in the UK and how to respond to it effectively has thus far been: "Vote for anyone but the BNP". I wonder why Labour and the Tories are so keen to get involved...? Not to mention the fact that those white working class people who vote for the BNP largely do so because of the Labour government, so I can really see how UAF broad based popular frontism will appeal to disenfranchised working class people. Yeah, great perspective.

[Hit The North]

Well, I'm not a member of UAF. My opinion is that we need a united front of labour and left organisations and we shouldn't touch the Tories with a barge-pole. Having said that, I think the involvement of the Tory and Labour leaderships is wildly over-estimated by antifa and, when it suits them, Cameron and Brown when they need to make whoopy against the BNP.

The real question is why we have been unable to build a united front of labour and left organisations and why the lefts response to the BNP has resolved itself into two equally flawed tactics: the bland popular front of UAF and the isolated squadism of antifa.

[Pogue]

Well, I'm not a member of UAF. My opinion is that we need a united front of labour and left organisations and we shouldn't touch the Tories with a barge-pole. Having said that, I think the involvement of the Tory and Labour leaderships is wildly over-estimated by antifa and, when it suits them, Cameron and Brown when they need to make whoopy against the BNP.

The real question is why we have been unable to build a united front of labour and left organisations and why the lefts response to the BNP has resolved itself into two equally flawed tactics: the bland popular front of UAF and the isolated squadism of antifa.

I don't think you'll ever find a member of Antifa, or a single document, in which they want to be an organisation of 'isolated squadism'. They want to be a group of militants as part of an anti-authoritarian, anti-capitalist movement. Sadly this movement doesn't really exist in this country at the moment, but a bunch of dedicated, militant anti-fascist does, hence Antifa's approach. I think you overlook this fact when you criticise Antifa, and you assume the ridiculous conclusion that an organisation of class struggle militants with a revolutionary perspective want to remain as small as they are and not attract more members or create a mass movement.

As opposed to this, UAF have alot of members and funds and yet still remain impotent, because their tactics, rhetoric and priorities are fundamentally flawed.

[Forward Union]

I think we all know AFA was better than anything that came later.

[Pogue]

I think we all know AFA was better than anything that came later.

Obviously yeh, they were brilliant, but obviously the situation changed somewhat when the BNP went off the streets and into electoral campaigning. I think we're still trying to adapt to this change in circumstances, as anti-fascists.

[The Feral Underclass]

My opinion is that we need a united front of labour and left organisations

To achieve what? (This is also an AWL tactic)


The real question is why we have been unable to build a united front of labour and left organisationsThe AWL have managed in Nottingham, rather successfully actually. I mean in terms of building a popular front.


the bland popular front of UAFYou've broken party line!


and the isolated squadism of antifa.Antifa is a tactic, nothing more. To view it in any other way is to totally misunderstand its objective.

[Holden Caulfield]

Why do we criticise UAF as much as we do?

Because as the largest "anti-fascist" organisation in the country (I don't know or care about Searchlight so don't mention it) it draws in, and politically nullifies, the energies of people who are committed to antifascism, but who have yet to refine their political compass.

Because they weaken the anti-fascist and revolutionary movement by their popular front tactics, they cling to 'blue' unions and New Labour , they discredit themselves with their blind opportunism, and they alienate the working class with their middle class liberal rhetoric.

There are many good local anti-fascist/racist groups around, (Carlisle Against Racism being a good example working hard against massive odds, the Nottinghamshire groups who arranged the origional anti-RWB protests) and there are some good UAF groups (I've seen good things from Sunderland, Leeds, and a few other places). The national UAF group should be build around these not people with SWP agenda's or a passion for non-class based politics, New-Labour, popular fronts or whatever else. Unite Against Fascism should be class based, should be militant (I think they clung on to the egging out of sheer publicity grabbing), and should be independant & democratic:

but it is not, and we, as dedicated anti-fascists, think it should be so much better.

the SWP/UAF don't help themselves by defending the group simply by criticising another, the amount of times good solid SWP comrades have defended UAF by attacking the SP or antifa is ridicolous for how intelligent they are. Even if antifa and the SP are shite (which is don't think they are, obviously) it doesn't het UAF off the hook.

Rant over.

[Melbourne Lefty]

The UAF didnt really cover themselves in Glory in Blackpool recently either.

Promising the media that you will show up with 500 people and then showing up with 80-90 [actually less than the amount of BNP idiots] aint the best way to go.

The UAF is a good thing only as long as it is able to organise large and effective protests to show the BNP through weight of Numbers that the vast majority of the community opposes them.

The UAF have got one last chance to make a huge demo. With the publicity they gained from the egging there should have been a massive crowd to rain on the BNPs party. Yet there was not.

Considering the financial support for logistics that the UAF has that is woeful.

80 people standing in the rain doesnt really do much. Can anyone here say that 15 antifa with a little "squadism" couldnt have done better?