Ain't antifa's own cause to find any excuse to assault someone?
No.
Don't believe the hype. With the sudden increase in awareness of "antifa" comes a
lot of misinformation, misunderstandings and of course (it's politics!) manipulation.
One such example of a misunderstanding is when i say "physical confrontation", i'm assuming that people read that as "a punch in face" or something similarly violent.
It's not strictly how i intended it to be read - although violence is unavoidable in some situations (if you're committed to oppose fascism, that is).
An example of this?
I attended something of an anti-fascist action yesterday. Everyone in attendence seemed pleased with the results - and if a single punch was thrown on either side, i certainly didn't see it (nor did anyone else who has reported on it - and there were a lot of media present.
Additionally, no property was damaged. No fires, no arrests - nothing.
Antifa is not analogous to fascism, as people seem to be claiming lately. Opposing fascism is not an excuse to assault people.
Neo-nazis and fascists - however -
are inherently, and by definition, violent.
This is why people who actively oppose them have to be hard-line.
You're justifying violence by saying 'they did it first' which isnt a good justification. If you think some is a cunt for being a violent thug, what difference is when you act in the same way?
i'm stating that sometimes anti-fascist actions are necessary.
I think you're misunderstanding my position on this, but i will explain my thoughts on this subject again, in response to your post.
swilow said:
The focus on Nazis is prety weak imo. True neonazis are fringe groups with little actual power, populated by uneducated idiots who mainly gloat online. Groups like Combat 18 don't really pose a huge threat that only violence can solve. I do always rip down their stickers and have defaced posters and tags though, but that's peaceful.
I'm not sure if you've been following the far-right fringe and the activity of neo-nazi groups in the last ~2 years in Australia, but there has been an emergence of a vaguely "home-grown" has been a rise in racist violence and racially-divisive political campaigns in the last several years.
If you sincerely believe that nazi groups don't pose a threat, i must respectfully disagree.
And likewise - if you're telling me that you don't consider the recent crop of extreme-right wing, Hitler praising boneheads as "real nazis" - again, i'm going to have to disagree with that.
Are you aware of the handful of nazi and fascist groups that have popped up in australia in the last year?
One of those groups - within the city we both live in - is facing terrorism charges for plotting to
blow upseveral targets in melbourne (namely "left wing" targets, if i recall correctly).
These people are not "alt-right" keyboard brownshirts - they have a presence on the streets, have had (a couple of) well-attended demonstration, have stalked several of their opponents - some of whom have been bashed, they've turned up to their own rallies with firearms (in australia) as well as tasers and materials to make explosives - as well
If you care to read some of these people's online postings, or watch their videos, you'll see that they're not only dangerous people - several have done jail tiime for domestic violence but also completely serious about seeking vengeance (murder, bashings, bonb plotsÿ are all thrown around to dish out to "the left")
Now, for some reason we on "the left" are held to a higher standard than the right - but why is this?
What is wrong with suggesting people should do what they can to oppose and resist threats of violence or death from the far right?
I note with interest that my acceptance of
physical resistance has been widely criticised in this thread - but the people saying protesters should be
killed have not (exceptc, i think, by myself).
Why is this? Why do we tolerate, or accept as normal, people on the right talking about killing people?
I have stated this before, and i will do it again, but fascists are emboldened by successful activities - and in the case of fascist/nazi groups, the threat they pose to their opponents (from political opponents to various ethnic and religious groups, gay and lesbian people etc) escalates.
when that happens, and these groups escalate in ambition, new members tag along for the ride. These people typically do not join such groups on their own volition - they see a call to arms from a group of people using strong words and aggressive tactics, and they join the "fun".
The aim of a lot of anti-fascists (i can't - and won't - speak for everyone of the anti-fash persuasion, because "antifa" is
not a group.
"Antifa" does not have rules or leaders - if anything, it is a political leaning that says we need to all take part in the struggle against oppressive and inherently violent political forces by pushing back.
A question:
If you don't agree with nazi ideology - and a group of organised neo-nazis arrives in your community with the express aim of (violently) targeting their various "opponents" (as above - ethnic groups, people of non-heteronormative sexualities or genders, people who oppose fascism/racism politically), how would you suggest we oppose these groups?
