FRFI takes part in march against NF on Tyneside
Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! / Revolutionary Communist Group North East | 17.04.2007 21:52 | Anti-racism | Social Struggles
Police form a screen across the front of Weatherspoons and push protestors back
Mounted police push protestors further down the street away from Weatherspoons
Police impose conditions as the protest is taken to their doorstep
Wars of occupation, sweatshops, cheap migrant labour and the pillage of natural resources are the daily bread of British imperialism, and are justified by racism. The British state protects the NF because they are useful. When the NF march and the BNP go to the ballot box, it is the perfect excuse for Labour’s next round of attacks on black people and immigrants.
The biggest perpetrator of racism, day after day in communities across Newcastle, is the British state under a Labour government. Anybody who is not prepared to confront the British state, and who prefers to stay ‘respectable’ for fear of alienating their Labour Party ‘friends’, will also have to stop short of really dealing with the fascists.
Use Your Vote to Stop the BNP and NF?
How can you stop one racist party by voting for another racist party? Since coming to power in 1997, Labour has unleashed a wave of attacks on asylum seekers and other migrants. Families are being dragged from their homes in Newcastle and other cities in early morning raids, and being forced onto planes back to situations of extreme danger.
Thousands of children, including babies, are being locked up in immigration detention centres in Britain every year, and more centres are being built. A report last year estimated that over 300 asylum seekers are currently destitute in Newcastle, with an average of 20 forced to sleep outdoors on a given night.
The Labour government has terrorised Muslim communities with raids and shoot-to-kill policies, in an effort to scare them away from supporting the movements which are confronting imperialism in the middle east. This is nothing new. In the 1970s the Labour Party backed the same tactics against Irish immigrants to intimidate support for the Irish liberation struggle.
To talk about ‘old’ and ‘new’ Labour is an illusion, smoke and mirrors. There is only one Labour Party, and it is and always has been a thoroughly racist party. An effective movement against racism cannot be built on the basis of half-supporting and half-opposing Labour. The illusion that racism can be stopped through the parliament of the British state holds back the development of any serious movement.
The Way Forward
Fascists must be opposed on the streets wherever they organise. They won’t be stopped by votes, and they won’t be stopped unless we challenge the racism of the party in power – the Labour Party. Racism will not be challenged by a demonstration once a year, or by leafleting only in response to fascist electoral campaigns. Anti-racists need to support people engaged in the daily struggle against state racism - for example Tyneside Community Action for Refugees (TCAR) has launched a Pledge of Resistance to immigration raids. Contact us and find out how to support TCAR’s pledge.
The counter-demonstration was called by the trade unions, and as usual was dominated by Labour Party lefts attempting to use their opposition to a bunch of 50 thugs to distance themselves from the racism of their own party. FRFI comrades called them out on their party's own war against asylum seekers, and on the record of their party in terrorising Muslim communities today just as they did the Irish in the 1970s and 1980s.
The Labour lefts could think of nothing to say in their defence, but members of the Socialist Worker Party jumped to their aid and pointed out how totally inappropriate it was to be talking about racism at an anti-fascist demonstration.
As happened last year, the organisers marched the demonstrators 100 metres down the road into a police cordon, waited for the fascists to make it safely to the pub, and then announced the counter-demonstration over, around 30 minutes after it had begun. Throughout the demonstration FRFI comrades used leaflets, chants, one to one discussions and the megaphone to draw attention to the role of the police in protecting the fascists, without whom the 300 counter-demonstrators could easily have dealt with the 50 fascists. This was the British state exposed in its defence of organised fascists, yet the Labour lefts and their supporters in the SWP, Socialist Party, etc, seemed very upset at this exposure, and made every effort short of physical violence to shut down and drown out what FRFI was saying.
