Anti-Fascist Action (UK): Difference between revisions

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	] armed with a ]]] '''Anti-Fascist Action''' ('''AFA''') is a ] organisation that started in the ] and spread to other ]an countries.

	== British AFA ==
	The British '''Anti-Fascist Action''' ('''AFA''') was launched in ] in 1985 by ] and the ] ]. It was active in fighting organisations it claimed were ] or ], such as the ] and ]. The group was partly a reaction to the perceived inadequacies of the original ] (ANL), a front organisation for the ] which at the time had wound up its operations. AFA accused ANL of failing to directly confront fascists, of allying with moderates who were complicit in racism, and of being a ] organisation run as a front by the ]. AFA had many ] amongst their numbers, drawing heavily on the ] scene.

	Although in the 1980s, many ] groups, independent ]s, ]s and members of the ] were active in AFA, the main group was always ], a group formed out of disillusioned Socialist Workers Party members who had criticised perceived ] or ] politics of the ANL and for whom ] was a central value. Affiliated organisations in the early period included Newham Monitoring Project and '']''.

	AFA had what they called a twin-track strategy: physical confrontation of fascists on the streets and ideological struggle against fascism in ] communities. Where ] groups often orient to black communities, as the victims of ], AFA oriented to the white working class, as fascism's main recruiting ground. AFA's tactics were criticised for their ] and use of violence. Thousands of people took part in AFA mobilisations like the ] demonstrations in 1986 and 1987 and a mobilisation against ] in May 1987. In 1988, AFA formed Cable Street Beat, its musical arm, on similar principles to the Anti-Nazi League’s ].

	In 1986, AFA was disrupted by allegations made by '']'' about some of the ] groups involved, notably ], who were expelled from the group despite ]’s support for them. In 1989, there was a split in AFA between hardcore militant anti-fascists and groups closer to ]. The militant groups relaunched AFA that year, with affiliates including ] and the ] ], as well as several ]s. During this period, AFA high points included a Unity Carnival in ] with 10,000 participants and a demonstration in ] with 4000 participants (under the slogan “Beating the Fascists: An old ] tradition”), both in 1991, and the “Battle of Waterloo” at Waterloo train station. Low points included the jailing of three AFA members for attacking a ] in 1990.

	During the early 1990s, there was growing awareness of fascist, ] and ] activity in Britain, particularly with the rise of the ] and attacks on black teenagers ] and Rolan Adams. In response, several groups were set up to challenge this, essentially competing with AFA: the black-led and ]-linked Anti-Racist Alliance, a revived ] (set up by the ], Youth Against Racism in Europe (set up by the ]) and Workers Against Racism (set up by the ]).

	In 1993, ], a candidate from the main UK ] party, the ] (BNP), won a council seat on the ] in ], East London, under the slogan of rights for whites. This signalled a turn in the BNP's policy from confrontation on the streets to what ] has called ']', a bid for electoral respectability through the articulation of the concerns of white working class communities. AFA responded with its 'Filling the Vacuum' strategy, which argued that a new strategy was needed: positively taking a political alternative to these communities, rather than concentrating on challenging the fascist presence on the streets. Most AFA and Red Action activists have consequently devoted their energies to the ].

	==AFA in other countries==
	* ]'s AFA group was founded in 1992 following the murder of a Danish anti-fascist. Activities have included confrontations with racist and fascist groups, and opposition to Danish immigration laws.

	*]'s AFA group appears to be modelled on the British group, but its website implies that it has a greater emphasis on ].

	*] has a group called ], which means ''Anti-Fascist Action'', and the group uses the same acronym, AFA. Their activities have included protests, information work, sabotage and acts of violence against political opponents.

	*The ] has an AFA group called Anti-Fascistische Aktie. It mainly participates in demonstrations against Dutch far right organisations like the ] and the ]. It has its own newspaper called ''Alert!''.

	*] has a group called Antifa, which sometimes uses the acronym AFA. The group organises marches and demonstrations against racism, and in support of immigrants. It has often engaged in confrontations with supporters of neo-Nazi organisations, mainly ]. A recent example of antifa's use of violence against its political opponents is the attack against three young people in Athens, in July 2006. It is claimed that they were attacked because they were wearing a t-shirt with the Greek flag. [http://www.xrushaugh.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29&Itemid=31

	*There is a Serbian AFA group in ] (Antifašistička akcija Novi Sad). They organize public discussions, protests and concerts.

	== References ==
	* {{cite book\|last = Bullstreet\|first= K. \|title=Bash the Fash: Anti-Fascist Recollections 1984-1993 \|id=ISBN 1-873605-87-0}}
	*No Retreat by Dave Hann and Steve Tilsey

	== See also ==
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	== External links ==
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Latest revision as of 12:42, 21 May 2007

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Anti-Fascist Action