How would
anyone oppose extremists of this sort in a non-violent fashion?
Really - i'm keen to hear from swilow or anyone else who posts sincerely in this section.
If you have a group of people that are
proven to be violent and a risk to certain sections of the community intent on terrorising people through the various means that nazis typically do (including terrorism as the
Phillip Gellea case demonstates) - and they're active on the streets -
how do you deal with them?
If there is a non-violent solution, i'd genuinely like to hear it.
If you knew me, swilow, you'd know that i am not a violent person.
I would
like to meet you - but i get the impression you have some idea of me and my lust for blood that is totally inaccurate.
I've had friends that have been targetted by nazis, and there was a charming group called the ANM who were active in my hometown when i was growing up.
Their graffiti was everywhere, and it was unpleasant. They torched businesses owned by migrants in my local neighbourhood, and most of them were never charged for their part in what was essentially a campaign of harassment and threat to local immigrant communities.
They needed to be stopped, and until large amounts of people started showing up any time they pulled a 'stunt' in public to further their notoriety, they essentially went unchallenged and their threats of violence (towards innocent people, i might add) only escalated.
It dawned on me then that it seemed like my responsibility as an able-bodied young man, that i felt an obligation to reassure and try to protect vulnerable members of my community from these people.
I don't appreciate being written of as "justifying violence by saying 'they did it first'" - that is not what i've been saying at all.
I am talking about protecting our communities from campaigns of terror (for want of a better, less baggage-laden term) and violence - which is what neo-nazi groups (the "serious" ones i'm referring to) as we understand them, use as a tactic.
It surely doesn't require a great deal of imagination to guess what the next escalation - past assaults, threatening racist propaganda and arson/bombing attacks - tends to be.
If we wait until nazi groups are murdering their opponents before we confront them, in many way we are acting too late.
When these sort of people are confronted early on (not necessarily violently) - the less committed will think twice about what they are participating in (which is
inherently violent, lets not kid ourselves) - and everyone involved will realise that there may be a threat to
themselves (be it physically or by other means - doxing being a powerful tool in contemporary anti-fascist campaigns.
Several of the contemporary Australian neo nazi groups have lost their jobs when their employers became aware of the sort of criminal mischief and threatening behavior that their workers were engaging in.
Do people think
this is ok? Where do we draw the line on acceptable tactics for concerned citizens (i'm not talking about police or government) to stand up to terroristic behaviours?
swilow said:
These guys need to be confronted but it shouod only get violent if they start it. I personally always defend myself with violence against violence.
I agree completely. As stated above
swilow said:
I hate what I did but I'd do it again against that sort of threat
swilow said:
Being violent degrades much of what we are trying to achieve. It gives the general community the impression that we on the left are all bruisers who cover their faces when acting up. It gives rightful fodder to the opposition
Frankly, i don't think the 'opposition' are worth considering.
I read the shit our friends in the far right post here (and elsewhere) and i'm not out to win them over.
Standing up to fascism isn't a PR campaign.
At least not where i stand.
But i should point out that see a massive distinction between my political adversaries on the right, and the sort of fascists and nazis i am talking about.
This is a crucial point that everyone on the anti-antifa bandwagon seem to completely overlook.
swilow said:
Antifa have attacked black metal fans simply because some, very few of them are far right. Its fascist behavioys in that sense. Thuggery.
You've mentioned this several times before - is this where your perception of anti-fascists being thugs comes from?
I know nothing about this - as i don't care for black metal and am not interested in playing politics with music.
The problem with lumping any group/act/individual into "antifa" is that you're tarring a lot of (IMO) good people with the same brush.
swilow said:
Don't be like them, their vioence is what we oppose.
Again - who is "we"?
Of course i oppose violence - i hate violence. But as you yourself have stated, in some situations it is unfortunately inevitable.
Just because i strongly support anti-fascist action, does not mean i
a) seek out violence
b) glorify violence
c) advocate violence
or
d) promote violence.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking nazis are some kind of innocent victims in this.
I don't doubt that some anti-fascists are unecessarily violent people. No political faction is 100% squeaky clean.
But that doesn't undermine the importance and value of anti-fascist solidarity.
I think it is incredibly misguided to ignore, tolerate or dismiss nazi and fascists groups organising and becoming active.