Assault On Prisoners In Sofia Central Prison, October 17 (Bulgaria)

via Brighton ABC:

Jock Palfreeman

Jock Palfreeman, a young Australian anti-fascist currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for defending 2 young Roma lads being brutally attacked by fascist thugs, was attacked along with a group of his fellow prisoners on October 17. here is a statement released by him:

“On the Bulgarian Prisoners’ Rehabilitation Association’s blog I have up until now not written much if anything about myself in an attempt to keep the Association’s blog neutral and equal for all issues and prisoners in Bulgaria and specifically Sofia Central Prison. However, I have done this at the expense of not reporting the prison’s attacks against myself for my unionism and solidarity with other prisoners, in an attempt to reform the corrupt prison administration, however on Thursday 17th of October an incident occurred involving myself that must be published.

At 8.30am a guard was counting prisoners for roll call, he quickly entered a cell and demanded that all 11 occupants exit the cell into the cold corridor, but before 10 of them could react he quickly left the cell and locked the door (the speed in which he left and locked the door made it evident that the guard was looking provocation). I Jock Palfreeman was not asleep but the guard did not see me as I had just exited the toilet and I was standing behind him in the guard’s blind spot, the guard swore at the 10 prisoners and said “now you’re going to see what will happen to you”.

However when the guard locked the cell door, I immediately banged on the door as it was getting close to when I had to go to my university studies at 9am. One of the guards shouted “you’re too late for roll call”, I replied “I’m not too late I have been up since 7am, you just didn’t see me as I just left the toilet, I was standing behind you”, the guard from the previous shift told me that he would open the door for me, but the guards started arguing with each other, one wanted to open the door, the other wouldn’t let him. The guards left the block at about 8.45am.

I sat down and waited to be let out to go to the study room, but at about 8.50am 50 guards rushed into the cell, took all of us out of the cell, 11 people, all of whom had not been in bed since the argument with the guard at 8.45am. The guards took all of us into the corridor and started viciously beating all of us. They used their boots, batons and also punches with their fists, they also took us by the hair and rammed our heads against the wall, myself included.

They lined us up against the wall and about 50 guards started beating everyone from behind. We were 3 Iranians, 6 Iraqis, 1 Sudanese and myself – Jock Palfreeman – citizen of Sofia Central Prison. The guards were comprised of two shifts, from the days of the 16th and the 17th. There were 2 commanding officers and 2 sub-commanding officers and the rest were normal prisoner guards.

During the attack I was shouting “this is a crime” and other prisoners were shouting “Why?”, because they did not speak Bulgarian, all they could say was “Why?”. After the attack had finished, I started to explain to the commanding officer that I didn’t have anything to do with any problem, the guard making the roll call had simply not seen me and that after I explained the situation to him he had refused to re-open the cell door again and that I had the right to go to the study room at 9am.

As I was explaining this, the same guard from the roll call, burst through the other guards, grabbed my shoulder from behind and started hitting me in the stomach and upper body. After this individual guard had finished beating me the commanding officer started threatening us, he said “I don’t care about the human rights organisations, I don’t care about your embassies, this is Bulgaria and we will beat you when we want”, I started to argue with him and he shouted “Shut up or I’ll cut off your beard and shave your head”, this threat perplexed me as it seemed out of context for the violent environment the guards had just put us through. I was shocked into silence as the threat was just so random and although very illegal, somewhat comical.

We were put back in the cell and the guards left. At 9.05am a group of us went to the bars that divide the block’s corridor from the stairs that leave to the block’s exit. Several prisoners wanted to go to the gym as it was their allocated time at 9am, others wanted to go to the Bulgarian language lessons also set at 9am, and I wanted to go to the study room for my own studies. But the same guard from the morning roll call refused to open the corridor gate and instead ran away. I believe that he thought that everyone was coming to him in a big group so as to seek revenge for his previous attack against 17th cell.

The guard was an old guard but new in Sofia Central Prison and so as is typical in Bulgarian institutions, none of his superiors properly instructed him to the fact that at 9am many prisoners have to leave the block to go to their respective activities (which aren’t many so should not have been hard to have known).

