Not Just in America

It is not just in America that left-wing racists beat up people with whom they disagree. Letters From a Tory has a tale of the fascists who claim to be anti-fascist.

I first read this story this morning in the Daily Mail (no I don’t read that rag, but i cannot remember the link to give a hat tip). That did not mention the previous protest that had gone off peacefully. However there is some evidence that this is not a classic BNP thugs baiting racial minorities, despite ‘speculation’.

• The group involved specifically states on the website that it is open to “…British people of various different colours/races…”. The BNP does not hide its opposition to non-white members.
• The police state that they have no intelligence of any link.
• A previous protest went off peacefully, and the protest arrangers’ website called for peaceful protest.
• An eyewitness suggested that the violence only happened when a “group of black and Asian people turned up”, so there is no evidence the anti-Muslim-fundamentalist group had any plans for violence.

Now I suspect that the group protesting had been infiltrated by racist thugs, probably of the BNP sort. Nasty people who should be arrested when they do commit crimes. However that is no reason not to let them protest. We don’t have to act on or even listen to their unreasoning complaints (against other races). We can even ignore those and choose to listen to their reasoned complaints, against Islamic fundamentalism.

On that score the target of the ire proved their case. The report talks of flag burnings, shows a picture of an Asian man tearing a Union Flag held by a protester. There is evidence of serious violence against the protesters by the attacking “anti-fascists”, but no evidence that the protesters caused any violence.

It is disgusting that Khalid Mahmood MP blamed the protesters, and had called for the protest to be banned, without any justification at all. As a Muslim MP, Mahmood should be setting an example, telling Muslims that they must accept British values of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.

It seems that Unite Against Fascism, a socialist organisation, has become intolerant, violent and authoritarian. Ironic, since the original fascists were violent, authoritarian, intolerant socialist.

Update: Calling England has some of the more amusing background to this.

Update: Goodnight Vienna of Calling England in the comments gives a link to Gates of Vienna who has a left-wing Birmingham student thug’s personal account. It appears that Unite Against Fascism arrived early, looking certainly for confrontation and by strong implication looking for violence.

Update: it appears that the Guardian did have an article (I am not sure why their search did not find it). Typically the opening has an editorial slant that is not justified by the rest of the story. The headline is not about the violence of UAF, but claiming that the anti-fundamentalist group is planning more clashes. The article actually says they plan more demonstrations, gives no hint that there is any evidence they plan violence, and ignores evidence that the counter-demonstration caused the ‘clash’.