Fascism and antifascism in the UK
August 5, 2024 11:16 AM Subscribe
'Amid the chaos of far-right protests and violence I saw the best of Bristol' - as the UK is rocked by far right violence Bristol antifa successfully defend a hotel housing asylum seekers against a fascist mob.
I'll say it once again: the people responsible for this will get away with it yet again. I'm talking about Farage, Braverman, the coward Yaxley-Lennon, and of course Musk. So long as the fascists continue to be fed their two minutes hate, nothing will change.
posted by Acey at 11:50 AM on August 5 [18 favorites]
posted by Acey at 11:50 AM on August 5 [18 favorites]
I’d be suprised if the people actually doing the violence whose faces are clearly on camera do that badly out of it - the police are completely disinterested.
posted by Artw at 11:51 AM on August 5 [6 favorites]
posted by Artw at 11:51 AM on August 5 [6 favorites]
@adamtheo.com
"We are many, you are few. We are Bristol, who are you?" is a badass anti-fascist chant. I'd love to see that adapted to other localities like Arlington, DC, Virginia...
posted by Artw at 11:54 AM on August 5 [35 favorites]
"We are many, you are few. We are Bristol, who are you?" is a badass anti-fascist chant. I'd love to see that adapted to other localities like Arlington, DC, Virginia...
posted by Artw at 11:54 AM on August 5 [35 favorites]
Speaking of Musk and fascist riots, here he is openly staking accelerationism. It's a retweet chain where he responds to observations of the violence in the UK with the comment "Civil war is inevitable".
posted by Nelson at 11:56 AM on August 5 [8 favorites]
posted by Nelson at 11:56 AM on August 5 [8 favorites]
Man, what's up with the uniform Adidas shoes on the racists in that newspaper article with the dog? Is it an actual thing, or just coincidence?
But good on Bristol for pushing back!
posted by wenestvedt at 11:57 AM on August 5 [3 favorites]
But good on Bristol for pushing back!
posted by wenestvedt at 11:57 AM on August 5 [3 favorites]
FITE DEM BACK!
posted by house-goblin at 12:01 PM on August 5 [2 favorites]
posted by house-goblin at 12:01 PM on August 5 [2 favorites]
Why are people rioting across England and how many are involved?
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Some are calling these far-right riots an outpouring of legitimate anger. They are not
posted by lalochezia at 12:10 PM on August 5 [7 favorites]
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Some are calling these far-right riots an outpouring of legitimate anger. They are not
posted by lalochezia at 12:10 PM on August 5 [7 favorites]
Who Are the Far-Right Groups Behind the U.K. Riots?
Violent unrest has erupted in several towns and cities in Britain in recent days, and further disorder broke out on Saturday as far-right agitators gathered in demonstrations around the country.
The violence has been driven by online disinformation and extremist right-wing groups intent on creating disorder after a deadly knife attack on a children’s event in northwestern England, experts said.
A range of far-right factions and individuals, including neo-Nazis, violent soccer fans and anti-Muslim campaigners, have promoted and taken part in the unrest, which has also been stoked by online influencers. [emph. added, re: Musk]
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 12:12 PM on August 5 [2 favorites]
Violent unrest has erupted in several towns and cities in Britain in recent days, and further disorder broke out on Saturday as far-right agitators gathered in demonstrations around the country.
The violence has been driven by online disinformation and extremist right-wing groups intent on creating disorder after a deadly knife attack on a children’s event in northwestern England, experts said.
A range of far-right factions and individuals, including neo-Nazis, violent soccer fans and anti-Muslim campaigners, have promoted and taken part in the unrest, which has also been stoked by online influencers. [emph. added, re: Musk]
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 12:12 PM on August 5 [2 favorites]
Meanwhile, Robinson/Yaxley-Lennon is hiding out at a luxury resort in Cyprus. That’s a born leader!
Speaking of which, I heard an interview with him (via Knowledge Fight) — does anyone know if that’s his real accent or something he adopts?
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:29 PM on August 5 [3 favorites]
Speaking of which, I heard an interview with him (via Knowledge Fight) — does anyone know if that’s his real accent or something he adopts?
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:29 PM on August 5 [3 favorites]
Ps — good work, Bristol antifa!
