A very successful benefit social for Celtic Anti-Fascists took place in Glasgow recently with 100 supporters in attendance. The crowd were entertained by the excellent band, Celtic Connection, who played a cracking set which had the bhoys and girls dancing on the tables. Celtic Anti-Fascists have set the example that must be followed by supporters of other clubs if we are to halt the growth of fascism on the football terraces. Events at the recent international match in Dublin between Ireland and England point to the enormity of what lies ahead. The European Championships in England next year are likely to become a showdown not between rival international 'firms' but between the forces of fascism and anti-fascism in Europe, regardless of nationality. At Celtic, we have already begun to build the resistance to racism and fascism.
At the gig, a speaker from Red Action, an organisation that for years has led the anti-fascist resistance, gave a rousing speech. We are proud to reproduce the full text of that speech:
"AFA was set up in 1985. The founding statement was 'to confront the fascists physically and ideologically'. It quickly became apparent that many of its supporters weren't up to it. In 1987 a 2,000 strong AFA march was scattered by a mob of Chelsea Headhunters. In 1989 it was reorganised on more militant lines. There were to be no more easy victories. In 1991 after an encounter, a young Chelsea hooligan confessed: "I have never been so frightened in my life. They ( the Headhunters) told me that Red Action were all old men in sandals and duffle coats!"
In 1992, many central London stations including Waterloo and Charing Cross, 'closed due to riots' as AFA fought running battles with Blood and Honour skinheads and right-wing football casuals. One of the main men at Millwall suffered a heart attack! But importantly, for the first time, many football casuals that day fought on the same side as the anti-fascists. AFA was denounced by the liberal left for its ‘paramilitary tactics'. At the same time many journals on the far-right insisted on 'an IRA connection'. The fact that two of their leading opponents of the late '80's and early '90's were sentenced to a total of 53 years in 1993 for entirely separate IRA/INLA operations, did little, we are informed, to reassure them!
Nor would anybody deny the natural affinity between militant republicanism and militant anti-fascism. Sharing natural enemies causes affinity. The role of Frank Ryan and others in the Spanish civil war is well chronicled, less well known is the vital role played by the IRA in smashing Ireland's own home grown fascists, the 'Blueshirts' during the 1930's. At their high point the Blueshirts claimed a membership of 60,000 - the equivalent of 500,000 in Britain - but due to the attentions of the IRA the high point was brief.
The following description of the events surrounding a Blueshirt meeting in Tralee Co Kerry in 1933 will give you some idea of the IRA's implacable opposition. "The meeting was completely wrecked.... O'Duffy received a nasty head wound when hit by a hammer on his way into the hall.... one hundred delegates were trapped inside by a stone throwing crowd outside. The 200 police present were not able to deal with the crowd outside and it was not until soldiers in full battle kit arrived from Cork that peace be restored. A Mills bomb was thrown through the skylight... but it did not explode as it was caught in the wire netting over the stage. O'Duffy's car was burned by the crowd. The next day an unexploded bomb was found at the back of the hall"
Fascism is anti-working class and anti-democratic. It is a physical force movement. Force must be met with force, violence must be met with counter violence - not pacifism. If, in 1933, other movements in other countries had followed the lead of the IRA, 50 million people would not have died in World War 2.
Today, history repeats itself. In France, the FN are still setting the agenda. In Germany, they have changed the constitution. In Austria, the far-right got 22% of the vote in the national elections in October. In Italy, the far-right are waiting in the wings. Britain too is moving to the right. AFA nationally has helped curb the ambitions of the BNP for the moment, but the fight is far from over.
Labour has turned its back on working class aspirations and announces that it will in future be 'a middle class party for a middle class people'. The far-right intend to fill this void. This they have already achieved at football. To one degree or another nearly all the football firms are right-wing. In 1993, a selection of over 600 turned out to oppose the Bloody Sunday demonstration in London.
Celtic, because of its identification with another tradition, is probably the only club the fascists have never tried to organise. So it is entirely appropriate that Celtic is the first club to organise against them. Up to now the far-right have had a free run at football. The fightback begins here. We appear to be on the way to a united Ireland. The next step is an independent Scotland. The way to achieve it is by a politically independent working class.
