Red Skins

[Anonymous]

ever heard about them? they are leftist radicals that adopt the image and the shaved head caractaristic of neo-nazis. i heard about this while watching a tv program about "urban tribes" amazining the kind of wierd shit you get to see if you stay up too late

(Edited by El_Che at 10:52 pm on Nov. 25, 2001)

[Freiheit]

are they something like the black block?

in switzerland we have just the black block, i gues.
on the first of may they ussually destroy zurich, the largest city in switzerland.

[Son of Scargill]

About 15 yrs ago I saw a band called Red Skins,weren't bad actually.Didn't get anywhere though.Shame.

[Freiheit]

whats a red skin, though.

[Rob]

Ok, this seems to require a bit of an explanation. First off, red skins are left wing skinheads. Second, not only have I heard of them, I almost am one (except for my jacket either field or leather instead of MA1) and hair (mohawk not shaved). Third, I am afraid you are misinformed El_Che. Red skins do not adopt the shaved head and other visual characteristics of neo-nazis. Both nazi "skins" (they aren't true skins) and red skins adopt the visual characteristics of the traditional skinhead, who contrary to popular belief is NOT a nazi and not racist. The skinhead subculture started in England in the late 60s. Skinheads were the children of the mod and rude boy youth cults. Mods were working class youth who listened to R&B, reggae, and what we in the U.S. call british invasion bands. Mods dressed in smart suits, and rode (motor)scooters. The rude boy cult were black jamaicans who also listened to reggae and dressed rather smartly. Skinheads were mods who shaved their heads, since hair was an encumberment in their street fights against the rockers (the enemies of the mods, fifties types). They wore steel toed boots because they protected their toes from the threats that work in factories and on docks pose. They wear jeans (or other work pants), Fred Perry polo shirts, Ben Sherman buttondowns, or T-shirts. The jacket of choice is either the MA1 flight jacket or a denim jacket. They were not racist at first, and no true skins are today. They went to many parties with rude boys, and their chosen music was reggae as well. Now comes the tragedy. Because the majority of skins were white, and they knew how to fight, nazi organizations such as the National Front and the British Movement started recruiting. Skinheads' good name was forever dirtied. However, there are still those that resist and they have organizations such as SHARP (Skin Heads Against Racial Prejudice) and RASH (Red and Anarchist Skin Heads). However the extreme right survives as well. Their primary organization is RAC (Rock Against Communism). Today, skins favorite music is either Oi! (basically hard, anthemic punk rock), reggae, or ska.