When the demonstration was declared officially over FRFI activists went with others to Weatherspoons, where the fascists were getting drunk under the protection of the police. Protestors formed up outside but were gradually forced back by the police using horses, one of the cops reaching out to rip the cord out of the back of a megaphone. Protestors continued to chant, exposing the cops with 'Labour's bobby on the beat Protects the fascists on the street!' and slowed down the police by linking arms and repeatedly sitting down.
When they were eventually forced back into the city centre a core of protestors headed to the police station to protest against the police's defence of the fascists. The police quickly formed a line in front of their door, and imposed the ridiculous condition under the Public Order Act that the protest could only continue for 4 minutes, after which they dispersed the protest. There was one arrest during the march for breach of the peace, which comrades only learned of later.
Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! / Revolutionary Communist Group North East
e-mail:
frfi_northeast@yahoo.com
Homepage:
http://www.frfinortheast.co.uk
Comments
Hide the following 28 comments
only good nazi is dead
17.04.2007 22:55
only good nazi is dead
tactics
17.04.2007 23:30
ex-afa
Chant Sit Down Chant Sit Down!
17.04.2007 23:46
fun fun fun
ex-afa: time and a place and priorities
18.04.2007 02:01
The input and solidarity is much appreciated though.
protestor
where's antifa when you need 'em?
18.04.2007 09:43
wob
revolutionary acts
18.04.2007 18:14
There were also some really decent people we met on the demo who are serious about fighting racism, and we're now able to have discussions with them about what to do next. If we'd taken one of ex-afa's suggestions instead of going to the main demo, we would never have met these people, and they probably would have gone home p***ed off with the way the demo had gone but unable to do anything about it by themselves, and probably totally unaware of any other action we'd taken against the fascists, however effective it had been.
I think Huey P. Newton of the Black Panthers put it well when he said that if an action doesn't mobilise the people toward the goal of their own freedom, then it's not a revolutionary act. Would a small group of us beating fascists up have done more to mobilise people towards their own freedom? Or intervening as we did in a larger demo to expose the nature of the state and the Labour Party, and then organise with people to carry on action against the fascists and the police beyond the limits set by the 'respectables'?
protestor
nearly
18.04.2007 23:40
wob
Stalin
19.04.2007 07:49
Being communists I suppose you must support the rounding up of opponents and either having mass shootings or the putting of thousands in work camps. It sounds you are living in some fantasy world.
Chairman Mao
I agree with Wob
20.04.2007 15:14
Chairman Mao: Have a cookie and pipe down, you naughty little troll.
protestor
useless
23.04.2007 11:27
anti-fascist
Pointless Marching
23.04.2007 11:39
jonathanwd1@aol.com
Homepage:
http://www.nation-of-jonathan.blogspot.com
police just doing their job.....i.e. protecting fascists
23.04.2007 23:30
I'm a bit confused by your comment. I know the police were doing their job, but their job on that day being to protect the fascists, isn't that something to oppose? We'd welcome the opportunity to discuss tactics with you seriously, but to attack us when your alternative seems to have been to go and sit in the pub seems a bit pointless. Hope to hear from you.
FRFI North East
e-mail:
frfi_northeast@yahoo.com
Homepage:
http://www.frfinortheast.co.uk
FRFI is really really revolutionary!
24.04.2007 16:18
Even the police looked bored by the protest, that's why we left you losers to do a bit of real action. By the time some of us had got into confrontation with the NF you lot had wandered off to have a demonstration at police brutality! Attention span of a fucking goldfish.
Unless you back up your revolutionary rhetoric with some action you'll sound like a pathetic joke.
300 anti-fascists could have easily dealt with the 50 NF if you hadn't all been so keen on wandering off before the action started and getting pushed around by police because you're too scared to actually confront anyone but other left groups.
Next year we'll be back and if some of your lot are up for physical confrontation instead of walking round chanting like silly wankers then we might get something done.
Militant anti-fascist
'real action?'
