No Pasaran!
ANTIFA News
Issue 1 MayDay 2008 Free/Donation
NO PLATFORM FOR BNP SCUM
In the 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s militant antifascists confronted the BNP and their fellow fascist scum, and forced them off the streets. Having regrouped in cheap suits, and with a fascist agenda masked by an electoral façade, the BNP are once again coming out of their rat-holes and trying to spread their racist poison through paper-sales and leafleting. Antifa are determined to confront the fascist BNP wherever and whenever they appear. We will allow NO PLATFORM for fascists.
Around the country, from Oxford to Nottingham, and from Barnsley to Selby, the BNP are meeting militant opposition from antifascists. In Oxford, antifascist students mobilised to oppose Nick Griffin speaking alongside fellow Nazi David Irving, with a contingent breaking through police lines to occupy the meeting room. In Nottingham antifascists blockaded a BNP meeting which Griffin was attending, preventing it from taking place. In Yorkshire, BNP paper sales in Barnsley and Selby have been attacked and smashed, while in Leeds BNP-friendly venues have had extra ventilation provided and been redecorated.
In other parts of the country too, the BNP are finding out that we will oppose them anytime, anywhere, and by any means necessary. As we will all fascist organisations.
Antifa is a national federation comprised of local groups of militant antifascists, affiliated to the international Antifa movement. We exist to confront fascist ideas, activities and organisations wherever and however they occur. We utilise a wide range of tactics and believe it is important to confront fascism physically as well as ideologically. We do not advocate the electoral process as the means of defeating fascism nor will we work with groups that do. Our structure is anti-authoritarian and non hierarchical. We oppose discrimination based on race, gender, sexuality, ability or age. We will not work with, accept information from, nor pass information to the magazine Searchlight.
Why ‘No Pasaran!’? ‘No Pasaran!’ was the battle cry of Spanish and Catalan antifascists, who rose up to defend their revolution against General Franco’s fascist ‘Falange’. While the antifascists were eventually defeated in the Spanish Civil War, ‘No Pasaran!’ (roughly translated as ‘They shall not pass!’) has remained as a rallying cry for militant antifascists internationally. It is also a message to fascists, that while they may have won that particular battle, 70 years later, we are still here to oppose and confront them, and always will be. No Pasaran!
Contacts
We have groups and contacts all across the country, so if you want to get involved get in touch with us and we’ll pass your details on to your nearest group. Our national and regional details are below:
Antifa, PO Box 467, London, E8 3QX. Email: info@antifa.org.uk Phone: 07880697831
Brighton: antifabrighton@live.co.uk
Gloucester: gloucester@antifa.org.uk
London: antifalondon@mail.com
Norfolk: norwichandnorfolk@antifa.org.uk
West Midlands: westmids@antifa.org.uk
West Yorkshire: The635Group@mail.com
WWW.ANTIFA.ORG.UK
BNP VENUES TARGETTED IN LEEDS
Venues being used by the British National Party in West Yorkshire are increasingly coming under attack from local antifascists. Property attacks on BNP venues, often while BNP meetings are taking place, have been going on for some years, generally taking the form of bricked windows and paint-bomb attacks in addition to the locks being glued.
In the latest wave of actions 4 venues which have knowingly and repeatedly hosted the BNP have been attacked, with 3 actions taking place in one night alone.
The venues targeted so far are as follows:
- Ireland Wood Social Club, Ireland Wood, Leeds.
- The Dog & Gun public house, Killingbeck, Leeds.
- Woodkirk Valley Country Club, Tingley, Leeds.
- The Middleton Arms, Middleton, Leeds.
Better Red Than Dead!
In a statement released to Indymedia the antifascists who carried out the actions said:
“The attacks on the venues took the form of damage to property, comprising glued locks and the smashing of several windows with red paint being thrown inside.