TIOCFAIDH AR LA."
CAF endorse the above statement. The choice facing those Celtic fans and republicans who aren't involved in the campaign yet is to either fight the fascists now before it's too late, or accept defeat without striking a blow. There'll be no safe havens for the likes of us.
JOIN THE RESISTANCE!
At the gig, a speaker from Red Action, an organisation that for years has led the anti-fascist resistance, gave a rousing speech. We are proud to reproduce the full text of that speech:
"AFA was set up in 1985. The founding statement was 'to confront the fascists physically and ideologically'. It quickly became apparent that many of its supporters weren't up to it. In 1987 a 2,000 strong AFA march was scattered by a mob of Chelsea Headhunters. In 1989 it was reorganised on more militant lines. There were to be no more easy victories. In 1991 after an encounter, a young Chelsea hooligan confessed: "I have never been so frightened in my life. They ( the Headhunters) told me that Red Action were all old men in sandals and duffle coats!"
In 1992, many central London stations including Waterloo and Charing Cross, 'closed due to riots' as AFA fought running battles with Blood and Honour skinheads and right-wing football casuals. One of the main men at Millwall suffered a heart attack! But importantly, for the first time, many football casuals that day fought on the same side as the anti-fascists. AFA was denounced by the liberal left for its ‘paramilitary tactics'. At the same time many journals on the far-right insisted on 'an IRA connection'. The fact that two of their leading opponents of the late '80's and early '90's were sentenced to a total of 53 years in 1993 for entirely separate IRA/INLA operations, did little, we are informed, to reassure them!
Nor would anybody deny the natural affinity between militant republicanism and militant anti-fascism. Sharing natural enemies causes affinity. The role of Frank Ryan and others in the Spanish civil war is well chronicled, less well known is the vital role played by the IRA in smashing Ireland's own home grown fascists, the 'Blueshirts' during the 1930's. At their high point the Blueshirts claimed a membership of 60,000 - the equivalent of 500,000 in Britain - but due to the attentions of the IRA the high point was brief.
The following description of the events surrounding a Blueshirt meeting in Tralee Co Kerry in 1933 will give you some idea of the IRA's implacable opposition. "The meeting was completely wrecked.... O'Duffy received a nasty head wound when hit by a hammer on his way into the hall.... one hundred delegates were trapped inside by a stone throwing crowd outside. The 200 police present were not able to deal with the crowd outside and it was not until soldiers in full battle kit arrived from Cork that peace be restored. A Mills bomb was thrown through the skylight... but it did not explode as it was caught in the wire netting over the stage. O'Duffy's car was burned by the crowd. The next day an unexploded bomb was found at the back of the hall"
Fascism is anti-working class and anti-democratic. It is a physical force movement. Force must be met with force, violence must be met with counter violence - not pacifism. If, in 1933, other movements in other countries had followed the lead of the IRA, 50 million people would not have died in World War 2.
Today, history repeats itself. In France, the FN are still setting the agenda. In Germany, they have changed the constitution. In Austria, the far-right got 22% of the vote in the national elections in October. In Italy, the far-right are waiting in the wings. Britain too is moving to the right. AFA nationally has helped curb the ambitions of the BNP for the moment, but the fight is far from over.
Labour has turned its back on working class aspirations and announces that it will in future be 'a middle class party for a middle class people'. The far-right intend to fill this void. This they have already achieved at football. To one degree or another nearly all the football firms are right-wing. In 1993, a selection of over 600 turned out to oppose the Bloody Sunday demonstration in London.
Celtic, because of its identification with another tradition, is probably the only club the fascists have never tried to organise. So it is entirely appropriate that Celtic is the first club to organise against them. Up to now the far-right have had a free run at football. The fightback begins here. We appear to be on the way to a united Ireland. The next step is an independent Scotland. The way to achieve it is by a politically independent working class.
TIOCFAIDH AR LA."
CAF endorse the above statement. The choice facing those Celtic fans and republicans who aren't involved in the campaign yet is to either fight the fascists now before it's too late, or accept defeat without striking a blow. There'll be no safe havens for the likes of us.
JOIN THE RESISTANCE!
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