24.04.2007 22:17
Please tell us, what was the 'real action' you did then? And why didn't you suggest it to anyone else?
protestor
RE: 'real action'
24.04.2007 22:47
For starters real action isn't shouting at police while doing exactly what they tell you and making really really revolutionary statements.
Secondly, since militant-antifascism is illegal the rule is: Don't talk an action, not to your mates, not on the phone, not on the internet. Basic security tip for you there so I won't be telling you what happened afterwards.
Thirdly, since security and secrecy are essential to militant antifascism talking about it openly in a group of useless protestors who are surrounded by police isn't a good idea is it? Especially if that group is wanting to go whine outside the police station about 'brutality'.
militant anti-fascist
More radical than the radicals
24.04.2007 22:56
Apart from that, hitting some skin heads over the head with your empty pint let's the racist British state off the hook. Tony Blair has apologised for slavery - but what about apologising for the fact that 2,000 Congolese are killed every day by military forces sold guns by British companies (among others) whilst British multinationals suck the minerals and resources from their land - including the metal we all carry in our pockets - in our mobile phones. The state promotes, fosters and generates racist attitudes in order to serve its imperialist interests abroad. Most people from exploited countries find that obvious - and are often capable of dealing with a few moronic fascists marching to the pub. The real battle is to destroy the racist British state and those who mocked FRFI for trying to raise the political level are not on the brink of carrying out that historic task...
Keep up the good work.
Helen
Homepage:
http://www.ratb.org.uk
what?
25.04.2007 11:50
In the words of crass 'left wing, right wing, you can stuff the lot. anarchy and freedom is what i want'.
militant anti fascist - you took the words right of my fuckin mouth. good on ya.
anti fascist
RE: More radical than the radicals
25.04.2007 14:49
Police and state agents?! LOL! Who says we want to work with FRFI anyway? From what we have seen when push came to shove you lot didn't do anything.
We work to prevent the rise of fascist groups. Where they aren't opposed they thrive and grow powerful. You may consider the Blair government 'racist' and 'imperialist' but I reckon you'd prefer it to living under a fascist regime.
'Smashing the British state', hahaha, you lot couldn't storm a fucking telephone box. I reckon you could probably stand behind police lines shouting that they police are protecting telephone boxes or even sell some papers condemning telephone boxes and the police. I'd stick to that if I were you.
Militant anti-fascist
Defend Labour to the death!
25.04.2007 19:08
Dave
Fighting Fascism and Racism. Everyone has a part to play.
25.04.2007 21:24
The Socialist Workers Party talks about building broad movements and campaigns but actually means building narrow, respectable, exclusive alliances with the corrupt trade unions and Labour lefts.
There is an alternative to be fought for in discussions and joint actions and that is a real open, inclusive, democratic and active movement with room for everyone to organise against fascism and racism and for all means of struggle. From leaflets to street fighters, placard making to direct action. One tactic cannot simply be counterposed to another. Comrades, ignore those who want to run the debate along the same old lines:SWP, anarchists and "militant anti-fascists" who don't want to militate against the Labour Party.
Venceremos!
Michael MacGregor
e-mail:
frfiscotland@yahoo.co.uk
Homepage:
http://www.revolutionarycommunist.com
bollocks
26.04.2007 09:04
I know how fucked up the blair government and british (police) state is, i knew that when i went to gleneagles and anti-war marches. so don't say were only concerned about the british working class and dont care about the dead in iraq, because your talking shite quite frankly.
anti-fascist
Defending Labour?!
26.04.2007 11:51
I don't support labour so you can shut up with your little rant, I just happen to hate the NF more than I hate the labour party.
You think things are going to really improve for asylum seekers if we let the NF march unopposed through our fucking streets?
I fucking hate the SWP and labour but that doesn't mean I agree with you lot.
You are right michael, physical confrontation is not the only strategy but from what I saw the strategy of FRFI to chant, hand out some leaflers, walk around then wander off isn't a strategy at all, its a complete fucking waste of time.
