Fascism and antifascism in the UK

August 5, 2024 11:16 AM

'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.
posted by Artw (51 comments total)

Well done, Bristol.
posted by senor biggles at 11:30 AM on August 5, 2024 [11 favorites]

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, 2024 [23 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, 2024 [7 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, 2024 [46 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, 2024 [10 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, 2024 [3 favorites]

FITE DEM BACK!
posted by house-goblin at 12:01 PM on August 5, 2024 [2 favorites]

Why are people rioting across England and how many are involved?

-

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, 2024 [9 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, 2024 [3 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, 2024 [3 favorites]

Ps — good work, Bristol antifa!
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:30 PM on August 5, 2024 [8 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, 2024 [28 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, 2024 [14 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, 2024 [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.

---

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, 2024 [5 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, 2024 [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, 2024 [7 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, 2024 [8 favorites]

@[e-mail]
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, 2024 [11 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, 2024 [20 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, 2024 [5 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, 2024 [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, 2024 [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, 2024 [5 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, 2024 [14 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, 2024 [8 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, 2024 [9 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, 2024 [14 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, 2024 [4 favorites]

Some Muslim spiritual leaders are imploring the young men in their communities NOT to fight with the "protesters" because they'll likely be arrested and locked up for decades if they do.

It will be interesting to see if and how this accelerates the trend of Muslims moving from the West to Muslim majority countries.
posted by rabia.elizabeth at 12:06 AM on August 6, 2024 [3 favorites]

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

i mean here in bristol in particular they have no problem going in clubs swinging if it's an actual protest, instead of a fascist aspiring lynch mob. they are smart when it's time to work the media re: supposedly injured cops though.
posted by busted_crayons at 1:11 AM on August 6, 2024 [7 favorites]

The media articles, including the one linked at the top of this post, keep referring to "far-right protests" as if there is some equivalency here with Climate protesters. When I first read the headlines to my spouse her immediate response was "Ooh, 'protests' means they are white right?"

They are not protesters with placards, these are for the most part violent thugs who want to destroy everything, who are attacking the most vulnerable in their community. They are rioters and this is about race. This is white terrorism, this is racially-incited violence. These are fascists.

I've also seen a tendency to minimize this, which feels like a desire to sweep this under the rug. Statements like "This is not who we are" or "Look, they are outnumbered by anti-fa!" does not mean its not a problem that hundreds of men, mostly men, have spontaneously risen up in cities across England, it is mainly England,and started smashing things and attacking hotels with asylum seekers.

I've seen little attempt to explain why this is happening. Sure, its about misinformation but there seems a pot here that was ready to boil no matter what. I'm not sure it is actually about immigration, it rarely is, but about years of austerity, the crushing of populations outside of London, the hopelessness and fear. None of that excuses these thugs but a real conversation and discussion has to move beyond a dismissive "This is not who we are" and admit that, yes, this is real, this is really happening.
posted by vacapinta at 1:35 AM on August 6, 2024 [15 favorites]

Since it's leaderless and semi-organic, there is no clear agenda or purpose to these riots; it's simply right wing rage made manifest. Even bootlickers like Robinson and Farage know to keep their distance from being explicit figureheads while still capitalising on the headlines.

The most generous reading is that thousands of scared people left behind by the government have all internalised the last decade+ of propaganda from the Tories and UKIP/Reform, and are now acting upon that misdirected anger and frustration. Regardless what proportion those people represent, they are mixed and overshadowed by the loud and proud Nazi fucks who feel emboldened to act out in the way that they've always wanted. When the end goal is fascism and all non-whites being deported (as their most peaceful 'compromise'), there's no negotiation or community outreach to be had here.

Right wing domestic terrorism keeps being brought up by counter-terrorist organisations as one of the biggest threats both in the UK and US, but there is seemingly no political will to specifically address and combat this. Instead Starmer is enough of a cop to use this to push for stricter policing, further restrict protesting rights, add more surveillance, and basically continue the push towards authoritarianism by appealing to the left after the Tories did the same while appealing to the right.
posted by slimepuppy at 2:11 AM on August 6, 2024 [4 favorites]

> It's worth noting that social media played a significant role in these riots.

UK examines foreign states' role in sowing discord leading to riots - "Jacob Davey, Director of Policy and Research at the Institute of Strategic Dialogue (ISD), said the flood of online disinformation and the role of social media firms themselves had been key." (TikTok Has a Nazi Problem)*
posted by kliuless at 2:16 AM on August 6, 2024 [1 favorite]

It's worth noting that social media played a significant role in these riots. Right-wing activists using social media to spread misinformation

A lot has been said regarding misinformation about the identity of the Southport murderer but the reality is that even if Axel Rudakubana had been the illusory Ali Al-Shakati, and even if he imagined he was the most devout Muslim immigrant possible, it still doesn't justify attacking a mosque or the people who worship there. And the same goes for libraries, cars and individuals, Lush and Shoezone. The same would go for churches, once they found out Rudakubana was Christian, but for some reason the rioters didn't do that, to no-one's surprise. As others have pointed out, no one attacked a hospital after the Letby murders and it would make no sense to do so.

