EDL UAF indymedia debate links

[Steve_j]

A few links spaning the discussion on indymedia.Well worth a read and with some great contributions in the comments.


English Defence League Disrupt UAF Meeting In Bristol: The following is a report by a young postal worker that he sent to Billy Hayes of the CWU:

http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/692133


How to deal with the EDL:A UAF meeting in Bristol was recently disrupted by some EDL supporters. While SWP students were happy to simply wail 'nazi scum' in hysterical voices, for some of us, it has opened up some interesting questions about how to deal with the rank and file of the EDL. Below are the orginial post, and some of the responses from Bristol Indymedia - hopefully this can start a debate about the different ways we can deal with the EDL - Discuss!

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/03/447904.html?c=on#c245138


Open letter to the UAF:This is a call to all UAF supporters to seriously reconsider their approach to dealing with the EDL.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/03/448017.html

[No pasarán]

Its just more proof the UAF are fuckin useless and you can't even work with them because they will try only to absorb/brainwash you or accuse you of being a fascist if you don't agree with them- even if you are there to attack fascists in the first place.

[El Rojo]

the UAF are fuckin useless

granted the UAF have a lot of failures. For example: the handing over of an anarchist to police in leeds was inexcusable. but i don't think many of the users of this forum give them credit. they are the most visible anti-nazi group in the UK at this time. that alone is an achievement. furthermore, they have a broad basis of support, young and old, from every faith and walk of society. Unlike the state and mainstream groups, they have the sense not to believe that the racists will disappear if ignored / left to the police. Despite this relative militancy, they have staged counter demonstrations and organised events such as Love Music Hate Racism that have had a genuine mass appeal. I don't see how a violent anarchist group could achieve a similar following in the current conditions.

Not, please realize, that I am knocking alternative methods of mobalizing, just consider accepting diversity of tactics for a change.

[No pasarán]

See why I don't like the UAF is that they are always tryin to take credit for any sucess.

Just one example- I have been yelled at for being a fasicst while scoping out somewhere they were protesting- admitably I am fairly broad shouldered, was wearing trainers and a hood pulled up. Maybe havin a pair of sunglasses on and my football scarf pulled up so it slightly obscured my face didn't help. But I explained I was on there side and I'd rather they didn't draw attention to me. Then I got berated for not wanting there literiture or to join their group and yet again accused of being a fascist?!

I realise it is a group related to or a wing of, rather than the swp itself, but this was just another example to me of how the majority of there members opperate. Of course there are exceptions, but.... The SWP ain't ever done nothing for me, but try and sell me a paper.

[El Rojo]

thats a fair point you make viz being shouted at - they did that rather wrong. but - n im not defending or anything - they were probs freaked out about the fash infiltrating thier organisation

my view is basically that despite intrinsic faults within the organisation, the UAF is a force for good for the movement in general. criticise it, yup, be ruthlessly critical, as zizek says, buuuut work with them to get a better mass-anti fashist movement:lol:

[Steve_j]

Whilst i think they are under pretty poor leadership and there are many issues to address, i dont think a fuck the UAF attitude is helpful. For us non UAF, sure we can sit here and complain about all sorts of UAF nonsense, or we can have some constructive debate both amongst ourselves and with the others from the UAF rank and file to identify issues, within both the UAF and the wider antifacist movement itself, hopefully from this we can all attempt to move in a more effective direction. I think that is the general idea of most of the comments on the indymedia links, and it is constructive and appears to be a discussion alot of people have been wanting to have for a while.