Oh, and say what you like about Red Action, they may have been paranoid, overly macho and a bit nuts but at least they actually did something and backed up their rhetoric with action.
militant anti-fascist
The Labour Party and the NF
26.04.2007 22:35
I repeat, didn't you notice that it is the Labour Party which is enforcing in its violent actions the racist agenda of the fascist organisations! "Send them back"- Labour does it every day..."Bomb the black b...s"- Labour does it every day.
If you agree then there is your reason to organise and contribute to building a movement against racism and fascism which does not let the Labour Party of the hook.
What I suspect though is that this attack on those who do call for organisation against the NF and the Labour Party and do attempt to get over the real actual perspective on their respective deeds comes from those who while professing hatred of the SWP actually end up on the same side. That is minimising, excusing, avoiding and dodging the the central issue of Labour as the primary promoter of racism and imperialism.
What do you suggest is done against Labour, wait for the bloody elections? The NF were out on an annual jaunt. Labour is spilling the blood of the working class and oppressed every day. Organise against Labour now!
Michael MacGregor
e-mail:
frfiscotland@yahoo.co.uk
Homepage:
http://www.revolutionarycommunist.com
'
27.04.2007 15:15
It was only the other day I saw all the Jews in North being rounded up into an extermination camp. My trade union was forcibly smashed as well by government troops. Oh and I forgot, my disabled cousin was euthanised as well by the government.
I don't see what your point is. My point and the point of other people on this thread is that when push comes to shove FRFI does fuck all.
You've decided I support Labour with no fucking evidence and say I 'end up on the same side'. Just because we didn't follow your bunch of whiny students chanting around town doesn't mean I side with Labour, SWP scum.
FRFI talk the talk but when it comes down to it, standing behind police lines is good enough to 'smash fascism'. You lot are a joke and so is revolutionary left.
You talk about 'building a movement', but you don't fucking do anything! Even when there is only 50 NF all you do is stand behind police lines not doing anything, why should anyone trust your organisation or 'movement' to 'smash' the Labour Party when you don't even have the attention span to deal with the NF on your own fucking streets!
Militant anti-fascist
Half a Debate
30.04.2007 15:44
Michael MacGregor
e-mail:
frfiscotland@yahoo.co.uk
Homepage:
http://www.revolutionarycommunist.com
3rd rate rabble rousers
01.05.2007 15:12
What... FRFI... ahem... "Hijacked" the march? That makes me smile - I wish we had done, you give us far too much credit. I recognise your hollow words, I bet you made more noise hammering that nonsense into your computer whilst spraying spittle onto your monitor than you did at that demo. If you were so angry, if you wanted a ruck so much and go toe-to-toe with the dibble and the fash, then why didn't you? I'm guessing you're one of the 15 year old ''Anarchists'' that were all ready there, sitting in the sun enjoying a ciggy but cleared off as soon as the dibble approached? I remember trying to hold my ground with other FRFI comrades, I looked over my shoulder and the ''Anarchist'' kids where on the other side of the road, looking petrified because it was all getting a bit too 'real'. They are just poseurs that wear a bandana round the face and dress in black whilst trying to look all moody like they've been taking it to the fascists all their lives.
Well, I saw no one taking it to the fascist apart from one young fella in a green shirt. I didn't see any of these angry posters on here that sound like they've been watching too much ''Football Factory'' on DVD leading the line, trying to crack a few heads.
The Revolutionary Communist Group and Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! had an analysis of the Labour party, their middle class supporters in the unions and opportunist allies in the SWP - who also applaud the police for 'protecting them' and making it 'a safe demo' when in fact the Police were there to protect the fascists and who have also always been used to beat down the working class of this country, working class immigrants and asylum seekers.
Pointing out these contradictions and highlighting the grotesque hypocrisy of these silver tongued ex-communists that care more about protecting their own narrow class privileges and hijacking potentially revolutionary anti-imperialist movements in order to protect their alliances on the Labour left is something that needs to confronted.
