The purpose of this column is to record the sacrifice and endeavour of those anti-fascists who have paid the ultimate price in opposing fascism and Nazism.

Our struggle did not end in 1945, indeed the recent rise of fascist ideals across Europe has led to both an upsurge in our struggle, and an upsurge in our losses.

We are under no illusions about the importance of this struggle. We know we cannot take one step backwards, as to surrender to fascism is to surrender life itself.

We salute the following comrades:

Jan Kucera , aged 18 from the Czech Republic.
Murdered in Pibram, near Prague on 18 January 2008.

Jan was stabbed last Friday after confronting a knife wielding fascist who had pursued a group of his teenage friends following a clash in a pub between young anti fascist skinheads and a group of fascists who had taunted them with nazi salutes and slogans. The attacker stabbed Jan in the chest and back with a large military style knife, before fleeing the scene. Jan's distraught friends managed to stop the enormous bleeding from his chest until the ambulance arrived, but then tragically discovered he had been stabbed in the back as well.

Jan lost a lot of blood and even though he fought bravely for his life, he lost this final battle two days later. ??His favourite song was "Till the end of my life I'd be anti-fascist!" by Slovak Antifa band Rozpor, and until the tragic end of his young life that’s what Jan was, dying for his principles while defending his young teenage friends from an armed enemy and refusing to be bullied by murdering fascist scum Rest in peace, Jan.

Carlos Javier Palomino, aged just 16 from Spain.
Murdered in Madrid, on 12 November 2007.

A contemporary report stated:

An antifascist activist was stabbed in the heart when on his way to a demo in Madrid. A nazi group called Democracia Nacional had called for a demo against immigration in a popular neighborhood in town, where many foreign nationals live, mainly Latin American workers. This fascist act had been authorised by the local government, from the Conservative party. Another demo was called by antifascist groups to defend the area.
While on his way there, the comrade, only 16 years of age, together with some friends, spotted a guy sporting Nazi paraphernalia on the underground. When "called to attention", the bastard pulled out a knife, stabbed Carlos in the heart, and another antifascist militant in the lung, while trying to run out of the tube station. Carlos died, the other guy has been badly hurt, but doctors say he will live? The others in the group of antifascists chased the bastard, and beat him within an inch of his life, until the police arrived and attacked the antifascists. The nazi is (was) a service person, in the Spanish army. He is now in a critical condition in hospital, where I hope he will die soon? Also, a guy in the antifascist lot was hurt when police shot him in the eye with a rubber bullet.

Several days of rioting then occurred in Madrid. In London Carlos was commemorated with a moving event at the International Brigade Memorial on the Southbank on 24 November 2007.

Ilya Borodaenko aged 21 from Russia
Murdered at Angarsk, Siberia on 21 July 2007.

Ilya, from Nachodka, was attending an anti-nuclear protest camp when he and his fellow protestors were attacked at night by an armed gang of Nazis.

A member of the respected Russian Anarchist group Autonomous Action, he died from head injuries sustained during the attack.

Alexander Ryuchin aged 19 from Russia.
Murdered in Moscow on 16 April 2006.

Alexander was attacked on his way to the club “Planeta Lda”, where he was going to see the German punk band “Tackleberry”. He was approaching the club with his friend, when they were jumped by 6-8 Nazis. There was hardly any fight, Aleksandr was immediately stabbed to the heart and died before paramedics arrived 30 minutes later.

Timur Kacharava aged 20, from Russia
Murdered in St Petersburg, on 13th November 2005

A member of the punk/hardcore band "Sandinista!" and also a participant in Food Not Bombs, Timor was murdered by a group of about 10 Nazis after a Food not Bombs action in the centre of St. Petersburg.

In December 2005 anti-fascists in Rome renamed Paolo di Nella Boulevard (which was called after a fascist) Timur Kacharava Boulevard.

Davide "DAX" Cesare Murdered on 16 March 2003,
Milan , Italy

Davide "DAX" Cesare, a 26 year-old worker, murdered by fascists on 16 March 2003. Dax, was a militant from the social centre ORSo (“workshop of social
resistance”) of Milano.

He had just left, with some other comrades, a bar in the neighborhood of Ticinese. Outside, waiting for the comrades, a couple of neo-fascists armed with knifes, supported by a third much older man.

It was later discovered that the two younger fascists are brothers and the older man their father. They were named as Federico, Mattia e Giorgio
Morbi ( 28,17 & 54 years old).

The aggression of neo-fascists was quick and particularly violent.
Multiple stab wounds are inflicted in vital areas: Dax is dead on arrival at hospital; another two youths are injured (one very seriously but likely
survives). Later police beat-up and teargas friends of Dax at the hospital he was taken to.

Linn Newborn and Daniel Shersty from the USA
Murdered in Nevada, on July 3, 1998

Linn Newborn, who was black, and Daniel Shersty who was white, were both anti-fascist skinheads in Las Vegas. Involved with Anti Racist Action and Unity Skins, they were lured to the Nevada desert on the promise of a party, before being shot to death by a neo-Nazi, John Butler.

Blair Peach, aged 33 from New Zealand
Murdered in Southall on April 23 1979.

Blair Peach was killed by the Metropolitan Police’s Special Patrol Group during clashes in protest at a National Front rally. Peach, who had left the Socialist Workers Party shortly before his death, is commemorated in Linton Kwesi Johnson’s “Reggae Fi Peach”.

The Metropolitan Police reached an out of court settlement with his family in 1989. At the time of his death Labour MP Jack Straw was one of 79 MP’s who called for a public inquiry into the killing. In 1999, when Mr Straw was Home Secretary, calls for an inquiry, and a request for the death to be re-investigated by Scotland Yard, were rejected by the Home Office.

Kevin Gately aged 21 from England
Murdered in Holborn, on June 15 1974.

Kevin was found dead from head injuries in Red Lion Square during clashes between the police and anti-fascists trying to prevent National Front members entering Conway hall.

A student at Warwick University, it is most likely his death was a result of a blow from a mounted police officer’s truncheon.