So the guard upon seeing people gathering around the gate ran and called the commanding officer thinking that a group was assembling for revenge for the guards’ earlier attack. We could hear him on the phone downstairs telling the commanding officer that a large group of prisoners are at the gates and that he needed help.

About 5 minutes later (which is amazing reaction time considering it can take over 30 minutes for medical help) 30 guards came running up the stairs and they assembled outside the gate of 10th group. They told all the prisoners to go into their cells, which all the prisoners did, including myself. The guards then tried to open the gate but they soon found out they couldn’t. I looked out of my cell and saw that there was a pad lock on the inside of the gate that the guards couldn’t reach.

They tried by force to open the gate by barging it, but the padlock wouldn’t break. I then realized that this was my only opportunity to call for external help. I took my prison phone card and went to the phone in the corridor about 2 metres from the gate where the guards were and I called a lawyer, the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and the Australian consulate.

The guards started banging on the metal gate with metal rods, shouting and they also turned on the block’s siren to try and drown out my conversation with the consul and the lawyer. I told them one by one “please come ASAP, the guards beat us at 8.45 and they’re coming again to beat us”. After I made my phone calls I returned to my cell at 9.11, we know the exact time due to the recorded phone calls.

What is also interesting is at this time the prison told all the lawyers to leave from the lawyer consultation room at the other end of the prison then the prison administration shut down the lawyer consultation room. The prison administration tried all they could to try and stop their crime from leaving the premises of the prison and the confines of the prison administration. It is also completely illegal to expel lawyers from the prison premises, even more so during working hours. The right for a prisoner to meet with his/her lawyer is non-negotiable and this was another extreme violation of prisoners’ rights.

A prisoner from prisoner maintenance Budimir Kujovic came and cut the lock off the gate at about 9.15am and the guards ran into the empty corridor as if they were charging down for a rugby ball despite the total lack of aggression from the behalf of prisoners. They locked all the cell doors and entered 17th cell, my cell. They again started beating everyone with batons, punches, kicks and ramming heads against walls.

After they stopped beating us I asked the sub-commander “why have you come back to this cell? Why are you angry with us specifically?” the sub-commander replied “you (collective ‘you’) have made us come back twice today”, I said “we didn’t make you come one time, people wanted to go to their work and the gym and that guard called you here”.

Despite the beatings I was completely calm as were the other 10 prisoners. They handcuffed us all and they said “ok now we will start the search for telephones”. 5 minutes into the search I was taken out of the block and put into a temporary holding cell on the other side of the prison. I asked the arresting officer “why have you restrained me in handcuffs?” he replied “we (the guards) have been sick of your group for over two months now”, meaning that the problem wasn’t with me individually but rather the guards were trying to make a collective punishment on the entire group.

A normal search of a cell would take about 45 minutes, however they searched the cell for about 3 hours and confiscated only an undocumented hotplate for cooking and furniture. No mobile phone was found and the guards went crazy that not a single mobile could be found, this is as they are all acutely aware of the problem of corruption within the prison administration and therefore presume that every prisoner has a mobile.

The same guard who had provoked the two incidents then came to me in the temporary holding cell and tried to intimidate me to sign as a witness for the search in 17th cell that had been carried out without me, I flatly refused and explained that I would not be a witness for something that I didn’t in fact witness.

With nothing illegal found in the cell, the guards then tried threatening other prisoners to testify against me, but out of about 100 prisoners not a single one would lie, all of them stuck to the truth as they saw and heard it. I was kept in the temporary holding cell (which can be said to be less then comfortable) all day, but allowed visits from the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, a lawyer and the Honorary Consul of Australia. At 4.30pm I was returned without explanation to 10th group, but needless to say all my personal belongings had been thrown around, destroyed or confiscated.

The prison administration wanted to put me in isolation, but could not find legal grounds to do this especially as my lawyer was present. So they took the administrative decision to move me from my old cell to a different cell, in a petty attempt to increase my discomfort, however for those of you who know me personally, you know I love camping!

An ‘investigation’ was carried out and concluded by the prison administration but has yet to be revealed, the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee have conducted their own investigation as well as the Ombudsman’s office of Bulgaria. The matter has been referred to the regional prosecutors office, but experience tells us not to expect anything when it comes to the Bulgarian state investigating itself.

