30 – nil: Antifascists on the streets of Merthyr

I ddarllen yr erthygl hon yn y Gymraeg cliciwch yma.

Anti-NF Welcoming Committee

Anti-NF Welcoming Committee

Anti-fascists in Merthyr stood with people from surrounding valleys communities on Monday in a show of force against fascism and racism.

Following recent threats, attacks and attempts to recruit by the boneheaded South Wales National Front, locals called on other antifa to join them to show that there is no welcome for fascist scum in working class areas.

The National Front have been gaining traction in South Wales since the collapse of the BNP and have seen both their membership and levels of activity increase recently. They remain a tiny group of confused men, but as their confidence grows, so does their use of violence.ant

Since 2013 there have been two known violent attacks on migrants by members of neo-Nazi groups in Wales. A few weeks ago the NF attempted to ‘disrupt’ and intimidate a Communist Party meeting in Merthyr which George Galloway was due to attend, returning that weekend to spread their poisonous message in town and distribute their hate-filled propaganda. On Monday Galloway returned to give his speech. We want to make it clear that as antifa we were not there to support him or the Communist Party (with some of us confronting him over his anti-working class views and political ego-boosting), but to defend our own communities which were built by migration.

30 of us met in town, splitting into groups which would watch the entrance to the meeting, the main public transport routes into town, the High Street and pubs. We covered the UntitledNF propaganda that hadn’t already been torn down with antifascist stickers, stopping off at the recently-imposed and seemingly always empty UKIP office on our way. The fascist failed to show.

Valleys Antifa

There was much discussion about the nature of fascism in the valleys and the extent to which force is necessary to combat it. As grassroots anti-fascists, we believe that racism needs to be confronted directly. Standing a mile away from their demonstrations with placards, signing petitions or relying on racist politicians and police achieves nothing.

However, confrontation doesn’t always mean violence. The economic problems in our area mean that a lot of people are looking for alternatives to mainstream politics and, unfortunately, neo-nazi groups like the NF sometimes pretend that they are that alternative. The reality is that they are just a more violent version of the status quo.

The ‘Valleys Frontline Firm’, set up by the National Front to recruit, has had some success in appealing to the disillusioned.

Luke Pippen: The face of British patriotism

Luke Pippen: The face of British patriotism

They were founded by NF Deputy Organiser and violent pulp Luke Pippen, after the leader of the ‘Welsh Alliance’ was outed as a paedophile. Pippen is well-known to antifa organisers in South Wales. He regularly goes to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph, commemorating those who died fighting Nazism, and has tattoos of swastikas and Hitler on his torso. He is hate-filled human slime with a tendency to be violent towards people he sees as ‘different’. It is impossible to ‘talk fascism out of him’. Other means are needed to make sure his agenda is never fulfilled.

Whilst organised racists are active on our streets we must use whatever tactics we can to stop their violence, which means talking to people we think might be tempted by their poison and physically stopping those who try to spread it. We must all be antifa – keeping our eyes open to the potential these people have and preventing them from turning their violence on people with different views and backgrounds.

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All info on local fascists to valleysantifa@riseup.net

To the NF, we say that when you come back to Merthyr for your free buffet in a “local” pub, don’t think that you will be unopposed just because you haven’t told anyone you’re coming. Everyone who bins your leaflets, looks at you with disgust or wonders what such a group of ignorant zombie-clowns are doing in our home is your opposition. Antifa is everyone who confronts you for your backwards views and we are everywhere.

Help keep our streets clean – send any info on fascist activities to valleysantifa@riseup.net

No Borders meeting tonight

Meeting of No Borders South Wales tonight (plus people from the ShareDYDD destitution network).no borders march 157pm- 9pm at the Red and Black Umbrella, Clifton Street. Hope to see you there 🙂

Solidarity Against #Spycops

NCND1It has been over five years since we learned that Mark “Marco” Jacobs was not just another anarchist in the south Wales activist scene, but was actually an undercover police officer. We made all the relevant political points about the matter in our statement at the time: “They come at us because we are strong

Since then a number of activists are taking legal action against South Wales Police and the Metropolitan Police in an attempt to hold the system to account.

spycopsSince we first filed an application in court, both sets of Police lawyers have attempted to obstruct justice, giving a “Neither Confirm Nor Deny” defence of all aspects of Officer Jacobs (and all other undercover police) deployment.

On Wednesday 25th March we will be in the Royal Courts of Justice in London attempting to strike out this non-defence.

The night before we are in London we will be holding a protest outside Cardiff Central Police Station to draw attention to the case and the problem of undercover political policing in general.

Protest outside Cardiff Central Police Station, King Edward VIII Avenue, CF10
Tuesday 24th March, 6pm – 8pm (facebook event)

Then please join us if you can in a Solidarity picket of the court before the case starts.

Picket outside Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand, London, WC2 (Holborn or Temple tube)
Wednesday 25th March, 9am – 10am (facebook event)

It was recently announced that there will be a full public inquiry into political undercover policing. Though this is welcome, providing it is transparent, robust and independent, such exercises are unlikely to ever offer any path to justice. It is particularly unlikely that the truth about the role of undercover police in suppressing political activism in the UK will come to light whilst would-be whistleblowers have the threat of prosecution hanging over them.

March! continues at the Red and Black Umbrella, Cardiff…

It’s going to be a full weekend of gigs, radical info, great workshops and more at the Red and Black Umbrella…
Friday 6th March, from 7pm

Acoustic benefit gig for Smash IPP & Claimant Solidarity Cardiff

friday6thmarchacousticfinalPossibility of open mic afterwards.

£3 Suggested donation. All profit goes to local causes.
Then…

Saturday 7th March

Reclaim The Fields – A day of workshops, skill-shares and more!

yorkley benefit

From 1pm:

A day of learning and network building on growing projects, access to land, food sovereignty and sustainability in an off-grid venue!
Workshops!
Vegan snax!
(Hopefully) bike-powered film showings!
Come and eat and learn and chill! …

7pm till late:

A night of foresty folk, jumpin’ punk and slammin’ beats!

NOT SINCE THE ACCIDENT
OUTLAW FOLK
BREACH OF THE PEACE

DJ BUNTYCHUNX
DJ PJ

Dance your little socks off / jam till your fingers break 😉

£5 suggested donation on the door, but give what you can. No-one turned away through lack of funds.

Drink tolerated / drunkeness not.

Info at: http://redandblackumbrella.squat.net

More info at:

http://smashipp.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/YorkleyCourtCF