One of many ways of doing this is through being confident and bold in getting your message across: dialogue, slogans, chanting, heckling, distributing literature and engaging with people - and it worked. We spoilt a nice sunny stroll in the town for a bunch of Middle Class finger waggers that wanted to wave their lolly pops at the fash for 30 mins and then go home, feeling content that they'd shown those nasty Working Class fascists that they just won't put up with it and this jolly well just won't do! - Before voting Labour in the next local elections this Thursday - and that's what a lot of Sunday was about, canvassing votes for a thoroughly racist party that are attacking immigrants and asylum seekers and Muslims in ways that probably has the fascist ejaculating over. And like I said, we did try and hold our ground, no one stood with us.
And what do you "smash the fash" mob do? Turn up once a year, wave your fists and then criticise those that didn't actually take it that one step further because you didn't have the bottle for it yourselves? What work in the council estates have you done? What community centres have you visited? What analysis of Labour Party domestic and foreign policy have you developed? Are you digging down deep within the working class to try and organise fight backs and build and working class movement?
Punching people in the face, or in the case of the keyboard warriors on here (cumming in your Y-Fronts) over the thoughts of doing so and then blaming others for not, whilst attacking a sound political analysis when you have nothing to offer but empty rhetoric reeks of 3rd rate rabble rousing.
Woggle
Middle Class Anarchists/Working Class Communists etc
02.05.2007 14:39
I’m not a member of the RCG and so I’m not speaking on their behalf and neither do I think Woggle was in the previous post, but let’s get a few things straight, I’m well aware of who they are and in my opinion all but two members in Newcastle are actually working class people and only two of them are students. At the anti NF demo’, of the FRFI comrades there, only two were middle class and only one was a student - so all this, “Do-gooder middle class FRFI” stuff is simplistic nincompoop.
Also, don’t attack the RCG and FRFI when they are about the only people on the left in Newcastle that are meeting, organising, building demo’s both static and moving, public meetings, estate sales, information stalls and working within the three universities and one college – every single day of the week. It is through consistent work within communities, forging links and providing an analysis that any kind of revolutionary communist consciousness can be developed amongst the people were it really matters the most – the working class themselves. Turning up, waving your fists (or in the case of some posters on here, threatening to crack a few heads, not actually doing it and then blaming the RCG/FRFI contingent for not doing so, when it was they who actually tried to hold their ground), and posturing with college students with black hoods up, bandana’s round their faces, jangling with Anarchistic chique but turning on their toes as soon as the OB arrive will achieve nothing in the long or even short term.
I know Communist/Socialist groups have their middle class finger wagers that object to working class cultural attitudes, i.e. objecting to men calling women “love” or young girls/boys “little lady/man” and it is embarrassing, condescending and offensive, it’s a kind of irritating middle class school masterish behaviour and makes my piss boil, particularly when you suspect that they really just want to control things and probably object to strong, intelligent and articulate working class revolutionaries who they feel might usurp their middle class hobby of being a revolutionary for fear that it might all start to get a bit too ‘real’ for them. As a working class revolutionary you feel that you’ve constantly go to achieve higher and ever higher standards of articulacy, conduct on street actions and intelligent analysis BEFORE you’re even taken seriously, the whole thing strikes at the very core of what it is to work as part of a communist collective and raises other questions about internal democracy etc but all that’s for another time.
Ultimately you suspect that most middle class communists/socialists probably want to forge careers in the civil service or with ‘New’ Labour as policy advisors or researchers and so need to be able to pander to old fashioned working class stereo-types in order to be able to function with working class people on any meaningful level because an intelligent/articulate working class communist revolutionary is just a bit too scary. If you’re a bearded, sandal wearing middle class communist with an educated accent, you’re no threat. However, pointing to lower middle class college students that probably indulge in under age drinking in Rafferties on Pink Lane and who more than likely despise lower working class people that they no doubt call “Charvers” as some kind of vanguard is patently ridiculous.