The instigating guard was not moved from the block and on Monday the 21st of October he started threatening prisoners to not testify against him; however on the 25th of October he was moved to another place within the prison to separate him from his victims.

This is another case of unacceptable violence against the human rights of prisoners in Bulgaria, the commanding officers should be sanctioned, failing this the Association asks for the resignation of the Director Peter Krestev, so that law might prevail within Bulgarian prisons!”

Jock Palfreeman
Chairman
Bulgarian Prisoners’ Rehabilitation Association

——————————–

How you can help: see Freejock.com

Right-wing thugs locked up after Liverpool city centre attack

Liverpool echo 26 September

“Trouble spread to Bold Street bar after gang set upon anti-fascists heading to a fundraising gig

Far-right thugs attack in Bold Street

Seven right-wing thugs who attacked a Liverpool City Centre anti-fascist meeting were jailed after admitting charges of violent disorder.

The men, who were either members of or associated with groups including the National Front,  the English Defence Force or North West Infidels punched and kicked people heading for a fundraising gig at the News From Nowhere Bookshop on July 6 last year.

CCTV footage shown to Liverpool Crown Court showed the men, led by 25-year-old Liam Pinkham, running across Bold Street and attacking a smaller group walking past the Cafe Tabac bar and restaurant.

Liam Pinkham

The attackers, some of whom were wearing masks, punched and kicked their victims who were pursued into the Tabac where the violence continued, sending tables and chairs flying.

Anya Horwood, prosecuting, said: “It would appear that the motivation for this violent disorder was polarised political opinions and personal enmity. The attacking group shared right-wing beliefs and the victims anti-fascist.”Witnesses described seeing the group hanging around outside the nearby Sainsbury’s store and thought they were about to raid it before they went to the Tabac and started “beating people.”

Those inside described three “punks” outnumbered two to one being beaten to the floor and one suffering a golf ball sized lump to his head.

Liam Pinkham, who was at the front of the attack having crossed the road to remonstrate with a man he had previous dealings with, was found a short time later cowering on top of a multi-story car park with another attacker Stephen Dumont, then aged just 16.

Stephen Dumont

Matthew Coates, 22, was found on Roscoe Street with a mask and St George’s flag in his pocket and said: “OK you’ve got me” while Shane Calvert, 31, was found near Lime Street out of breath with bloody knuckles.

Matthew Coates

Pinkham, of Whetstone Lane, Birkenhead; Dumont, 18, of Rosewood Close, Netherley; Coates, of Albert Road, Southport; Michael Kearns, of Dovecote Avenue, Dovecote and Nathan Smith, 21, of North Road, St Helens, all pleaded guilty to violent disorder – though Smith failed to turn up to the hearing and a warrant was issued for his arrest.Two men from Blackburn Peter Hawley, of Ailsa Road, and Shane Calvert, 31, of Shetland Avenue, admitted the same charge.

Peter Hawley

Some of the men admitted being members of the English Defence League whereas others denied membership though they offered “frank” political opinions.

Shane Calvert

Judge Robert Trevor-Jones, said: “All of you were either members of, or have associations with, groups which happen to hold right-wing views or positions whether it be the National Front, English Defence Force or North West Infidels. “It is that common factor which brought you all together on Bold Street that evening because you had been made aware there was to be some form of anti-fascist meeting.

“It is quite clear you all went there to Bold Street with the view to disrupting or preventing that meeting taking place even if you did not intend direct violence beforehand.

“Of course in such circumstances involving two groups holding diametrically opposed views there is a clear risk of confrontation as was shown by the CCTV in court.

Michael Kearns

“Although the violence was short lived it was in full view of passers-by, initially out on the street, and it spread into a nearby cafe causing chairs and tables to be overturned and glasses to be smashed. Calvert, Pinkham, Kearns and Smith were in the thick of it.”

He jailed Pinkham, who had previously threatened to burn down News From Nowhere while making abusive comments about Anne Frank, for 17 months.

Dumont was sent to a young offenders institution for a total of nine months after he was also found guilty at trial of public order offences after shouting racist taunts through a megaphone at a mosque in Ashton Under Lyne, Greater Manchester.

