The events in Harrow, Stoke, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh were correctly identified as provocative acts by the various fascist and racist groups to stir up racial hatred on our streets, using Islamaphobia . In each case there was a mass response by anti-fascists, trade unionists, socialists, students and ethnic and faith based community groups. Similar responses are being planned in Bolton, Dudley and anywhere else they intend to show up. Only this mass action response on the streets can keep our city centres fascist free.
The Home Secretary and the police have argued that they have not got the powers to ban the EDL/ SIOE static demos, given freedom of speech arguments. However, this did not prevent fascists giving Nazi salutes, inciting racial hatred, attacking mosques and Muslim cemeteries and physically attacking innocent Asian people. Inspite of the laws covering incitement to racial hatred, threatening behaviour etc only recently have we seen the police make some arrests.
As recently reported, some of the EDL leadership were arrested and their homes raided by armed police. Strict bail conditions restricting association and preventing them attending EDL events were imposed. EDL supporters are now seeing them as innocent martyrs to the cause and planning a campaign in their defence.
However the anti-fascist movement should not be quick to celebrate this. The use of such legislation by the State, in the run up to the election reflects the concerns that the Establishment has over the rise of the far right, both politically and on the streets. It is also costing the police a great deal of money in policing these events.
Whilst appearing to support inclusiveness, diversity and anti-racism equality agendas, the 3 main parties call for tougher immigration controls, tighter penalties on illegal immigrants and stricter conditions at Yarl’s Wood. The illegal wars, which help to stoke up Islamaphobia, continue to be stepped up.
State bans are in our experience used against the Left and anti-fascists, whilst the State continues to implement anti-trade union legislation against strikers. Cable Street, Lewisham, Harrow and now Edinburgh shows only mass action on the streets by labour movement organizations, along with the wider community, can prevent fascists from marching.
Bolton will be next and the local labour movement is planning another mass defence of the united community against the EDL. We must make sure this happens by giving the local anti-fascist committee our full support.
The socialist response needed on how to fight fascism must have the following as starting principles:
- 1. Only the united front approach based on the independence of the working class can create the conditions for the success of the anti-fascist movement.
- 2. Such a movement must be rooted in the labour movement and its allies in defense of all those in the wider community against fascism and racism.
- 3. The issue of No Platform can only be implemented by mass action of the working class in this struggle.
- 4. The dynamic of anti-fascism must take an anti-capitalist approach, given our analysis of fascism.
- 5. We must ensure that we are able to effectively campaign within the labour and trade union movement for this position and in defense of communities from fascism and racism.
- 6. We must maintain the right to self organisation by those who are oppressed in their fight against racism, fascism, homophobia and sexism.
- 7. We need to widen out the experiences of the anti-fascist /anti-racist movement by organising a conference and exchanging information. There is an urgent need for an international conference on fascism and racism to build and strengthen the international response to the situation.
- 8. The fight for Socialism and the fight against fascism can not be reduced down to platforms of popular fronts involving Tories and liberals responsible for the crises. Nor is it simply a platform to get other labour politicians re-elected as such.
- 9. The unity of the anti-fascist movement can only be established by recognizing the plurality of the movement in different areas and the acknowledgement of their autonomy, rooted in the local labour movement and local community networks.
- 10. National anti-fascist campaigning groups must work alongside local anti-fascist groups, recognizing and accepting that any national network can not and must not impose itself on such local initiatives but instead to support them.
“German fascism, like Italian fascism, raised itself to power on the backs of the petty bourgeoisie, which it turned into a battering ram against the organizations of the working class and the institutions of democracy. But fascism in power is least of all the rule of the petty bourgeoisie. On the contrary, it is the most ruthless dictatorship of monopoly capital.” Trotsky - What is National Socialism? (1933)
The so-called populism, racism, homophobia, Islamaphobia and xenophobia that is being peddled by the far right today is a warning to all of us that we can not ignore this nor rely on the State to defeat it. The lessons of the 20’s and 30’s remind us at our peril what happens if we do.
Alf Filer