The pros and cons of the black bloc
A black bloc, despite all the controversy around it, isn’t a complicated thing. It is simply the act whereby great numbers of people wear all-black clothing and cover their faces on demonstrations. They then come together as a unit, for both strength in numbers and anonymity. That’s it. It is not an organisation, as conspiracy … Read more
Anti-fascism in the 21st century: the far-right and elections
The fifth and final part of a series exploring anti-fascism from a radical, working class perspective. Given the conclusions already reached, how should antifascists tackle the electoral ambitions of fascists? And where does this tie into other activist movements? Elections offer a particular contradiction for antifascists. On the one hand, we of course want to … Read more
Anti-fascism in the 21st century: against collaboration with the state
Part four of a series exploring anti-fascism from a radical, working class perspective discusses why working with the state is viewed by many as counterproductive. In their founding statement, militant antifascist organisation Antifa say that they “will not work with, accept information from, nor pass information to the magazine Searchlight.” On the other hand, liberal … Read more
Anti-fascism in the 21st century: on violence and censorship
Part three of a series exploring anti-fascism from a radical, working class perspective explores the concepts of “physical opposition” and “no platform.” Traditionally, antifascists have held to a philosophy of “no platform” and “physical opposition” to the far-right. However, in recent times, these stances have come under particular scrutiny and criticism. Both the efficacy and … Read more
Anti-fascism in the 21st century: race and class in the anti-fascist movement
Following on from Anti-fascism in the 21st century, this article looks at where race fits into a radical, working class perspective of anti-fascism. A major criticism of the anti-fascist movement is that it is dominated by white, middle class people. This demographic, and the liberal, reformist perspective they offer, alienates those most affected by organised … Read more
Anti-fascism in the 21st Century
Originally published in issue 7 of Shift Magazine (Sep 09 – Jan 10) In Britain and Europe today, organised fascist groups have been gaining strength and popularity on a scale unseen since the end of the Second World War. A majority of European countries now have fascists elected to government, they form a significant coalition … Read more