“The purpose of this action is to send a clear message that we will do all we can to prevent the fascist BNP spreading their racist poison within West Yorkshire, and will actively confront those who provide them with resources and/or attempt to turn a quick profit from assisting them. Nick Griffin and his shabby cohorts may wear suits and ties instead of blackshirts, but we are not fooled as to the true nature of the fascist BNP. “
Old Hands
All of the venues have been used repeatedly by the BNP, and are far from ‘innocent parties’, they are actively and knowingly assisting the BNP in spreading racism. This is either because they ally themselves with the BNP’s politics, because they see a fast buck in providing a venue to a group most would shun, or a combination of both. Either way, they are a legitimate target for militant antifascists.
In The Country
The Woodkirk Valley Country Club, which has hosted meetings of the Countryside Alliance in addition to those of the BNP, was recently used as the venue for a meeting attended by Nick Griffin. BNP members attending the meeting arrived to find the carpark seeded with ‘caltrops’, and subsequently the building was extensively redecorated with antifascist graffiti as well as having its locks glued. We hope that the Woodkirk Valley Country Club are beginning to learn that there is no long-term profit in facilitating fascists. You can contact the club on 0113 252 2139.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NAZIS!
Every year the sad Hitlerites of the Nazi People's Party', for the London meeting fringe like to celebrate their fuhrer's the BPP had planned. Unfortunately for birthday on April 20th. While some still both groups they came face to face - or strut around in jackboots and rather face to fist - with some militant lederhosen (and probably shove an antifascist resistance. And this time the orange in their mouths), others have cops weren't there for them to hide used the excuse
behind.of St George's
The re-Day on April 23rd
direction point to to disguise their
the BPP meeting activities slightly.
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turned over, with 19th, the National
a number of Front, once the
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BPP 'National the British far
Organiser' Sid Right assembled
Williamson, a for a march at
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who was were 17 of them!
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security, was heavily
receiving a well-protected by the
deserved police and
beating. Others
consisted of some particularly pathetic-looking Nazis shambling from one Eltham train station to another, without even the numbers to hold their own banners!
After this sad spectacle, some of this shower decided to join up with their fellow Nazis, the so-called 'British
fled leaving their squealing comrades to get their just desserts - with a menu which included hospital treatment! Happy Birthday Nazis! We look forward to giving you the same next year, and every chance we get in between!
STOP THE BNP’S SCUMFEST
Once again the BNP plan to hold their annual ‘Red, White & Blue’ festival, where fascists from all over the country, and beyond, gather to forge ties, plot racist attacks, sing songs about the ‘Third Reich’, and drunkenly fall about waving their handbags at each other. We at Antifa are determined to do our best to spoil their fun. We will be organising a militant response to the BNP’s ScumFest, to be held in Derbyshire in August. If you would like to join us please contact us at our national e-mail address and we’ll let you know about transport going from your area.
BNP ATTEMPT TO COURT IRISH VOTE IN LONDON MAYORAL
ELECTIONS
BNP members have long been known for their hatred of the Irish, and particularly the Irish community in Britain. So the latest attempts by the BNP to court the Irish vote in the London mayoral elections are particularly cynical.
In a BNP leaflet called ‘The Londoner’, a supposed student, ‘Samantha White’, claims: “I’m voting BNP because they are the only party who care about the Irish. Our jobs are under threat from economic migrants and only the BNP will stop this. The BNP value the Irish community and will defend their interests.”
Clearly Samantha White (if such a person exists) has never been to any BNP meetings, or socialised with BNP members, for whom their anti-Irish racism usually runs as deep as their anti -black racism. Ms White may also wish to note that the BNP's last London Mayoral candidate was Jason Douglas, convicted and jailed back in 1994 after a fascist mob attacked an Irish pub in Kilburn, on the day of the annual Bloody Sunday commemoration. Does she believe he values the Irish community, and would protect its interests? Would any Irish people wish to live in a London run by fascists?
The Irish community in Britain has a long history of involvement in antifascist and anti-racist activities, and should be able to smell a BNP rat a mile off. This approach is however a reminder to all anti-fascists in London to redouble their efforts at a time when fascism in Britain is stronger electorally than ever before. We will need to be stronger than previously to beat it back.
BNP LEAKING LIKE A SIEVE
The recent tensions, followed by expulsions in the BNP has produced a little windfall for anti-fascists. Whilst the BNP leadership is currently bigging their 'crack' security team at every opportunity (and given the amount of coke swilling around in the BNP these days, we use the word crack deliberately) more information than ever is actually flowing out of the BNP.