Coates was locked up for ten months; Michael Kearns, 39, for 14 months; Peter Hawley, 53, for 13 months, and Shane Calvert was  given14 months behind bars.

As they were led to the cells their supporters, who packed the public gallery, shouted: “No justice” and applauded them.”

Link

Video of the attack on anti-fascists

NWI Fascists issued this warning shortly after the sentencing

See also

Final far-right thug (Nathan Smith) jailed for beating up anti-fascist demonstrators

Anti-Fascist Prisoner News from Russia (repost)

Support Dmitri Zvanko, anti-fascist prisoner from Brest (Belarus)

Anarchist Black Cross Belarus

June 18th, 2013

Dmitri Zvanko – is anti-fascist from Brest. He was arrested 9th of May 2013, as one of 5 anti-fascists who were suspected of fighting with far-right activists the day before. Arrested anti-fascists were beaten up and put under psychological pressure by cops, Dmitri filed a complaint about his treatment although he was pressured not to do so.

On the 19th of May four of the arrested were released, but Dmitri was charged with statute 339.3 of the Belarusian criminal codex (malicious hooliganism with a group of people), which carries a prison sentence from 3 to 10 years.

Lawyers are afraid that statute 147.2 (grievous bodily harm) may be added, which would mean a prison sentence between 5 and 10 years.
For support for the legal costs of the arrested, contact ABC-Belarus:
belarus_abc(A T)riseup.net

Address for support letters:
Dmitri Nikolayevich Zvanko
SIZO-7, ul. Sov. Pogranichnikov 37
Belarus

Send a letter online:
http://abc-belarus.org/?page_id=579&lang=en

Alexey Sutuga released pending trial (Russia)

Alexey Sutuga

19th of June Moscow city court accepted appeal of criminal investigators to release Alexey Sutuga trial pending with a condition of a bail.

Three Moscow anti-fascists, Alexey Olesinov, Alexey Sutuga and Alyon Volkov have been were arrested since February, April and November of 2012 respectively, charged for accusation of Hooliganism (statute 213 part 2 of Russian criminal codex), for events of 17th of December 2011 in club Vozdukh.

During anti-fascist concert far-right supporting security attacked spectators, and claimed anti-fascists having initiated the violence. Later on, all three were charged with additional case of beating up a young fascist 4th of December 2011 (statute 111 of Russian criminal codex, grievous bodily harm).

Alexey Olesinov

However in May of 2013 anti-fascists managed to clear charges of grievous bodily harm, which was the most serious of the charges. Due to this, it was possible to appeal for a release of suspected comrades. 7th of June Moscow city court released Olesinov without a bail. Unlike Olesinov, Sutuga has no permanent residence in Moscow, which is why bail money was gathered for him.

Such a measure was proposed by the investigators. In court, defence presented documents of having 600 000 rubles in bank accounts, however investigators demanded 700 000 (16 600 euros). Defence lawyers confirmed that parents of Alexey may provide the missing 100 000.

Irina Gaskarova, mother of anti-fascist Alexey Gaskarov who is currently detained as one of the suspects of the “Bolotnaya case” pending from anti-inauguration riot against president Putin, said that she may provide Sutuga a permanent Moscow residence in her flat in the city of Zhukovskiy in Moscow region, so that Sutuga could be released without bail.

However, court only agreed to release on bail. All the necessary documents will be provided 20th of June when Sutuga might be released.

Third accused for Moscow case of anti-fascists, Alyon Volkov, is still remanded.

Stay up to date with Russian anti-fascist prisoners here

Anti-fascist Pavel Krivonosov from Nizhni Novgorod needs help!

From avtonom.org

Last autumn, a longstanding case against Nizhni Novgorod anti-fascists was returned to investigation, and for a while it seemed like a final victory. However, in contrary to these expectations, the case returned to court this spring and things do not look too good.

Pavel Krivonosov is one of the accused of the fabricated case. He is a social activist, a musician and anarchist. As the set-up has been going for a while, number of charges passed the statute of limitations and were tossed out from the court – political “extremist” charges included.

However, he is accused still according to part 2 of the statute 213 of the Russian criminal codex (hooliganism committed with a group of people), which carries a maximum sentence of 7 years in prison.

