Post-match review: July 18 #ReclaimAustralia/#UnitedPatriotsFront rallies #Melbourne

july18
Above : Police spray counter-protesters /// A policeman and a United Patriots Front fascist shake hands.

Oh hai.

I thought I may as well post a few thoughts on today’s events here.

To begin with, I think it was noteworthy that the numbers attending the ‘Reclaim Australia’ rally — scheduled for 11am — were down on April 4 by a considerable margin. By my estimate, there were no more than 100 or so who managed to attend the rally and the speeches by Danny Nalliah and Christine Sindt Rosalie Crestani were largely drowned out by counter-protesters.

As for the ‘United Patriots Front’, like the Reclaimers they snuck into the area in front of Parliament accompanied by a massive police presence but didn’t stay long, being escorted by police away from the area by around 1.30pm. Presumably, this will be counted as a victory by the fascists, but only about 50 or 60 attended the UPF rally and a large number of these were seemingly from Sydney or interstate.

Regarding the policing of the event, the authorities did a reasonably effective job of ensuring that the motley assortment of bigots attending either or both rallies did so relatively unmolested. This was not the case with several score of their supporters, who were forced to attempt to break the picket lines (at the top of Bourke Street and near the corner of Little Bourke and Spring Streets) to gain access. Over the course of the four hours or so the rallies were taking place (between roughly 10am and 2pm), one or more ‘patriots’ would periodically attempt to break the picket, almost always being repelled.

These attempts to break the picket — especially that near Little Bourke and Spring Streets — sometimes triggered a reaction by police, who on several occasions forcibly disrupted the picket and also employed pepper spray in a somewhat chaotic fashion. Scores of counter-protesters required medical attention as a result. The Melbourne Street Medics — who deserve mAAAd props for their valuable work — describe these events as follows:

Medics’ Statement on July 18 anti-racist/fascist Demonstration
July 18, 2015

Today, antifascist protesters converged upon Spring Street in Melbourne near the Parliament of Victoria. They went there to counter racist rallies being held by Reclaim Australia and the fascist United Patriots Front.

As usual Victoria Police was also in attendance, and in the days leading to the protest it had promised a large presence and random weapons checks in response to rumours of fascists bringing weapons and intending violence.

Victoria Police’s goal for the day was to facilitate Reclaim Australia and the United Patriots Front holding their rallies out the front of Parliament House. In order to achieve this mounted officers and members of the Public Order Response Team (PORT) complemented uniformed officers on the streets, and OC (Pepper) spray was deployed against counter-protesters.

Amongst those affected by the OC Spray was a casualty who began to experience respiratory distress, a not uncommon side-effect of OC spray and other such “less-than-lethal” chemical weapons. In the course of attending to this casualty and decontaminating others who had been affected, members of the Melbourne Street Medic Collective (including one pregnant woman) were attacked by police with OC Spray and kettled in a small space at the top of Little Bourke Street.

Footage of the incident will be reviewed as it becomes available but at this point there seem to be only two explanations for the deployment of chemical weapons against the Street Medics: some witness reports have indicated that Victoria Police officers were spraying the crowd indiscriminately and did not check who they were attacking until after the fact. Others have said that police ignored the shouts of the crowd advising them that someone was receiving medical attention and with the decision to spray all medics this action should be seen as a deliberate attack upon medical personnel and their treatment space.

As one of our medics has since remarked:

“Possibly more than 100 people needed to be treated today as police indiscriminately fired pepper spray into the crowd, including onto an injured man who was struggling to breathe, was losing consciousness, and was awaiting an ambulance. They also sprayed the medics treating him. Someone had a seizure, two were taken to hospital and a few were sent home (by us as medics) due to the after-effects of the pepper spray (namely hypothermia-like symptoms of shaking and an inability to normalise body temperature). It was absolute fucking carnage and it was completely unnecessary and provocative. The racists didn’t cop any of the pepper spray at all as far as I know, and they got a three-line police escort away from the area.”

Victoria Police should rightfully be condemned for the deployment of chemical weapons, the targeting of medical personnel, casualties and medical treatment spaces with such weapons and, most of all, doing this in order to facilitate a public rally of racists and overt fascists and neo-nazis. Any assessment of the actions of antifascist protesters will conclude that they were inherently defensive: against threats of violence and the use of weapons by fascists and nazis as part of the United Patriots Front, and against the violence of racism and systematic oppression on the parts of Reclaim Australia, the United Patriots Front and Victoria Police.

The officers in command of PORT and of the event should immediately be suspended from their duties and investigations launched into how and why chemical weapons came to be used, and used against medics, injured persons and in treatment spaces. These investigations should be conducted with the possibility of demotion, termination from employment and/or laying of criminal charges (such as for assault) as outcomes.