We are not going to say if it was people inside Nick Griffin's tent who passed us the BNP's security manual, or if it came from people who are now outside the tent pissing in. Our message to BNP members is however clear - if you are relying on the BNP's security apparatus to protect you from antifascists, you have backed a loser (something you’d have witnessed if you’d seem them quaking in the pub when confronted by Antifa in Oxford.)
You can view the BNP’s ‘Security Manual’ by going to http:// www.antifa.org.uk/nucleus3.32/ nucleus332/ and putting ‘security manual’ into the search box. Or you could always ask Nick Griffin for a copy by phoning him on 01938820560 at home, or on his mobile: 07980906501.
| ANTIFA ON THE RADIO A member of Antifa England was recently interviewed by Dissident Island Radio. You can listen to the interview and download it as an mp3 at http:// antifa.org.uk/antifainterview.mp3 | Cable St Anniversary Gig DVD A DVD has now been released of last year’s Antifa Cable Street anniversary gig. The DVD features Blaggers ITA, Geoffery Oi!cott, Bottlejob, Mob, Chester, Def Con Zero and Active Slaughter. It can be ordered for £7 from the Antifa address on page 2. |
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FALLEN COMRADES
Over the past months, in mainland Europe, a number of young antifascists have been tragically killed in cowardly attacks by Nazis. As you would expect from these scum, they attack in packs, ambushing their victims, and using knives.
Last November, Carlos Javier Palomino, a 16 year-old antifascist was stabbed to death while on his way to oppose a fascist rally in Madrid. Antifa England, together with members of the Anarchist Federation, subsequently held a memorial rally at the monument to the International Brigades in Jubilee Gardens, London.
In January, 18 year-old Jan Kukera was stabbed to death in the Czech Republic.
Most recently, in Moscow, where fascist violence is endemic, 21 year-old Alexey Krylov was stabbed to death in March.
We will not be intimidated, we expect this sort of violence from fascists, it is what they are about, and they should expect no quarter from us in return. All these attacks, and the other non-fatal stabbings of antifascists, are marked not only by their cowardly nature, but by the way in which the antifascists have bravely fought back despite often overwhelming odds. The murders have also been marked by the mobilisation of fellow antifascists in response.
Antifa England extends our solidarity to our international comrades. We will send them physical support and funds whenever and wherever possible, and we renew our commitment to confront fascism by any means necessary.
On the Antifa England website we now have a ‘Fallen Comrades’ section commemorating some of those who have given their lives in the struggle against fascism.
Obituary: Leon Greenman 18.12.1910 - 7.3.2008
The sad news has reached us that Leon Greenman has died at the grand old age of 97. Some of us at Antifa remember meeting Leon when we provided security for some of his extremely moving talks in the nineties. Leon dedicated his life to telling others of his experiences in the Nazi death camps after losing his wife Esther and son Barney, aged three, to the camps.
The only Englishman sent to Auschwitz, Leon was born in Whitechapel East London in 1910 before moving to the Netherlands. It was here that the family were sent to Auschwitz in 1943. He was liberated by the Americans from Buchenwald camp in1945. His dedication and inspiration to others will not be forgotten. This quote from Leon says it all.
"Young and old alike must learn about the Holocaust as warning against the dangers of racism. There is no difference in colour or religion. If I had survived to betray the dead it would have been better not to survive. We must not forget. Please do not forget."
Salud comrade.
Cranks’ Corner
The Only Nazi In The Village?
We hope comedian Matt Lucas (belowright) won’t be too offended if we wonder aloud at the distinct similarity between one of his Little Britain characters and ‘British People’s Party’ buffoon Peter ‘Sid’ Williamson.
Last year, Williamson, the BPP’s ’National Organiser’ strayed from his armchair at 39 Stepham Avenue, Saltdean to confront the annual Gay Pride march in nearby Brighton. Whereupon he received the ‘Queer bashing’ of his life!