It is not doubt that this case was fabricated by Nizhni Novgorod officers of Center of Counteraction Against Extremism (so-called E-center). Even the Nazi victims of the assault could not recognise Pavel as the assaulter. Prosecution has one single witness, a taxi driver who is providing false testimony and claiming that assaulter was Pavel.

Pavel has an alibi, he was at work, and his employer has testified to prove this. Case of Pavel has been substantiated with a number of other expertises as well. It is obvious, that Pavel did not committed this crime. Repressions against him are motivated solely by his social activism. Currently he is in a need of money to finance legal costs, and we are happy for any kind of help!

Fake “membershop card of Antifa-RASH”, planted to Pavel during search of his home.

Anarchist Black Cross of Nizhni Novgorod

You can transfer money to support the anti-fascists in the Kazan-Moscow ABC fund via paypal: abc-msk@riseup.net

Please always write to abc-msk@riseup.net how much and what kind of goals you send money. Also you can use “Western Union” or bank transfer, for this please write to the abc-msk@riseup.net . We would be grateful for any help!

Original link

SOUTH WEST FASH ON THE MOVE

From The Westcountry Mutineer

ANOTHER ANTI-FASCIST STORY for this week: turns out that the South Wales National Front (yes, they apparently still exist!) and the Plymouth division of the English Defence League have both announced plans to demonstrate their hatred against everything that isn’t white and British. In Swansea, on the 9th of March, the South Wales N.F. are hosting an imaginatively-titled ‘White Pride’ day to celebrate how fucked up and out-of-touch with the people they claim to support they really are.

Meanwhile, on the 13th of April, the already-dwindling E.D.L. will be dragging out their fake Stone Island fashionwear and sloping brows to potential mosque which will replace the Dance Academy, which has been closed now for six years.

The E.D.L., for their part, are enjoying a painful, humiliating nosedive in support, with new splinter factions and minor civil wars dogging them at every turn; theiir Cambridge outing a few weeks was a wash-out, trudging out a shower* of 30 E.D.iots and the festivities involved muchas entertaining infighting; since July, the disorganisation has multiplied into the English Volunteer Force, and previously the Northwest Infidels and also the Combined Ex-Forces. And lets not forget the Judean People’s Front.

The National Front are themselves a living fossil, forgoing the decency if disappearing into the annals of history, desperately clamping onto any modern-day rightwing hate expression, in a lame attempt to recruit new blood, and not die the inevitable death they so richly deserve; but we can say the same for Blood And Honour, a Nazi fetishist music promoter.

Nowadays, they manage to squeeze out showers even smallest than their E.D.L. contemporaries, with turnouts of five blokes and a reluctant dog not uncommon (A.L.F. take note).  It’s fair to assume that their ambitions for Swansea this month is a clumsy bid to siphon off members of disillusioned Welsh Defence Force.

All that being said, it’s important to not just ignore these poor excuses for humanity, or relegate them to being a pure laughing matter; though they are pretty funny. They are violent nutters and can still pose a physical threat to communities, which why it is important to make sure that when we do oppose the, and oppose them we shall, that we don’t resort to the same old liberal/U.A.F. tactics of hosting demonstrations as far away from them in the towns and cities as possible, or ignore them and hope against hope that they’ll go away.

It’s through direct action and physical confronting the bastards, as well as systematically dismantling their bullshit arguments, that they’ll be kept off the streets – after all, no one likes a repeated kicking.

MUTINEER DICTIONARY CORNER

Shower* (v): to wash oneself by partial or full immersion in a continuous spray of water; (n) a device for personal hygiene, moving water through a nozzle with minuscule holes; a short period of rain; a collective of fascists or racists [ i.e. “a shower of fash”]

Facebook event for the counter-mobilisation (Plymouth)

Facebook event for the counter-mobilisation (Swansea)

FASH, BANG, WALLOP

Report from Schnews: 23/04/12

Quote of the day – “Well who thought it was a good idea to organise these two demonstrations on the same day? Surely it was obvious there would be problems” – random Brighton theatre-goer/by-stander

Yesterday’s counter-protest against the March for England exceeded all expectations. Although the fascists did march they did so inside a mobile police kettle continuously surrounded and occasionally bombarded by counter-protestors. Their march route was cut short and for once the chant “Police protect the fascists” was 100% accurate.