I’m not saying all middle class communists/Anarchists are empty vessels either, I’m actually attacking the ‘working class hero’ on here that was attacking the RCG/FRFI contingent and basically accusing them of being nothing more than a bunch of mamby pamby, wishy washy, drippy middle class University students. Let’s face it, whether we like it or not, if it wasn’t for educated middle class people, recognising where their wealth and privilege comes from and choosing to attack it by organising with working class people (even if with some of them their ultimate aims might be selfish) I suspect most revolutionary activity in this country at least wouldn’t get off the ground. It’s difficult, but we’ve got to try and work together – communism is what ultimately unites us.
The Revolutionary Communist Group, Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! Victory to the Intifada Campaign and Tyneside Community Action for Refugees are not only the only true organised and active revolutionaries on the left in Newcastle, but also England. They attack Labour Party careerists and the privileged political class as a whole, recognise the role of the Unions in supporting the Labour Party, that there is no difference between ‘old’ Labour and ‘new’ Labour capitalist/imperialist/racist domestic and foreign policy, opportunist Labour politicians like Corbyn and Benn and their allies in the SWP et al, how the police are used as the front line of physical attack on organised working class people and the way that a small but significant section of the upper working class/lower middle have been bought off and benefit from this (unions again). The RCG/FRFI contingent wasn’t simply attacking the police. That was obvious from the megaphone usage, the leaflets that were distributed, the heckling, the chanting, the debate and the discussion – much of it in the face of aggressive and often extremely immature provocation from Labour Party/Union/SWP/Stewards.
They do more than just turn up and stamp their feet and shake their fists.
OddBall
Why is the left fractured?
03.05.2007 13:43
Why is the left so sectarian? I suppose that's a very open question and one that would need more than a couple of pragraphs. I myself don't know about every group on the left and like the erudite Woggle and OddBall i am not a member of the RCG and so can only speak for myself. There are so many organisations (hence - fractured) but I’m assuming that there are so many because they have a different analysis on certain issues: Palestine/Israel, Northern Ireland/Britain, the anti-war movement and allying themselves with The Labour Party or ''Socialist'' Labour MP’s (why don't they call themselves ''Communist'', is it because the word COMMUNIST conjures up too many negative Stalinist images? Maybe, and that's an expression of their ''opportunism'' I suppose) who are treated like celebrities and seen as the ''darlings of the left'', their relationship with the Unions and who their constituents are (upper working class/lower middle class Union members, white collar workers, skilled trade craft, Labour voters etc). However, I don't feel that I need to know about every group, the RCG tick the proverbial boxes for me and are the only people I’ve ever heard providing the critique that they do. As I understand it (and I stand to be corrected if I am wrong) the Socialist Workers Party actually encourage people to vote Labour in marginal constituencies and the Alliance for Workers Liberty (now there's a very middle class organisation if ever there was one) are actually AFFILIATED to the Labour Party and work closely with the Unions (if that's not protecting narrow class interests then I don't know what is but you can try and read for your self at their web site - although you might find their literature quite dense and in accessible). As for the Socialist Party, I’ve glanced (only glanced) at their news paper and they seem more concerned with protecting the rights of better paid Union members in the NHS etc. Again, if any one wants to contribute and correct me, I’d be happy to read your views. RESPECT seem to be going for disaffected Labour voters, (the same disaffected Labour voters that have voted for the same imperialist, racist Labour Party for decades - again, opportunism) and voted down an amendment to their Immigration Policy at their opening conference, favouring controlled immigration because the debate would be too complicated for ordinary working class people to understand – I think that tells you what you need to know about RESPECT. What I’ve tried to do here in some small way, is highlight the above’s opportunism.
This what the RCG do and I think that is why they are hated.
Citizen Sputnik