Insecurity
It may not quite be a case of ‘with enemies like these, who needs friends?’ But we are nonetheless impressed by the track-record of self-styled Nazi ‘security’ outfit, the so-called ‘Wolf’s Hook White Brotherhood’. Their pathetic ‘security’ showing a few years ago at Rawdon, near Leeds, when they were shown to be totally incapable of protecting a John Tyndall memorial meeting against a few antifascists, pales into insignificance compared to the more recent coup of their ‘Head of Security’, Jan Pakulski. Pakulski, of Carlton Road, Worksop, stabbed the Nazi drinking outfit’s founder, Mick ‘Belsen’ Sanderson to death in a drunken row about the fidelity of Pakulski’s fellow gang member and girlfriend, the equally odious Catherine Parker-Brown. Pakulski will be out of prison in time for his 60th birthday.
Coming Soon To Broadmoor
Another Nazi who is currently behind bars is the ‘British People’s Party’s Martyn Gilleard. Gilleard, of Pool Court, Pasture Road, Goole, East Yorkshire was arrested last year in possession of 4 nail bombs and plans to bomb mosques. We imagine the clueless Gilleard, who showed the bombs to fellow Nazis on his webcam, is currently learning quite a lot about tolerance and living with those of a different ethnic/ religious background to himself. Gilleard would have had to travel a considerable distance from his Goole home to even find a mosque, but now he is forced to live cheek by jowl with muslims interned in the small Special Secure Unit in Belmarsh prison. Unfortunately, they are also forced to live with him. We understand that Gilleard, (pictured below munching an Aryan bagel), just like his hero ‘Brixton Bomber’ David Copeland, who shared the unit with members of the ‘Real IRA’, has very little to say for himself. Just like Copeland, Gilleard will probably soon be doing the ‘Largactlyl shuffle’ round the corridors of Broadmoor.
REDWATCH - DO WE CARE? DO WE F**K!
Redwatch is a so-called fascist ‘hate-site’, where members of the far-right post pictures of the enemies they will ‘one day make pay’. While the site is undoubtedly designed to intimidate, as with many myths by and about fascists, and often circulated by the pseudo antifascist entity Searchlight, the reality about Redwatch, is very different to the fascist wanking fantasy they would like us to believe.
Experienced antifascists have long realised that fascist fantasies about ‘Aryan hard-men’, also long propagated by Searchlight, were far from the truth. The reality is that most fascists are snivelling little cowards.
So it is with Redwatch, the reality is very far from the myth Searchlight have helped to create. The site is filled with photos taken from Indymedia and suchlike, showing trade unionists, antiwar protestors, students, and liberal anti -racists. Along with the photos are a sprinkling of contact details gleaned from public sources. Much of this information is out of date, and frankly drivel.
Included in the glaring lack of information posted on Redwatch, mixed in with pictures of people who happened to go on a demo at some point in their lives, are pics of a few militant antifascists. But so what?
Do we really care that Kevin Watmough, the main architect of Redwatch, knows what a few of our comrades may look like? Do we f**k! Watmough, of 58 Abbeydale Oval, Leeds, LS5 3RF is typical of the fascist reality - A pathetic degenerate, who when he leaves his bedroom, shambles about in his dirty, un-ironed clothes, afraid to take his eyes from the pavement.
Redwatch may be violence by proxy, but there’s a big difference between Watmough cackling in his bedroom because he’s taken a new picture from Indymedia, and any threat. Despite the occasional secret gatherings of inbred swastika-wearing morons, the far-Right are not in a position to carry out their pathetic fantasies.
Watmough - Fascist ‘Hard Man’? Don’t make us laugh!
If it were not for the likelihood that we’d be inundated with unwanted pizza, and we thought these cowards would actually come to us for a change, we’d post up our addresses ourselves, so that we didn’t have to spend so much time chasing gutless Nazis.
The reality is that we know more about the fascists than they ever will about us, and unlike them we have the guts and determination to act. While we advise all antifascists to take their personal security seriously, Redwatch is a joke.
Despite their well-publicised antipathy, the state manipulated bogeyman Redwatch, and the state affiliated Searchlight, enjoy an almost symbiotic relationship. If Redwatch didn’t exist, then Searchlight would probably invent it
- that’s if they didn’t anyway!
