Anti Fascist Gathering - Lancaster June 22nd
Jun 18 2006 22:13
The fascist BNP are standing in a local council by-election. The count is on Thursday evening at Ryelands School. There will be a gathering of various groups and individuals to let the fash know that they are not welcome and not wanted.
Jun 19 2006 16:11
#2
I understand your comments - but unfortunately we do have to react. The bnp are going to have a visible presence... I think we need to be there to counter that.
Last time nazis stood in the local area (England First, at Heysham) we outnumbered them massively at the count, we refused to be kept in place by the snodge presence, we broke away and chased the fash down the road... they were forced to retreat cowering behind snodge protection. I'm not convinced we should just ignore them when they show up and try to organise.
On meeting up - I think that's very important. I will try to arrange date / time /venue. Are you OK to travel north?
Solidarity
n xx
Jun 19 2006 16:16
#3
Toy around with something in the North West forum and see what response you get, I think a few would be interested.
But Im curious as to who you are refering to when you say we?
Jun 19 2006 16:57
#4
october_lost wrote:
Toy around with something in the North West forum and see what response you get, I think a few would be interested.But Im curious as to who you are refering to when you say we?
I am happy to be proved wrong, but given the reputation of Lancaster UAF, perhaps they are going to hit the BNP with rolled up copies of Searchlight?
Jun 19 2006 20:24
#5
PaulMarsh wrote:
october_lost wrote:
Toy around with something in the North West forum and see what response you get, I think a few would be interested.But Im curious as to who you are refering to when you say we?
I am happy to be proved wrong, but given the reputation of Lancaster UAF, perhaps they are going to hit the BNP with rolled up copies of Searchlight?
At least that'd keep a few Searchlights from being posted through people's doors!
I'm convinced the Pendle adapted version of Searchlight posted around Marsden and Clover Hill wards during recent local elections agravated the problem - all full of the joys of Labour regeneration money pooring into the area - far away from reality, and most people's experience in the area. Plus their reactive ring rounds telling people not to vote BNP (received one of their calls myself).
Searchlight disappeared after the local elections, meanwhile the BNP has been door to dooring, delivering their paper Freedom around Cloverhill and Marsden. No doubt the same is repeated where they had success in other areas.
I'd welcome a gathering to discuss anti-fascist tactics up north. We've some ideas here we're already putting into practice - ideas which aren't reactive.
Jun 19 2006 21:24
#6
I think I used "we" to refer to anyone interested in oppossing the nazis. I am not a UAF member... but they have been active against the fash candidate... one of their posters was crap and did call on people to "vote mainstream to stop the bnp"... the leaflet I helped give out was just saying "don't vote bnp - they are nazis / racists / thugs etc"... I also agree that they are not likely to use anything other than rolled up searchlights... however we can't not turn up ourselves (as in "we the people"!!) just because UAF / Labour / Greens / Liberals will also be there...
There is also "we" as in Lancaster Anarchist Group. We have made our own posters / stickers... but isn't that also "reactive" to the fact that the bnp are standing a candidate in town??
Will sort out venue / date / etc for north west af meeting, and take things from there...
solidarity...
xx nb
Jun 20 2006 21:34
#7
Good luck to everyone who opposes the fascists. Nice one rnb, and all my other friends in Lancaster, both 
's and UAF. Sorry I couldn't help you more - (I have been out of town as part of my job, and generally really busy with work).
Good luck whatever you do. To be honest, I havent a clue as to the best tactics v the BNP. There are problems with all past strategies: i.e. a) call for a labour vote; b) label them as the Nazis they really are with propaganda leaflets; c) beat them up; d) build a political working class alternative.
The strategies that may have worked since the 70's no longer work. I dont know what will. But at least Lancaster people are showing active opposition. Thats better than nothing. Nice one. Keep it up. I'll give a hand when I can. All the best!
Jun 20 2006 22:48
#8
cheers barry. Hopefully see you on Thursday. I would say a combination of your ideas should be considered. With the exception of "vote labour / mainstream"... These bastard mainstream parties must take a large slice of the blame for the bnp gaining some support in local elections.