Last year the police successfully kettled most of the anti-fascists, allowing the MfE free rein through the city. They took full advantage of the opportunity to hand out racist abuse and attack alternative looking types. Brighton anti-fascists were determined to avoid a repeat.

Aware that the cops plan was to push the march straight down the road from the railway station to the sea front, the anti-crowd was encouraged to spread themselves thinly along the route. This prevented a pre-emptive kettle.

The MfE were due to start their procession at midday, but due to the geography of the area no-one in the counter-demo had a direct view of their meet-up point at the station. A strange High-Noon quiet settled over the town centre as the counter-protest shuffled and waited, watching police movements for a clue as to what might happen. Numbers gradually built up, serenaded by the bizarrely soothing tones of dub from a punk- soundsytem.

For a while it looked as if the cops were going to throw the towel in and refuse to allow the MfE out of the station. At half-twelve jogging lines of cops and the arrival of horses let everyone know that the fash were on the move.

One eyewitness at the station told SchNEWS “From where they were mustered, they could only see a tiny part of the counter-demo, mainly the UAF contingent. They were very cocky. As soon as they turned the corner and saw the opposition their faces fell”. By this point there were around 500 anti-fascists on the streets.

The nationalists had only mustered around 100, a third of what they had predicted. Yesterday SchNEWS reported that “there was little if any English Defence League insignia actually on display”. Since then we’ve been told that EDL banners and an Essex Infidels flag were unfurled at the station. In reality this was a moot point as the main body of march consisted of known EDL faces, including virtually all of Brighton and Portsmouth EDL with the addition of various unsavoury characters such as Jeff Marsh of Casuals United. Despite the presence of a few token women and kids the march was overwhelmingly male, bald and fat.

It didn’t take long after the march set off before the first few antis were in the road behind a banner. From then on the march became a rugby scrum as the cops used horses, truncheons and pepper spray to force the MfE through. Every time the cops broke through an anti-fascist line, another would form ten or twenty metres down the road.

BATTLE OF CHURCH ST

The pressure only intensified as the police decided to abandon the planned high-profile route and try to smuggle the nationalists down the back-streets. Anti-fascists got ahead of the game and running around the side got in front of the march on Church St to build barricades. Fascists and police came under attack with bottles. It was at this point that some-one set a bin on fire, irritating everyone, right and left, with the acrid smoke.

What was totally remarkable was the level of solidarity for the counter-demo by folk from all walks of life in Brighton. There was no support for the MfE. Pensioners and kids shouted abuse at the fash. The UAF stood shoulder to shoulder with Antifa punks.

Eventually the MfE, numbering around a hundred ended up in their pre-prepared pen, – unfortunately for them so did almost the entire counter-demo. They then had to put up with two hours of being jeered at by the surrounding mob before cops rushed them back to the station to be dispersed.

Their march was dogged every step of the way but as they were leaving the crowd was happy to let the cops rush them along. Anti fascists went on to enjoy a pint in the sunshine.

MARLBOROUGH LIGHT-WEIGHTS

Despite the usual online japery the few EDL who tried to make a stand outside the cordon were quickly seen off. Joel Titus, self proclaimed leader of the EDLs youth wing was spotted skulking with a crew of half-wits in the Marlborough pub, one of the few bars that would serve them on the day. A handful of anti-fascists were able to send them packing. Virtually no other pubs would serve the MfE and they failed to maintain a presence in town after they were dispersed.

Is this the end of the March for England in Brighton? Watch this space!

Final word to Brighton Anti-fascists “Brighton showed the racists today that their brand of hatred isn’t welcome in our city. Brighton has always historically seen off the fascists, in the the thirties , the seventies and now today. Big thanks to all who turned out! – Up the punks!”

As far as SchNEWS knows no-one on our team got nicked- If you were arrested and require support then please contact stopmfe@ymail.com

For more http://brightonantifascists.wordpress.com/

For a great gallery of photos by Guy Smallman

*Updated* Report from Bristol Anti-Fascists can be read here.

Here’s a video of yesterday’s counter protest, more can be found on Youtube.

