Beating the Facists- new book on AFA

[No pasarán]

Ok so Freedom press are putting out a comprehensive history of AFA. It's less hooligan than some of the other books put out before, covers most of the politics behind AFA with a Red Action slant. RESERVE YOUR COPY NOW!

http://www.freedompress.org.uk/news/wp-content/uploads/Freedom-AFA-300x200.gif

More details here (http://www.freedompress.org.uk/news/afa-book/)!

[nuisance]

Heard about this awhile ago, good to see it actually almost out! However, I read abit about this on Libcom, and it seems that the book is of the opinion that militant antifascism was the order of the day, however now it is more or less a redundant tactic- which would make sense if it's written from a Red Action/IWCA perspective. That said, the IWCA have offered a great deal of decent, and until recently, untapped discussion on antifascism, which a number of community based groups are now looking more closely at- http://norfolknonaligned.wordpress.com/
But dang, I like the style of the antifascist hoolie books! I hope this book is as good and comprehensive as rumours have let on.

[No pasarán]

Problem is IWCA don't really get themselves out there as much as RedAction and when I contacted them a while back for info about what they were doing in London I got no reply. Shame.

Anyways, I liked No Retreat, no matter who wrote it but you could tell there was a little bit of a manchester/nw bias going on. I'm just looking forward to seeing this new book since the only contributor I definately know who has added to it always has some good stories from 'back in the day' (and he goes right back to the begining) and seems able to put his actions into a clear political and social perspective?

[exafa]

What irks me is how is this any more an authorised version of events that dave hahns no retreat book ? I don't know any one who's been approached to contribute ,Red Action spent years undermining anarchists and any one else who happened to disagree with them ,I'm sure theres some good stories to be read but anything written by Red Action will be no way an unbiased version of events

[No pasarán]

The book is being edited by one of the wombles funnilly enough. But yeah, I'm aware Red Action were far from perfect and to some extent saw AFA as 'their' organisation.

[Ravachol]

Heard about this awhile ago, good to see it actually almost out! However, I read abit about this on Libcom, and it seems that the book is of the opinion that militant antifascism was the order of the day, however now it is more or less a redundant tactic- which would make sense if it's written from a Red Action/IWCA perspective. That said, the IWCA have offered a great deal of decent, and until recently, untapped discussion on antifascism, which a number of community based groups are now looking more closely at- http://norfolknonaligned.wordpress.com/
But dang, I like the style of the antifascist hoolie books! I hope this book is as good and comprehensive as rumours have let on.

Didn't know about the Norfolknonaligned group, thanks for the link :thumbup1:

[1968]

Any comments/reviews yet?

[Anarchist Skinhead]

Read the book. Definitely quite interesting, but I do have to say I got very mixed feelings. First of all it seems to be championing RA far too much . Whereas I know that Red Action was very big part of AFA, all other parts seem to be downplayed. It should be rather called "unknown history of Red Action" then the title would be more appropiate. It does definitely show that RA treated AFA as their "own" and were prepared to go to great lenghts in keeping control over it. What bothered me as well was that it was clear between lines that RA had almost command structure and was very hierarchical, not just during actions (where position of stewards and chief stewards with certain authority over decision making are necessary) but outisde of them.
Book also goes to great lenghts to slag off Dave Hann and Steve Tilzey a lot, although most of people from our side don't seem to be getting that much "personal attention". It is clear that there was serious feud going much beyond perceived "crimes" against AFA (for which existence we only have RA word anyway"). It was just.. distasteful. Also quite interesting is the fact that even though last part of book covers recent years, Antifa UK gets no mention whatsoever...

In general its definitely worth reading, but I would take their political analysis and especially information about other AFA people that they fell out with with big pinch of salt.

[Anarchist Skinhead]

I wrote one but for some reason it didn't appear here yet.. ?

[No pasarán]

Definately more indepth and mature than No Retreat. I think that the the Dave Hann expose was laid on a little thick, but have also been told by AFA who were not red action that he did make a few really stupid mistakes in his life. Shame, seemed to be sincere in his intentions though. But yeah this book is probably the most indepth version of all the accounts of AFA yet. It does have a strong RA lean though and should maybe come with a statement of that at the start.

[Malatesta]

"I think that the the Dave Hann expose was laid on a little thick, but have also been told by AFA who were not red action that he did make a few really stupid mistakes in his life. Shame, seemed to be sincere in his intentions though. But yeah this book is probably the most indepth version of all the accounts of AFA yet. It does have a strong RA lean though and should maybe come with a statement of that at the start."


Beating The Fascists by 'Sean Birchall' from Freedom Bookshop, £15.


Any political biography from whatever quarter is going to involve some degree of score settling and any one version of events is inevitably disputed. Beating The Fascists is no different. It has caused more controversy than it deserves. There was a string of disgraceful and embarrassing accusations on Indymedia with people slagging the book before they had even read it and many accusations were levelled. This must have given the fascists a good laugh and merely amplified the ‘People’s Front of Judea’ aspect and bitter sectarianism in the anti-fascist camp. One of the main disputes on Indymedia was over the proposed moniker ‘the Authorised’ version of Anti Fascist Action (AFA). This has now been changed to the Untold Story. Fair enough. The book should actually be called the Untold Story of London AFA by Red Action as it is mainly focussed on London AFA and Red Action in particular. Unsurprising seeing as who wrote it.