However, we should not be too down about our efforts in mobilising against the nazis.... I'm sure it has made a difference... Do you remember the may day march in Lancaster 2005? The bnp tried to join it... the TUC hacks took a "conscious decision" to allow this to happen... however a few of us took a conscious decision to drive that miserable fash bastard out of town... we can stop them mobilising locally... What do they have 1 member???? The others come from Blackpool... We do also need to build alternatives in our communities, and work. See you soon.
nb x
Jun 22 2006 23:37
#9
Just got back from this anti fascist demo in lancaster. Those present outnumbered the fash considerably. We had a minor confrontation with some nazi bnp scum. The snodge were very quick to intervene. The majority on the demo were content with the peaceful protest. There were about 2 fash from lancaster, 2 from yorkshire, and a couple we didn't really know. This was there best chance of making electoral gains here so far. They failed. However they did get 200 votes which is 200 too many. We greeted them with abuse and "nazi scum off our streets" chants as they sped away with snodge protection.
We plan to organise a local meeting involving friends from the north west, to discuss future plans.
We plan to keep the fight going - in our communities, and workplaces.
Solidarity.
nb xx
Jun 23 2006 01:30
#10
Nice one - Good there was a protest - wish I was there! Been travelling away again, just got back.
What do you think it all means? I hear the Labour candidate won with four times as many votes. So the BNP came last - out of three parties, behind the Tories. According to some gossip the Fash vote was not mainly located on Ryelands, but in Scale Hall. After the Mal Hussein stuff, perhaps Ryelands people are sick of the snotty anti-working class media attitudes miss-interperating them and misslabelling them all as some sort of simpleton racist dumfuck white trash? Perhaps the BNP just followed this easy media sterotype and stand a candidate there. But by and large people have snubbed the fash. 200 votes is 200 votes too many, though. No room for complacency here. They still will have strengthened their forces, but so have the local anti-fascists.
The BNP stand for election the first time in Lancaster and then by some coincidence we get racist attacks in our city centre:
http://www.lep.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=73&ArticleID=1581239
A bunch of white lads had been drinking all staurday, and attacked a local asian woman who was shopping with her niece and elderly mother. She was pulled down by her hair and headscarf while being screamed at as a 'paki'.
I've seen the arguement in antifascist literature that wherever the BNP scum spread their poision, racist violence follows. This literature was about places in London like Barking and Eltham - but now the're organising here, and we see this.
Jun 23 2006 12:57
#11
Was there any actions against the racist attacks? I would priortise that possibly.
Jun 24 2006 08:21
#12
Regarding the racist attack in town - what do folk suggest we can do to priotise our efforts? Any ideas?
Barry - I think you are right about the anti fascists locally have also been strengthened through recent direct action. We will be continuing this, we need to ensure we can stop the bnp organising (period)... as well as opposing them when they are standing in elections... Interesting what you said about the areas where he got votes... this was an area he was leafletting way before the election. He did actually get arrested for "inciting racial hatred" (though not charged - as far as I know). We can strengthen our hand further in local communities to make it impossible for him to operate.
Also we gotta link the policies / failures of new labour to the current situation. These people provide ideal propaganda for nazis... they (new labour) are the ones who have said we are being swamped by asylum seekers, that we must have stricter immigration laws, etc etc.... Then at the count on Thursday the labour guy wanted a photo opportunity in front of the demo!!
Jun 25 2006 16:03
#13
Hi,
I just picked up on this post and noticed that you're hoping to organise a NW meeting. I would be pleased to attend this too.
I think that we need to look at the issues that are troubling people in our own localities, which the BNP are latching onto, and try to find alternative ways of dealing with those issues so that the people who are being persuaded to vote/work with the BNP, for lack of anybody else to work with, will see that there is an alternative, and that they can do a lot themselves to resolve issues/put pressure on their local councils.
RnB there are a few who wont be happy about this kind of thing because its reactive, and shows the left in its usual protest mode and unable to offer an alternative. I will do my best to pass this on, but maybe those interested in stopping the fash in the NW should meet up?