Melbourne Street Medic Collective encourages all witnesses and concerned persons to lodge complaints with Victoria Police’s Conduct Unit and the Police Minister.

The police account of the day’s events is recapitulated by The Age in Police condemn violence as protesters clash at Parliament House (Chris Vedelago, Deborah Gough, July 18, 2015).

A few more things:

• The hatriot bus from Sydney initially included both Shermon Burgess, Ralph Cerminara and Ross ‘The Skull’ May (along with members of Squadron 88 and the Australia First Party). After it was made public, the hatriots made a show of kicking poor old Ross off the bus.
• A small group of Burgess’s minders attempted to attack anti-fascists today but were unsuccessful (to put it mildly).
• There were a small number of arrests.
• The police are obviously committed to facilitating Reclaim and UPF rallies and to use some indiscriminate forms of violence to do so.
• A handful of neo-Nazis attended the protest, including Glenn Anderson/Androvski and Felicity Sharpe (of her, more later). Diane Teasdale, the former President of the Australia First Party, was present, as was fascist meathead Daniel Jones. There were of course a range of other fascists present but their identification will come later.
• It will be interesting to see if the UPF can bounce back from their second humiliating failure in Melbourne, or if the boys will instead simply drift away (as have so many similar such extreme-right projects in the past).
• Melbourne has re-affirmed its status as a city which is able and willing to combat public expressions of racial hatred, religious vilification and fascist politics.
• I was informed today that ‘The Great Aussie Patriot’ has: a) joined the ranks of the jobless and; b) moved to Sydney.
• Finally, many thanks to all the folks who attended the counter-rally: you rock my world!

See also : Reclaim Australia, No Room for Racism protests: Demonstrators clash as rival groups kick off nationwide rallies, ABC, July 18, 2015 | Police use capsicum spray at Reclaim Australia rally, protesters disperse, SBS, July 18, 2015 | Reclaim Australia supporters and counter-protesters clash amid violent scenes, Teh Grauniad (AAP), July 18, 2015 | Melbourne streets shut down as conflicting protests clash outside state parliament, 9News, July 18, 2015 | Fascists fail in Melbourne – again, Ben Hillier, Red Flag, July 18, 2015.

TO BE CONTINUED …

About @ndy

I live in Melbourne, Australia. I like anarchy. I don't like nazis. I enjoy eating pizza and drinking beer. I barrack for the greatest football team on Earth: Collingwood Magpies. The 2024 premiership's a cakewalk for the good old Collingwood.
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34 Responses to Post-match review: July 18 #ReclaimAustralia/#UnitedPatriotsFront rallies #Melbourne

  1. Therese Logan says:

    It would have been a much greater victory because of the sheer numbers opposing them, if it hadn’t been handed to the fascists on a plate by the violent acts of a few stupid people who did our cause no good by their actions. They handed a win to the hatriots. Thank you for nothing, idiots. Stay away next time.

  2. [Pseudonymous critic] says:

    What no pictures of anti fascist protesters burning the Australian flag? Assaulting elderly people for simply showing pride in their nation? Or likewise assaulting law abiding citizens for simply having a different belief then they do?

    So the poor anti fascist protesters were using violence to counter a legitimate legal protest and had violence used against them by the police. Oh the irony.

    I noticed in the medic’s report there was a pregnant woman hit with pepper spray, you really have to ask yourself, why would you risk the well-being of your unborn child to attend a rally which had violence written all over it from the start. Shows the mentality of the people involved doesn’t it.

    Just keep at it mate, while you guys were defending the country from racism Muslims around the world were showing their appreciation for your efforts.

    Boko Haram killed over 250 people in a week, Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez was busy in Chattanooga slaying 4 marines in cold blood, IS detonated a car bomb in Khan Bani Saad killing at least 120 people.

    Oh I know, these are just acts of those bad Muslims, nothing to do with the good Muslims …

    Just like Hitler was one of those bad Nazis and that has nothing to do with all of the other good Nazis, that haven’t participated in attempted genocide. Oh wait that doesn’t really work does it?

    And you guys got some pepper in your eyes … lol …

  3. Stu says:

    I think cops act like this because they’re shit scared. Behind their weapons they are nothing more than anyone except they are fighting for something they are told to believe rather than believe themselves. Majority rule and they are public servants to protect and serve regardless of the occasion or crowd.

  4. Jerry Brown says:

    Don’t worry, well be back! Anti freedom of speech communist scum like you can’t repress the people forever. Your intolerance is pathetic.

  5. AnarchoCommieLiberalScum says:

    I saw the footage of my comrades being pepper sprayed when I got home from work this morning, and it was pretty obvious to me who the police were protecting. Personally I couldn’t think of a more racist/sexist hate filled work culture than that of the pigs. I can’t call them anything because they always act like fucking pigs and would never protect and serve anarchists, Aborigines, Muslims, etc.