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:30 PM on August 5 [4 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:30 PM on August 5 [4 favorites]
Something that’s really amazing about this is that the words “domestic terrorism” or “white supremacy riots” or “fascist groups” are just… not being said. They’re hard to find in the media, and the political class are really pushing back about using those terms. This page on the independent newspaper has some twitter embeds about how a poc MP was treated by the Home Secretary’s partner when she asked them to use the words “racist” and “Islamophobic”.
This is also coming off the back of months of pro-Palestine and left wing eco campaigns like Just Stop Oil, who have been both rubbished in the press and treated with extreme distain by the police, who recently put some of the organisers of JSO in jail for five years for attending a zoom call. Note that this happened after the election so this was the responsibility of the current Labour government, not the previous bunch of idiots.
posted by The River Ivel at 12:48 PM on August 5 [20 favorites]
This is also coming off the back of months of pro-Palestine and left wing eco campaigns like Just Stop Oil, who have been both rubbished in the press and treated with extreme distain by the police, who recently put some of the organisers of JSO in jail for five years for attending a zoom call. Note that this happened after the election so this was the responsibility of the current Labour government, not the previous bunch of idiots.
posted by The River Ivel at 12:48 PM on August 5 [20 favorites]
Man, what's up with the uniform Adidas shoes on the racists in that newspaper article with the dog? Is it an actual thing, or just coincidence?
Honestly, I never bought trainers or any kind of track suit while I lived in England because it always seemed like a meaningful code I couldn't crack. All I know is the guys who rolled up to the pub with a bowling green in their BMWs wearing white adidas track suits, gold chains and rings seemed like they had walked out of a Guy Ritchie movie and I avoided them.
posted by srboisvert at 12:51 PM on August 5 [12 favorites]
Honestly, I never bought trainers or any kind of track suit while I lived in England because it always seemed like a meaningful code I couldn't crack. All I know is the guys who rolled up to the pub with a bowling green in their BMWs wearing white adidas track suits, gold chains and rings seemed like they had walked out of a Guy Ritchie movie and I avoided them.
posted by srboisvert at 12:51 PM on August 5 [12 favorites]
Police tactics are to stand firm and protect property and innocent people during the actual rioting. They will then arrest the perpetrators later. Most of these fascist idiots will be known offenders and there's no shortage of video evidence, so fairly straightforward to bring them in afterwards
posted by el_presidente at 1:07 PM on August 5 [1 favorite]
posted by el_presidente at 1:07 PM on August 5 [1 favorite]
[Re:JSO jailing] Note that this happened after the election so this was the responsibility of the current Labour government, not the previous bunch of idiots.
Nominally independent judiciary in the UK. The Starmer Govt. are almost as oppressive as the conservatives wrt JSO, so I wouldn't expect a change from them, but it was a judicial, not a parliamentary/No 10. decision.
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Note that the UK cops are being quite smart here. If they went in clubs swinging, they would get martyrs and a lot more injured cops; and to be blunt, they don't have the manpower to actually break these things up 1-on-1 without rubber bullets, real bullets = more martyred 'working class white folk' which is never good oh no sireee.
posted by lalochezia at 1:22 PM on August 5 [3 favorites]
Nominally independent judiciary in the UK. The Starmer Govt. are almost as oppressive as the conservatives wrt JSO, so I wouldn't expect a change from them, but it was a judicial, not a parliamentary/No 10. decision.
---
Note that the UK cops are being quite smart here. If they went in clubs swinging, they would get martyrs and a lot more injured cops; and to be blunt, they don't have the manpower to actually break these things up 1-on-1 without rubber bullets, real bullets = more martyred 'working class white folk' which is never good oh no sireee.
posted by lalochezia at 1:22 PM on August 5 [3 favorites]
from r/Liverpool: I stand with Debbie - the library after the riot.
Ben Jennings on the plight of asylum seekers amid Britain’s riots – cartoon
posted by lalochezia at 1:30 PM on August 5 [3 favorites]
Ben Jennings on the plight of asylum seekers amid Britain’s riots – cartoon
posted by lalochezia at 1:30 PM on August 5 [3 favorites]
Here's the Independent's live feed for the ongoing violence. More riots are planned across the country this week.
