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Leeds AF's Pretensions to Militant Antifascism Come Unstuck

Antifascist | 05.07.2010 00:19 | Anti-racism | Sheffield

After they let the EDL waltz into their anti-EDL meeting.

The Leeds branch of the Anarchist Eederation have little or no history of antifascist activity. Yet their ambitions to form a new 'militant antifascist alliance' to take on the EDL led them to publically announce such a meeting. Not that they put much effort into advertizing the meeting, and they certainly didn't invite any of the existing antifascist groups operating in West Yorkshire. Bearing in mind the nature of the meeting, and the recent record of the EDL in turning up uninvited to anti-EDL meetings, one might have expected a certain amount of security. As it was, when the meeting was held, on Saturday July 3rd, and despite the AF being tipped off about EDL plans to attend, there was NO SECURITY WHATSOEVER. This appalling negligence allowed a small group of EDL activists to simply walk into the meeting, from which the AF showed no stomach to evict them. The EDL have not stopped crowing since. In one stupid blunderous move Leeds AF have not only handed the EDL an easy victory, they have undermined the hard work put in by real militant antifascists in Leeds over the past two decades.

Antifascist

Comments

Hide the following 10 comments

A shame

05.07.2010 07:15

With just a little bit of effort and security awareness things could have been very different. It says a lot about Leeds Afed that 36 hours after this shameful incident they are yet to even issue a statement.

anon

meeting notice

05.07.2010 07:30

was posted here:

http://sheffield.indymedia.org.uk/2010/06/454079.html

reader

Notice

05.07.2010 09:17

And that's about the only place it was advertised. No wonder there only 10 there - plus 4 EDL.

Ben

Incidentally...

05.07.2010 09:26

There was another posting about this (

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/07/454942.html) with around 20 comments, some of which were quite interesting. It was 'hidden' because a mod "suspected" the 4tem was inaccurate. Clearly, it was not inaccurate, so how about reinstating it?

Ben

Appalling

05.07.2010 10:10

This is appalling. Everyone can contribute to stopping the rise of racist groups like the EDL, but the AF put people in danger and have only encouraged and emboldened the EDL.

anarchist

Useless shower of shite

05.07.2010 11:22

WTF ARE Leeds Af? I live in W.yorks and I don't think I've ever even met any of them. They deserve to be kicked out of AF for this. Useless wankers. The EDL are pissing themselves. One post on the forums talks about the AF all having their phones on the table with the batteries out - wot was the fucking point of that when the cops knew where the meeting was weeks ago? Slack cunts, haven't you ever heard of re-directing?

Sickening!

?

05.07.2010 11:54

Okay, I’m pretty sick of the same shit being posted over and again. Why are people rising to the EDL attempt at dividing us? I for one extend my solidarity to the people who organised this meeting, and I am sure they will learn from their mistakes.

“but what possibly made Anarchist Federation think they had the ‘authority’ to organize this sort of meeting?.”

Err, they are autonomous? Who said they need or presumed any authority? What gives anyone else authority to organise an event like that instead of them?

“Anarchist Federation have been embarrassment to anarchism for to long”

Care to elaborate? In what way are they an embarrassment? It seems to me that they heavily contribute to anarchist analysis and literature?

“Several Anarchist Federation members have serious security issues regarding them… no real Antifascist or Anarchist would touch them with a bargepole.”

Evidence?

Af member

05.07.2010 12:53

Like you are not! Don't come all that 'don't play into the hands of the EDL' shit! That's just what you done, you idiots. Don't know where you got those quotes but there true. You are a liability.

Leeds anti-fascist

Authority

05.07.2010 13:42

When people turn up to a meeting called to discuss militant antifascism, I think it's only reasonable for them to expect that the group calling the meeting have some experience and knowledge of militant antilascism. Also, that things like security are taken care of.

James

Wary

05.07.2010 13:55

No axe to grind with af, but I'd be very wary about working with them after this. Not dodgy just incompetant.

Fuck the EDL