Anti BNP Demo today

H | 08.06.2009 10:08 | Anti-racism | Sheffield

For all those appalled by the election of 2 BNP MEPs a demo has been called today at 5pm outside Sheffield Town Hall

Comments

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details

08.06.2009 12:00

can you post more details please?

interested?

The Far Right Need To Be Challenged

08.06.2009 14:32

Instead of protesting waving banners and plackards it's going to take Anti Fascists to get back on the streets in all areas to win the battle against fascism just as AFA did in the late 80's / Early 90's.

Over the past few months I've offered our local Anarchist group a stall at shows I put on. Not once have they been down despite entrance and stall space being of no charge. Usual excuse 'It's friday night we're off to the pub'.

Nor once did any Anti Fascists, Anarchists or Letfies come out and challenge the BNP leafletting.

When the local Anarchist group found out the BNP had a stall in town one saturday they had a vote and voted to stay away!!

Fascism needs to be challenged but as the same time we also have to offer viable alternatives and of late no one has done that from any Anarchist/Anti Fascist/Socialist organisation.

Anti Fascist Action

Where is this?

08.06.2009 14:46

Where do you live 'Anti Fascist Action'? You should contact Antifa, we're always willing to come out to oppose the BNP.

Leeds Antifascist
Homepage: http://www.antifa.org.uk

Greens had about 125,000,Griffin 130,000 roughly 2/3 of country didnt vote,

08.06.2009 16:26

next time vote tactically please& smash fascism + hellp your local co-ops & then we start winning again

james

Tactics

08.06.2009 16:31

Now don't get me wrong, I want to see both the government and capitalism overthrown, but I just don't buy into the idea that voting is to be completely rejected by anarchists. It certainly hasn't come up with the goods with this example.

YES it's the government that always gets in. YES power corrupts. YES it's not true democracy.

But is the libertarian revolution around the corner? No of course not. What you're saying to people is "don't vote and instead work to overthrow capitalism and the state". Not only is that presently unrealisic, it's incredibly out of touch. Why can't we do both?

By abstaining several hundred (or thousand) votes, we've simply made life hard for ourselves. I believe a government dominated by the Green party or The Socialist party would be much easier to overthrow than one controlled by extreme nationalists and fascists.

Don't you?

Lib Soc Voter

smash them off the streets

08.06.2009 18:34

Leeds Antifa, if only you were in this area - the North West region seems to have very few people who will oppose the fash (at least properly oppose them, none of the usual students waving banners).

No local group, very few people seemingly interested in starting one and the national group don't seem to respond to the people I've met who have contacted them with info on the fash.

PF is all they understand.

Come on 'Lib soc voter'!

08.06.2009 18:43

"I believe a government dominated by the Green party or The Socialist party would be much easier to overthrow than one controlled by extreme nationalists and fascists."

Was there ever any chance of that?! What you're saying is ludicrous. In any case a government 'dominated' by The Socialist Party or Greens would not neccesarily be easier to overthrow. Liberal democrats are entitled to their opinions, but don't try and pretrend that there is any form of parliamentary road to Anarchism or even to Socialism.

LOL

@LOL

08.06.2009 19:13

I never said there was a parliamentary road to Anarchism, although I can understand why you thought that's what I was suggesting.

I just think IN THIS CASE by abstaining, we've really shot ourselves in the foot, because now not only do we have state and capital to overthrow, we have fascists at the helm (in places).

To say all governments are as bad as each other is just plain wrong, too. The most successful anarchist revolution (involving the CNT in Spain) was born after the parliamentary election of a radical left-wing government, who tolerated the CNT and even offered them places in the cabinet (firstly refused, later taken up). This would NEVER have happened if the government at the time was openly hostile. Yes I know that government later became infiltrated by Stalinists and later fucked us over big time, but in the case of the rise of the BNP, abstaining is clearly NOT the answer.

Anyway, got any better ideas other than protesting AFTER the fascists have been elected?

I think we can do both with regards to this issue.

Lib Soc Voter

The Spanish Revolution

11.06.2009 10:17

"The most successful anarchist revolution (involving the CNT in Spain) was born after the parliamentary election of a radical left-wing government, who tolerated the CNT and even offered them places in the cabinet (firstly refused, later taken up). This would NEVER have happened if the government at the time was openly hostile."

That's a rather strange reading of anarchist history to say the least!

anarchist