The book is well written, at times funny, and although from a fairly singular point uses insider information from the folk who were actually there which makes it very readable. The case for physical opposition is made absolutely clear and uncompromisingly. Physical force is not for everyone but that does not mean it cannot be employed alongside other strategies against fascism. All the big events are described in some detail: the Crass gig riot at Conway Hall and the bands subsequent criticism of Red Action; Blood and Honour at Hyde Park; the battle of Waterloo; Ian Stuart Donaldson’s various kickings; and there is a good analysis of the National Black Caucus march at Bermondsey which got seriously attacked and saw fascist rioting for the rest of the day with the police totally losing control. The book rightly criticises the organisation for a massive blunder and a rout that could have been avoided. One AFA member recalls the day and how he barely escaped. And it is these anecdotes – rather than the dry analysis of SWP hacks like Dave Renton – that give the book its flavour. Some of the stories have clearly been well polished over the bar but are honest and unflinching in the descriptions of fear and outright violence. Accounts of events will always be disputed and obviously, in the heat of battle, participants’ experiences and views of events can differ radically but the subjective nature of the descriptions counter balance any dry theorising (of which there is little, save the skipworthy introduction).

Beating The Fascists makes clear the SWP’s appalling behaviour over their expulsion of the defence squads and the treachery of their leadership. The Central Committee, then as now, have no idea what goes on at street level and their concerns over the anti-fascist squads were about their autonomy rather than anything else. The apocryphal story of Tony Cliff seeing the squads in action against the NF then drinking in the same pub is only one example of the C.C’s Stalinist fictions. Also, the person who started the squads, Graeme Atkinson, was charged with dismantling them by the SWP which was designed to humiliate). At the time of writing, 2 groups of UAF and SWP were routed from Manchester and Oldham which shows they never learn. In dodgy places, security is needed. Anyway, the expulsion of the Squaddists did them a favour as now Red Action could exclusively focus on successful and militant anti-fascism whilst the SWP could ‘fight the torys.’ And a fat lot of good that did.

The book puts forward Red Action’s case against Steve Tilzey and Dave Hann and does not miss an opportunity to mention Hann’s ‘legal troubles’ a couple of times. Hann does not mention the case in his No Retreat book (which should be read in the same way as this - with amused scepticism) so it is difficult to cross reference and come to our own conclusions. The score settling about the No Retreat book and Steve Tilzey’s relationship with Searchlight does leave a slightly sour taste.

Beating The Fascists quickly dismisses the nonsense point of view that anti-fascists are somehow fighting on behalf of black or Asian people. Anti-fascists fight against fascists because of political opposition not as some misguided social work. The book also refutes the fascist claims that all anti-fascists are ‘soft’ or ‘middle class.’ Even some fascist websites acknowledge that AFA/Red Action were a force to be reckoned with on the day:
“90% of today’s "nationalists" would have shit a brick faced with AFA and not the lollypop brigade of today’s UAF . They did have firms in Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and down south but I always rated the Manchester lot as their main boys they were very tasty … when the boot was on the other foot like in Moston when they ambushed a small group of us and we came of worse you just had to say fair play.” (from Stormfront).

The book does point up the heavy white male aspect of Red Action (although AFA was much more gender mixed) but this kind of anti-fascism is not for the meek. It requires violence, physical stamina and people able to dish it out as well as take it. There can be no dispute over Red Action’s organising skills, the hassles and isolation that they faced with the internecine disputes amongst the left, and their uncompromising ability to take it to the Nazis. And, more importantly, win. Anarchists should read it with the expectancy that it is biased towards Red Action and realise the need for an anarchist version of events that, in particular, put more focus on AFA in the North and Scotland, anarchist versions that either contradict, compliment or rectify the version put forward by Beating The Fascists.

Verdict: Buy it, then write your own.

[Anarchist Skinhead]

No pasaran, but this books can be harly compared as one is personal account of two people and other one is general story of AFA from RA point of view. Both should be read with critical mind.

[No pasarán]

A personel account that at times steals other peoples stories? One of whom is still involved with searchlight, who have a dubious track record. But your point is correct, both should be read objectively.

[Anarchist Skinhead]

Well, don't know about stealing other people's stories, nor probably do you (unless somebody stole your personal story ,then fair enough), so no point arguing about it, people talk stuff, I learnt not to trust anybody too much apart from my very close circle of comrades when it comes to "war stories" :( I have heard about Daves accounts of events not being completely right, but never heard about him "stealing" somebodys else story (unless you talk about S. Tilzey, but then again when he starts his proper work with Searchlight, this is only at the very end of his part of the book). I enjoyed the reading immensely and dont have reasons to think that there were any outiright lies in there. But then as I said, pinch of salt is always good ;) It just makes you think when it is mostly fash that are fuming about that book and calling it outright lie and then you start hearing similar stories from few people from AFA side..not nice.
Anyway, going back to Beating The Fascists, I think Malatestas review is very good. Its a book that is definitely worth reading, but I wouldnt trust too much RAs personal attacks on certain people. Anyway, so far its only book writing about AFA in depth, so better than nothing and it certainly got lots of interesting parts. There is another work in progress on the subject which will write about Anarchist involvement in AFA, something which seems to be quite downplayed in RA book.