The perspective that misinformation has been the root cause has been repeated across different media and its totally pernicious. It suggests there was some information about the killer that would justify the attacks that have followed but there is no rational justification. The BBC has said this without questioning it, as have several newspapers. This was vigillantism and thuggery, with only racism to justify it.
posted by biffa at 2:34 AM on August 6, 2024 [17 favorites]

There’s no sign that the uk wants to reevaluate its relationship with the amount of agitprop and misinformation flying around inside its borders. After all, if you started doing that, you might have to acknowledge that some recent events (cough Brexit cough) involved a fair amount of Russian backed lying.
posted by The River Ivel at 3:40 AM on August 6, 2024 [3 favorites]

Fucking weapons. Wandering down the street can in hand, keyed up and looking for somewhere to chant and ruck while the Premiere League is off. The horrible thing is seeing how many children were part of it, I saw one girl hand in hand with her mum smiling on, yelling "[p-slurs] go home" as they strolled along behind the main throng.
posted by lucidium at 10:04 AM on August 6, 2024 [1 favorite]

The horrible thing is seeing how many children were part of it

Yep. Plenty of footage of people bringing their young sons and daughters along like it's a fucking day out at the beach. There have already been arrests of children as young as 11 participating in the violence. As prosecutors have already noted, it's bad enough to have this on your record as an adult, but as a child who has barely started out, it's enough to derail their entire life.
posted by fight or flight at 10:14 AM on August 6, 2024 [3 favorites]

>So l've had it up to here with the whataboutery.

Don't read the comments. Social media indeed.
posted by phigmov at 11:35 AM on August 6, 2024 [2 favorites]

Three Middlesbrough neighbours on 'horrendous' day rioters struck
posted by Artw at 2:29 PM on August 6, 2024 [1 favorite]

Man who tackled Southport attacker says he wished he could have been ‘more Bruce Willis’

warning: heroic, but still ready to blame immigration levels.
posted by lalochezia at 4:53 AM on August 7, 2024 [1 favorite]

I will admit to watching the video of one bloke getting beaned in the head and knackers about thirty times.
posted by lucidium at 8:52 AM on August 7, 2024 [8 favorites]

Large crowds of counter-protesters are filling streets in towns and cities across the country on a night billed as seeing more than 100 far-right demonstrations.
posted by Artw at 1:02 PM on August 7, 2024 [4 favorites]

Just an update to saturday's violence in Bristol: today there's been rumours of visits from the Fascist Bus all over the country. Lots of rumours flying round here locally, including of gang of edl planning a walk up Stapleton road (good luck with that.) The local nursery round here closed early on the strength of the rumours.
Picture gallery from Bristol Evening Post of a counter protest in Old Market just on the outskirts of the city centre. The Bristol Law Centre (with the boarded up windows) is rumoured to be the target.
posted by glasseyes at 1:09 PM on August 7, 2024 [3 favorites]

”Spot the fash. Well done Brighton!”
posted by Artw at 2:27 PM on August 7, 2024 [7 favorites]

Came out for civil war, ended up being a massive anti-fascist party
posted by Artw at 4:11 PM on August 7, 2024 [2 favorites]

Another one, Brighton this time.

You can spot the fash because they’re the ones with a cordon of police protecting them.
posted by Artw at 6:31 PM on August 7, 2024 [5 favorites]

It's nice to wake up in the morning and find out things you had been taking for granted for a long time turned out to be true. Well done Bristol, I knew I believed in you.

And in the interminable commentary about white working class anger, I dunno why it hasn't occured to the commentariat that those parts of the white working class who aren't hateful racists are just as angry, as bitter, as frustrated and as SPOILING FOR A FIGHT after the past 14 years of lies and thievery as the bunch of idiots trying to blame immigration for it?
posted by glasseyes at 9:41 AM on August 8, 2024 [1 favorite]

-Suspected Foreign Accounts Aid UK Extremists to Incite Riots
-With let-up in UK's far-right riots, anti-racism groups plan next steps
posted by kliuless at 11:35 AM on August 8, 2024 [1 favorite]

I dunno why it hasn't occured to the commentariat that those parts of the white working class who aren't hateful racists are just as angry, as bitter, as frustrated and as SPOILING FOR A FIGHT after the past 14 years of lies and thievery as the bunch of idiots trying to blame immigration for it?

exactly. like do they think that the crowds of people --- multiracial but certainly including white people --- who've put themselves at physical and legal risk to fend off the fascists are not also working class? are the papers imagining like an implacable column of landlords and bankers shouting "no pasaran"? that would reflect confusion on their part but be somewhat understandable since i am not sure the commentariat are themselves well represented among folk who know firsthand whose been at the counter demos...
posted by busted_crayons at 4:56 PM on August 8, 2024 [2 favorites]

The enemies within: How the pandemic radicalised Britain

The riots have been blamed on everything from the economy to Elon Musk. But the networks that mobilised violence on our streets were forged in opposition to vaccines and lockdowns

By Jack Walton (in Liverpool), Dan Hayes (in Sheffield), Kate Knowles & Josh Sandiford (in Birmingham) and Ophira Gottlieb & Joshi Herrmann (in Manchester)

posted by lalochezia at 4:53 AM on August 12, 2024