Friendly advice for first time antifascists
hello: I am a canadian guy who was in calgary, alberta during the 2021/2022 trucker convoy protests, who has a little bit of experience opposing violent right wingers in the street. i am not an expert, but want to share some lessons i learned in advance of the anti fascist actions that are happening all over the UK today and into next week
some food for thought:
- please come out: the thing that will most easily diffuse any kind of violence on the part of right wingers is to outnumber them. they are fundamentally cowards, and do not engage with forces that are much larger than theirs. find an action around you and show up, it is the best way to stop the riots
- show up sober, or if you need a little bit of courage from some sort of substance try to avoid alcohol. the white people we are resisting will most likely be drunk which fucks up your judgement, and having a smell of alcohol on your breath will give the cops a reason to hassle/arrest you
- this is not a social event, nor is it it a debate. you are not changing anybody's mind about anything, keep your head on a swivel, communicate with the people next to you and otherwise keep your mouth shut
- wear a mask, and if you're concerned about being in pictures wear a hat as well. right wingers like to take pictures so best to make it hard to identify yourself during these events
- if you see a weapon (knife, chain, bat, etc.) say something loud. if you are too scared to say something, a scream also works, as it will draw the attention of others. if someone has a weapon and is approaching you, make sure your hands are free and you can be agile, standing your ground and getting stabbed is not a good strategy, use the power of numbers to your advantage. we haven't seen many weapons (or at least i haven't to date) but remember that these people are forming lynch mobs, it's not a time to make any assumptions about what these freaks are or aren't willing to do
- the police are not your friends, but they aren't who you are there to fight either. don't talk to cops (leave that to the stewards), and if you have to say anything give a rehearsed line about being there because you are worried about the people that live in your own community. there will almost certainly be arrests, and ideally a minimal number of the resisters will face any kind of legal action. you getting arrested is not the intention, we are just trying to stop the violence
- try and go with the flow. if someone calls to link arms, link arms. if someone calls to fall back, fall back
- don't try to punish anybody or run after them: not your job, and will likely get you arrested. these are defensive actions, we are not a mob, they are
- if you're on the front line, your job is to keep your eyes open and to stop people pushing in. if you're behind the front line your job is to keep your eyes open and swap in for someone that needs to be relieved
- if you are terrified and cannot stand the idea of being anywhere near the front lines, stand in the back: being face to face with violent fascists is a bad feeling, but it feels much worse to be in that situation with nobody behind you. i always appreciate having people behind me when i'm up in the face of some puffy white racist
- don't leave once we route these bastards, mull around a bit and let the tension inside of you diffuse, and make sure you are going home with at least one other person. try to have someone with you on your way there as well
it's natural to be scared, and i'll let you know that throughout 2021 and 2022 i was both on the winning and losing side against fascist mobs in the street at varying actions. the risks are getting your ass kicked or arrested, and you should know that going in. i doubt i need to lecture anybody, but understand this: if this doesn't stop soon, it's only going to get worse
if you're going to the north london event, know this: i am a 200 cm tall, 150 kg oaf of a man that is happy to have you around, and is also happy to coordinate in person or on tumblr if you feel like you should go but are terrified to do so. this is a shitty situation, but if we stick together we'll win easily. in oxford yesterday, the riots never even started because a handful of racists were easily rappelled by thousands of community defenders
stay safe comrades, and thank you for coming out