In Sunderland at the weekend, the fash were throwing stones at Filipino nurses on their way in to deal with the injuries caused by the riots.
The only good thing about these scum is they're too stupid to cover their faces in the videos they put on social media to brag about these incidents. I hope the lot of them enjoy the fines and penalties coming down on their heads.
posted by fight or flight at 1:43 PM on August 5 [5 favorites]
In Sunderland at the weekend, the fash were throwing stones at Filipino nurses on their way in to deal with the injuries caused by the riots.
The only good thing about these scum is they're too stupid to cover their faces in the videos they put on social media to brag about these incidents. I hope the lot of them enjoy the fines and penalties coming down on their heads.
posted by fight or flight at 1:43 PM on August 5 [5 favorites]
Bristol has a long and storied history of resistance. Bristol Radical History Group will steer you towards some of 'em. Makes me proud to have lived and served there for 20 years :)
posted by aesop at 2:31 PM on August 5 [5 favorites]
posted by aesop at 2:31 PM on August 5 [5 favorites]
@ianb@well.com
I just don’t know how we’ve ended up in this situation
[ image shows a grid of inflammatory Daily Mail front pages ]
posted by Artw at 2:42 PM on August 5 [7 favorites]
I just don’t know how we’ve ended up in this situation
[ image shows a grid of inflammatory Daily Mail front pages ]
posted by Artw at 2:42 PM on August 5 [7 favorites]
Something that’s really amazing about this is that the words “domestic terrorism” or “white supremacy riots” or “fascist groups” are just… not being said.
Also "pogroms", because let's be VERY clear that's what these are.
posted by adrienneleigh at 2:48 PM on August 5 [15 favorites]
Also "pogroms", because let's be VERY clear that's what these are.
posted by adrienneleigh at 2:48 PM on August 5 [15 favorites]
Something that’s really amazing about this is that the words “domestic terrorism” or “white supremacy riots” or “fascist groups” are just… not being said.
Perhaps because those in charge of most of the media outlets have views that are at least sympathetic to fascists?
posted by dg at 3:12 PM on August 5 [3 favorites]
Perhaps because those in charge of most of the media outlets have views that are at least sympathetic to fascists?
posted by dg at 3:12 PM on August 5 [3 favorites]
I am ashamed to say that in my city the counterprotestors were outnumbered by the fash last Saturday.
posted by Kitten as a cat at 3:19 PM on August 5 [2 favorites]
posted by Kitten as a cat at 3:19 PM on August 5 [2 favorites]
The before and after pictures on this library makes my blood boil.
These fucking assholes.
I am ashamed to say that in my city the counterprotestors were outnumbered by the fash last Saturday.
Stay safe, that’s a very dangerous situation.
posted by Artw at 3:23 PM on August 5 [6 favorites]
These fucking assholes.
I am ashamed to say that in my city the counterprotestors were outnumbered by the fash last Saturday.
Stay safe, that’s a very dangerous situation.
posted by Artw at 3:23 PM on August 5 [6 favorites]
Perhaps because those in charge of most of the media outlets have views that are at least sympathetic to fascists?
UK and US media are not dissimilar in this. Then you have the BBC, a once great institution run by cowards.
posted by Artw at 3:24 PM on August 5 [4 favorites]
UK and US media are not dissimilar in this. Then you have the BBC, a once great institution run by cowards.
posted by Artw at 3:24 PM on August 5 [4 favorites]
I don't trust Starmer further than I could throw him, but he seems personally motivated enough to counter any sympathetic slacking from the police on this.
It's the first crisis of his premiership, and along with the usual fash scum it's being stoked by other politicians who have an interest in destabilising him.
Starmer is smarter than they are and has access to more powers/resources, and he's very motivated to come down hard on the rioters.
If they get the main instigators and organisers, and they are imprisoned and/or fined heavily and/or deplatformed, I think it's possible to scorch the heads of this hydra. Maybe we can set the far right back for many years if this is handled well.
I don't know; maybe it's optimistic to hope that your average Daily Mail-reading bourgeois bigot might be shamed into silence by seeing images of violent thugs smashing windows, setting fires and throwing stones at police horses. But I hope these scenes will make it harder for white supremacists to sound "reasonable", or maintain a "normal person with legitimate concerns" image online or IRL.