Europe’s Fascists Threw a Lame Hate Party

By Henrick Saltzstein, Henry Langston (vice.com)

Aspirations of a unified pan-European Defence League collapsed and died on Saturday in the Danish city of Aarhus, as a rather meagre selection of euro-nationalists were sent running by anti-fascist rioters. This was the English Defence League’s second attempt at a European counter-jihad knees up. The first one ended with them getting a spanking in Amsterdam by Ajax fans and local antifa, and this meeting went pretty much the same way.

Despite the organisers’ hopes that thousands of participators would show up at the Defence League rally (dubbed the “Counter Jihad Meeting”) this Saturday, even optimistic numbers estimate that, at most, 200 were present. Meanwhile, nearby, up to 4,000 anti-fascists held a rally condemning the meeting and vowing to disrupt it at all costs.

What kept the nationalists away? Well, there were rumours going round that the head of the Danish chapter had tried to enlist local nazis, and since the Defence Leaguers are not that big on nazi comparisons and drape themselves in Israeli flags every chance they get, that was a sizable spanner in the works. Subsequently quite a few international speakers cancelled. Even early on, the signs indicated that this would be a pretty lame hate party.

In a last ditch effort to amass a decent turnout, the Danish Defence League announced that Freja Lindgren would be spearheading the rally. Here is a picture from her Facebook profile:

OK, so Danish fascist babes might not be quite as alluring as British fascist babes, but Imma declare a fatwa on any pure-blooded male who can look at this without getting sweaty in his pants.

Here is another photo of Freja taken – from the front – during her opening speech:

Photo: Magnus Holm/Politiken

Depressingly, on the evidence of her patter, racists sound the same wherever they are in the world. (I’d hoped at least for a little regional variation, but there was absolutely no sign that free thought had played a part at any point in the writing of this speech.)  Freja moaned a lot about benefits and “Islaminism”, and cast the Defence Leaguers in the role of “freedom fighters” and “patriots”, without ever coming close to defining what that freedom might be or entail. If you have a hankering to hear the speech in its entirety, go here.

Photo: Anthon Unger/Ekstra Bladet

While the Defence League meeting was unfolding, left-wing and immigrant rioters attempted to cross police barriers to square off with the right-wingers. This prompted the police to prematurely shut down the rally and escort the Defence Leaguers to safety.

Photo: Claus Bonnerup/Ekstra Bladet

photo: Claus Bonnerup/Ekstra Bladet

They mainly ended up fighting it out with the cops until the Defence Leaguers received a police escort out of the city. Here’s a video shot from inside the Defence League bus. The language is mainly Danish, some English and a little German. Watch till at least 2:36.

Humiliated and dejected, the respective Defence Leagues made their way home, but for the EDL and their leader Tommy Robinson, the humiliation didn’t end there. The next day Robinson was booked in for an appearance on the Sunday morning BBC debate show The Big Questions. Sporting a comb-over and suit jacket, Tommy looked well out of his depth and frequently stuttered. Highlights included him admitting to assaulting one of his own members, frequently confusing extremist Islamists with Muslims in general and mis-quoting EDL “Legend” Winston Churchill. Watch the depressing hilarity in full here:

Anti-fascist murdered in Ukraine

Taken from – http://avtonom.org/en/news/anti-fascist-murdered-dnepropetrovsk-ukraine

18th of November 2011, 17-year old anti-fascist Mikhail Norokha was murdered in Dnepropetrovsk of Ukraine. His body was found 8 meters from an abandonded, 16 floor house. He deceased due to multiple fractures and internal bleeding, which resulted from a falling. Although he falled to his back, his nose was broken and he also had scratches in his face. Also, there were remains of pepper gas in his clothes, and his coat was torn, which is additional proof that this was not a suicide. Also, Mikhail had his mobile phone, documents and money left with him – murderers took nothing from him.

Mikhail was assaulted by Nazis oftentimes in the past. He has been stabbed twice during the last couple of years. However, he was never afraid of anyone and he was always standing up for his opinions, in case someone had disagreements. Although he was often in a trouble in vicinity of the local football stadium, he kept supporting his favorite club.

Mikhail worked as an assistant of a priest. Currently police is investigating the case. There is no any evidence about the murderers, but anti-fascists of Dnepropetrovsk are certain, that this tragedy was caused by Nazis. We are making everything we can, in order to find out the truth, and to punish the perpetrators.

