UK: Is there an "active" anti-fascist movement?

[The Guy]

During the height of 2010, Unite Against Fascism, an emerging competitor against the far-right, emerged like a God-send. It truly did unite people of all shades and beliefs within the UK. In fact, I can remember a huge demonstration taking place in Manchester which literally over-shadowed the EDL and BNP.

I've noticed, however, there has been some decline in numbers. There is no active front in the UK, in my eyes. I've been in Germany for some time and have seen the constant activism by German citizens to halt the fash from spreading hatred or extremism.

ANTIFA, Good Night White Pride, Antideutsche and so forth are big over there. However, in the UK, I can only think of the UAF. SHARP seems to be a beautiful movement of the past nowadays.

Is there any active movement in the UK against fascism?

[union6]

I think Unite is probably the biggest if not the only nationwide active group, UK Antifa seems to no longer exist, online at least.

[Sasha]

Uaf a god send? :laugh:

Uaf was nothing more than the so much'ed incarnation of the bandwagon the swp leadership jumps on whenever its fashionably again to pretend they are worried about the extreme right.
thousand of well meaning people wasted their time in police kettles shouting nazi scum of our streets only to be deserted by their leaders when push came to shove.
It happend several times before (ANL anybody) it will sadly enough happen again.
Luckily between the actually effective antifascists who always also re-emerge if the fash problem gets out of hand (being a fundamentally reactive movement antifa activity is deeply entwined with fash ones) and the unparraleld ability of fash to infight and in general not be able to organise a piss up in a brewery its been a while since it really got out of hand.

[The Guy]

I think Unite is probably the biggest if not the only nationwide active group, UK Antifa seems to no longer exist, online at least.

The only thing I know of in terms of any UK-based ANTIFA group is Liverpool Antifascists (http://liveraf.wordpress.com/).


Uaf a god send? :laugh:

It was/is an initiative which saved any direct hatred being spouted on the left/youths/the Asian community. In terms of what it did to demonstrate an opposition to fascism could be considered a moderate success.

What else other than UAF is/was there?


Uaf was nothing more than the so much'ed incarnation of the bandwagon the swp leadership jumps on whenever its fashionably again to pretend they are worried about the extreme right.
thousand of well meaning people wasted their time in police kettles shouting nazi scum of our streets only to be deserted by their leaders when push came to shove.
It happend several times before (ANL anybody) it will sadly enough happen again.
Luckily between the actually effective antifascists who always also re-emerge if the fash problem gets out of hand (being a fundamentally reactive movement antifa activity is deeply entwined with fash ones) and the unparraleld ability of fash to infight and in general not be able to organise a piss up in a brewery its been a while since it really got out of hand.

It's a real shame it's only been a "now-and-then" movement. A permanent one is needed - expecting anything permanent from the divided left though is quite a large plea.

I think the attitude of being there only if the situation gets out of hand is heavily flawed.

[Sasha]

What else other than UAF is/was there?


43 group, 63 group, swp stewards group, AFA, redaction, antifa!uk being the most prominent in post ww2 history.



It's a real shame it's only been a "now-and-then" movement. A permanent one is needed - expecting anything permanent from the divided left though is quite a large plea.

I think the attitude of being there only if the situation gets out of hand is heavily flawed.

Agreed, hence continental groups, esp in Germany try to broaden their actions in general confrontative conflict with state & capital (after all the masters of the rabid dog that is fascisn)d

[BurnTheOliveTree]

thousand of well meaning people wasted their time in police kettles shouting nazi scum of our streets only to be deserted by their leaders when push came to shove.

Martin Smith gets fairly routinely snatched by the pigs on UAF demos and was convicted for hitting a policeman on one a while back. Weyman Bennett was arrested for something like 'conspiracy to commit violent disorder' on a UAF demo. I don't think it's fair to say they desert people on the demos, or imply that they get others into trouble and don't take any flak themselves.

-Alex

[Anarchist Skinhead]

in most of places UAF are complete wankers (their leadership) with few notable exceptions. Mentioned UAF types got nicked once each just to put them back in line and they did. Most of the time they organize demos away from the fash, although today in Brighton was definitely good exception when they joined counter demo organised by Brighton Anti-fascists.
Growing militant Antifa type group is : http://antifascistnetwork.wordpress.com/

[The Idler]

A better question would be is there any movement effective at reducing fascism?
A lot of people would say UAF are almost as bad as their ex-partners Searchlight. UAF recruit and Searchlight monitored. Heard a rumour they're going to even drop no-platform, might be the first sensible thing they ever do.

[Anarchist Skinhead]

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2012/04/495269.html todays example of action organised my militant antifascists