Apropos of not much: the 2011 riots stopped the first day it rained. A lot of people must be praying for rain right now.
the BBC, a once great institution run by cowards
I'd say: a once great institution deliberately seeded with right-wing rot by the Tories, who constantly held the fear of losing their funding over them. Hopefully the rot can be reversed and some actual journalism can commence, though the process will be (at best) slow.
posted by Pallas Athena at 3:49 PM on August 5 [9 favorites]
It's the first crisis of his premiership, and along with the usual fash scum it's being stoked by other politicians who have an interest in destabilising him.
Starmer is smarter than they are and has access to more powers/resources, and he's very motivated to come down hard on the rioters.
If they get the main instigators and organisers, and they are imprisoned and/or fined heavily and/or deplatformed, I think it's possible to scorch the heads of this hydra. Maybe we can set the far right back for many years if this is handled well.
I don't know; maybe it's optimistic to hope that your average Daily Mail-reading bourgeois bigot might be shamed into silence by seeing images of violent thugs smashing windows, setting fires and throwing stones at police horses. But I hope these scenes will make it harder for white supremacists to sound "reasonable", or maintain a "normal person with legitimate concerns" image online or IRL.
Apropos of not much: the 2011 riots stopped the first day it rained. A lot of people must be praying for rain right now.
the BBC, a once great institution run by cowards
I'd say: a once great institution deliberately seeded with right-wing rot by the Tories, who constantly held the fear of losing their funding over them. Hopefully the rot can be reversed and some actual journalism can commence, though the process will be (at best) slow.
posted by Pallas Athena at 3:49 PM on August 5 [9 favorites]
Something that’s really amazing about this is that the words “domestic terrorism” or “white supremacy riots” or “fascist groups” are just… not being said.
Yes, I wish I could dig up the link to it but I saw a press photo with a caption that read something like "anti-fascists face off against protestors" and it was kind of like....wait, what is it those anti-fascists are anti again? It's like the idiots on the right in the US who self-identify as "anti-antifa" and are just...reported on as such.
posted by deadbilly at 5:56 PM on August 5 [7 favorites]
Yes, I wish I could dig up the link to it but I saw a press photo with a caption that read something like "anti-fascists face off against protestors" and it was kind of like....wait, what is it those anti-fascists are anti again? It's like the idiots on the right in the US who self-identify as "anti-antifa" and are just...reported on as such.
posted by deadbilly at 5:56 PM on August 5 [7 favorites]
There is a great interview with the Irish Taoiseach where he makes clear he has no patience for the protesters,
So l've had it up to here with the whataboutery.
posted by funkaspuck at 6:02 PM on August 5 [7 favorites]
So l've had it up to here with the whataboutery.
posted by funkaspuck at 6:02 PM on August 5 [7 favorites]
I live a few minutes walk from that hotel and the other night was very alarming and scary. just terrible and fucked.
a lot of commentary I've seen in the press or otherwise officially has been pretty minimising/ignorant, even maybe de facto pro-fash. I call bullshit on the characterisation "far right". they shout about "stopping the boats", same as mainstream politicians angling for the xenophobe vote, same slogan even. no need to go "far", ginning up horrifying racist violence is a near right hobby too.
glad to see a post about this, stay safe everyone.
posted by busted_crayons at 7:02 PM on August 5 [5 favorites]
a lot of commentary I've seen in the press or otherwise officially has been pretty minimising/ignorant, even maybe de facto pro-fash. I call bullshit on the characterisation "far right". they shout about "stopping the boats", same as mainstream politicians angling for the xenophobe vote, same slogan even. no need to go "far", ginning up horrifying racist violence is a near right hobby too.
glad to see a post about this, stay safe everyone.
posted by busted_crayons at 7:02 PM on August 5 [5 favorites]
It's worth noting that social media played a significant role in these riots. Right-wing activists using social media to spread misinformation, first on X, then later on Facebook and Telegram. From there, the false information was published by Channel 3Now, a site with suspected links to Russia. The article was then cited by Russian state-affiliated news organizations including RT and Tass.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 7:43 PM on August 5 [1 favorite]
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 7:43 PM on August 5 [1 favorite]
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