Rest in peace, brother

Anti-fascists of Dneproppetrovsk

Local International Brigadistas

This year marks 75 years since the Spanish Civil War began. Up to 35,000 people from around the world volunteered to fight against Franco and his fascist forces, with many joining the ‘International Brigades.’ Alongside Spanish anarchists, communists, socialists, trade unionists and freedom-loving people, the International Brigades played an important role in the war. Amongst them were 2,000 British people, 500 of whom gave their lives.

Here we remember the volunteers from the Three Counties who left to fight fascism.

Lewis Clive was a volunteer associated with Hereford. Born on 8^th September 1910, he was the son of Herefordian, Percy Clive, a Conservative MP and Lieutenant-Colonel killed in the First World War. Lewis was a keen rower, winning a gold medal at the LA Summer Olympics in 1932. He was also a socialist, a member of the Labour Party and the Fabian Society.

He volunteered for the International Brigades early on in the war, and became a Company Commander in the British Battalion. He was killed in action on August 2^nd 1938 at Hill 481, Gandesa, during the Battle of Ebro, the longest and bloodiest battle of the war. Speaking of Lewis after his death, his comrades said this; “This big, cheerful, and sincere man had performed his duties as Company Commander with distinction. Well liked and respected in the battalion, this was a great loss to us all.”

There is a plaque commemorating Lewis Clive at Wormbridge Church, Herefordshire. It reads “In memory of Lewis Clive. Born September 8^th 1910. Killed at Battle of Ebro, August 4^th 1938, Fighting with The Spanish Republican Forces.”

Laurie Lee MBE was a poet, novelist, screenwriter and also an International Brigade volunteer. Born on 26^th June 1914 in Stroud, Gloucestershire, Lee left school at 16 and began working at an accountants in Stroud. However he quickly became bored and decided to embark on an adventure, walking to London. He settled in Putney and began work as a builder’s labourer. During this time his interest in poetry blossomed, with his writings appearing in The Gloucester Citizen as well as other newspapers.

Laurie Lee had previously visited Spain, and in December 1937 he decided to return to help in the fight against Franco. He said he “owed it to the Spain he knew” and the friends he had made there. After realising he wasn’t going to get any help in reaching his destination, he decided to cross the Pyrenees by himself. He was initially captured by Republican forces, with them mistaking him for an enemy spy. He was saved from an almost certain fate, and went on to join and fight with the International Brigades. His time fighting during the Spanish Civil War was cut short due to epilepsy, and he left Spain in February 1938. Lee recalls the time he spent in Spain during the war in his book, ‘A Moment of War,’ published in 1991.

Laurie Lee died on 13^th May, 1997. He is buried at Holy Trinity Churchyard, Slad, Gloucestershire.

Jack Watson was a volunteer from Worcester.  He was killed in action at the Battle of Jamara on 27^th February 1937. The Battle of Jamara was one of the main battles in which the British Battalion of the International Brigades took part. It took place in the Jamara Valley, to the east of Madrid. The battle began on 12^th February 1937, when Franco’s crack troops from the Army of Africa advanced to the Republican lines to try and dislodge their hold on the valley. After a few days and nights of heavy fighting, the ill-equipped and outnumbered International Brigade volunteers held out. Both sides dug in and a stalemate ensued which lasted for most of the war.

We salute the bravery and selflessness of the anti-fascists from this region and from around the world, who put their lives on hold to join the fight against the advancing tide of fascism across Europe. Despite eventually losing the war in 1939, the Brigadistas and Spanish anti-fascists gave a noble example of the strength of international solidarity. That year was to see the start of another brutal war, and was followed by some of the darkest days in history.

It is vital that we learn lessons from the past. The struggle against fascism across Europe is as relevant today as it ever has been. Let’s remember and put into practise the phrase used by anti-fascists in the 1930’s, ¡No pasarán! – They shall not pass!

If you have any additional information on the International Brigade volunteers listed above, or any other locals who fought in the Spanish Civil War, then please get in touch. For more information on the British Battalion visit; International Brigades Memorial Trust. To learn more about the Spanish Civil War go to the brilliant Spartacus Educational website.