Pedlars of Hate: the violent impact of the European far Right

“The Institute of Race Relations has published an important study by Liz Fekete, Pedlars of Hate: the violent impact of the far Right.

The report “documents patterns of violence, from the peddling of hate online and the drawing up of lists of ‘national traitors’, to violence, arson and murder on the streets, and the stockpiling of weapons in preparation for ‘race war'”.

The IRR points out that Islamophobia is just one element in the rise of violence on the part of the European far right. While Muslims are the far right’s principal targets in western Europe, in eastern Europe it is the Roma who are the main victims, while anti-black racism and antisemitism are also on the increase.

Another worrying development is that “attacks on Social Democrats, Left politicians, academics and journalists that report on the far Right around Europe are intensifying too”.

The report can be downloaded here“

(Callout from Germany) Hamburg next Saturday: No future for the Nazis!

“One of the biggest Nazi marches in Germany takes place next Saturday in Hamburg. Project Antifa gives you the background for the march.

Saturday 2 June, the Nazis under the slogan “Day of the German future – our signal against over immigration,” march in Hamburg. Anti-Fascists have called for the demonstration and blockade – the demonstration will start at 9.30 on Gerhardt Hauptmann-Platz, the square just off the Central Station.

The Nazis tried to get approved an eight-hour march in Hamburg’s city center and the district of Altona. This has been rejected by the authorities because the resistance in these neighborhoods will be too great. Instead, they will demonstrate in the district of Wandsbek, which is not far from Hamburg’s city center. Wandsbek have also been victims of Nazi marches several times in the past. The Nazis have proclaimed that they will be over a thousand participants.

Since 2009, the Nazis tried each year to assert itself in June with “a day for the German Future”. Officially becomes the march organized by the initiative “Future rather than immigration,” which is a grouping of several regions, bringing together both free friendship groups and NPD-wishers from all over northern Germany. Several of the organizers has for decades been the key people in the North German Nazi environment.

The neo-Nazi groups around Hamburg, are closely linked. This is evident when you look closely at who is behind the march. The notifier Thorsten Schuster, a member of the NPD in Hamburg. The current president of NPD-Hamburg Torben Klebe, played an important role in building the militant network Blood & Honour in the area. His deputy in the Hamborgske NPD, Thomas ‘Steiner’ Wulff, one of the ideological authors of the concept behind the free fellowship groups. He was also a reviewer of the first “day for the German future-march” in 2009 in Pinneberg.

The fifth May, more than 3,000 people to a festival against Nazi march. The mobilization of the anti-fascist activities are in full swing and the mobilization of wide everywhere in Germany.

A broad initiative with 200 different organizations and support groups, call for demonstration and picketing, including unions migrantiske initiatives, anti-fascist groups, autonomous groups, neighborhood initiatives, student political organizations and fodboldfanklubber from St. Pauli and HSV. Preliminary list of initiatives that support. The initiative leaning “Dresden Nazifrei” who organized the great mass picketing in Dresden, in February. Against this background, they have decided a block code, similar to that in Dresden.

It reads:

– We use civil disobedience against Nazi march.

– From our side there will be no escalation.

– Our mass picketing, human blockades.

– We are in solidarity with all who share our goal to prevent Nazi march.

Autonomous and anti-fascist groups in Hamburg has convened modaktiviteter the day. In a call they write, among other things:

“Opposition to the big Nazi march in Dresden and Hamburg in 2008, has shown that it is successfully to act in solidarity and commitment. Using a concept which we jointly stand side by side from mass picketing on direct action, as it was in Dresden in February, will be repeated in Hamburg. We are determined to prevent Nazi march! ”

“We want to make Nazi march in Hamburg on 2 June to a failure! We urge everyone to protest and show resistance, no matter by what means you choose. We are in solidarity with all who share our goal to prevent Nazi march. No future for the Nazis – Attacker racist state! ”

The expected anti-fascists from all over Germany and neighboring countries. From several towns people travel by buses, and in Berlin is a common departure by train. It is clear already that the anti-fascist mobilization will be one of the largest in many years, in northern Germany.”

There are direct train service from Copenhagen and Aarhus to Hamburg Central Station. Eurolines has buses to Hamburg.

More info about the anti-fascist activities:

Info on the march: Kein tag der Deutschen Zukunft

Wide Anti fascist group in Hamburg

If you need a bunk, then you can contact them here: cchamburg.blogsport.eu

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: