Antifa Action Statement

In recent years, the presence of anti-fascists has been small and disorganised. There has been little organised opposition to fascism in this country. Any opposition that has sprung up has often come in the form of the liberal Anti-Nazi League (or now Unite Against Fascism) and the call for a ‘vote anyone who isn’t BNP’ campaign. This has failed pitifully. By calling people to vote Labour or Tory to keep the BNP out, liberals have been asking people to vote for the same people who created all the problems that made them turn to the BNP originally. As such, the fascists have continued to grow and make further headway in communities up and down the country. It is out of this context that a new anti-fascist group has been set up.

Antifa aims to tackle fascism from two angles. First, ideologically. We intend to expose the BNP and other far-right parties for what they are: lying racist politicians with no solutions for the British working class. We intend to counter the fear and lies spread by such groups and fight a ‘hearts and minds’ struggle with them. Countering their policies and taking away the basis of their support is a massive part of what Antifa will do (and arguably the most important).

Secondly, Antifa intends to tackle fascism physically, head first, on the streets. Fascism is not an ‘extreme’ version of conservatism. It is an ideology based on violence and terror of opposition. It is no coincidence that wherever far-right groups become active, there is an upsurge in racial violence. The aim of street mobilisations is to give the image of ‘controlling the streets’ very much in the tradition of the Blackshirts of Oswald Mosely, the dead British fascist aristocrat who lead the old British Union of Fascists both before and after WW2. As such, militant direct action against fascist mobilisations are an essential part of the overall struggle against fascism. When successful, they destroy the image of hardnut, untouchable Aryan skinheads that these groups like to push for themselves. Remember, only they believe in a master race and they can take a kicking just like anyone else! Successes have already been made in this field with two BNP being attacked on Borough High Street, London, after leaving a picket and four WNP were stopped from leafleting in Portrush, N. Ireland and had all there material (including one flag) confiscated by anti-fascists.

Antifa, however, is a very new group and is still very much in the developing stages. We currently have groups in Brighton, Gloucester, Kent, Norwich, Nottingham, London, West Mids and West Yorkshire and are expecting to set up many more around the UK. We are encouraging all those interested in militant anti-fascism to get in contact and set up groups in their local areas. Though the fascists are growing, their politics are shallow and based on knee-jerk reactions. With a little bit of hard work, they can be defeated, as they have been regularly in this country. We’ve done it before and we can do it again. In fact, we must do it again.