    To me they are a much bigger threat to democracy than a bunch of brainless racists who exist on the fringe of our society, and have reached the point of insignificance as a movement. If these neo-Nazis had any brains they would have joined the police force. Unfortunately from that picture I think some did.

    Also as usual the pigs always blame the violence on both sides, but anyone with half a brain can see through such bullshit. Such things as who hit who first just don’t seem to matter to the police unless it is being filmed. It reminded me of a policeman telling me “There’s what you said, and what she said, and somewhere in the middle is the truth” and I replied “No officer, there’s one person telling the truth and another person telling a lie, you know like when police go to court”.

    They only know how to lie and then cover up lies with more lies. Add to this a good does of MSM whitewash and the anti-fascist protesters come off sounding as bad/crazy as the racists. Anyway good on all those who stood up for what is undeniably morally right and fuck all those violent psychos fighting for hatred, I hope you do the world a favour and remove yourself from the genepool in a fashion worthy of a Darwin award.

  6. Ainsley H, Aussie chick says:

    As usual in the end, all the nasty little pricks on the laughable Left were out in force being violent. But hey, those haters gonna hate aren’t they? Seems like we won’t be rid of the deeply weird Socialist Alliance and their atavistic ilk this year either dammit. When you see dickheads like this ‘riot for peace’ LOL you wonder if our world will ever be free of the brainwashed and the jack-booted? Possibly not. A mere glance at history reveals how profoundly unethical it is to be on the Left and how it appeals to the inner totalitarian in a comparatively few of us. I wonder if the screamy teenage ‘activists’ in Melbourne that were too gutless and war-like to show their faces fessed up their mummies what ancient slogans their little hooded faces were regurgitating – they are truly stupid fn idiots HAHAHA.

  7. jimbo waussie says:

    police were awesome pity they didnt start shooting the feral leftys victoria police u were awesome i know its hard controlling 2000 emo unemployed unwashed bludgers cheers for the awesome capo spray demonstration

  8. [Pseudonymous critic] says:

    Maybe it’s time to drop the mask Andy, you’re no anarchist, you’re really just a communist right?

    All talk and no substance. It doesn’t take any courage to kick a bleeding weak enemy laying on the ground, but it does take real courage to stand up to violent extremists wherever/whenever they are found. If Antifa had any balls whatsoever, it would dedicate itself to fighting real enemies rather than just tilting at windmills while sliding in a communist agenda.

    Fighting the remnants of a cult that fell over half a century ago, while ignoring the daily acts of violence and murder around the globe by one the world’s largest active sects seems rather convenient. But this is about politics right, not freedom, tolerance or peace? Nor unity or for that matter any other false flag Antifa likes to fly.

    Can you say hypocrisy? Can you spell coward? Courage means raising your voice when everyone else is silent in the face of oppression, not falling in line with a bunch of thugs trying to silence others by violent means who do have concerns.

    But I’m sure Andy you will have no issue with speaking out against Communistic agendas, right? Right? Speaking out against the violence of Muslim extremists? Speaking out against violence being used to silence people for just having a different opinion?

    I’m listening, prove me wrong.

    Antifa are no better than the Nazis they claim to fight, violent thugs pushing their own agenda. It’s quite strange, maybe you can tell me what Antifa’s stance is on Muslim extremist violence which is responsible for death and violence almost everyday? From what I can see Antifa doesn’t seem to even acknowledge it as an issue. Try doing a google search yourself.

    Antifa are just cowards fighting the fight they know they can win, while ignoring one of the world’s largest threats.

  9. [Pseudonymous critic] says:

    Maybe you can enlighten us as to how Antifa feels about the pro-Russian rebels in the Ukraine that likely shot down the flight MH17 killing 300 people?

    Oh wait I can do that for you or you can also find a large amount of info on the net about it it’s no secret after all. Antifa actively support the communist rebels who are “likely” responsible for killing 40 Australians in a senseless act of violence while waging a Russian-backed civil war in the Ukraine.

    Some even say Antifa is actively sending members to fight with the rebels to this day.

    Any feedback on that one Andy? So are you for or against shooting down civilian planes killing 100s of people? Or is that the type of thuggery you guys support? Smells like terrorism to me.

  10. Jonno says:

    Might I just add to this and I don’t think it’s going off-topic.
    A thesis just completed by a senior Victorian police officer has found the biggest gang threat in this state is the strong emergence of black African gangs where children as young as 10 are being recruited. This is aimed straight at the Somali migrants, most who came here under refugee status.
    So much for offering a new life eh.

  11. Jonno says:

    Reclaim Australia is a bunch of ordinary Australians that just want Australia to remain as Australia and not turn into another 3rd World shit hole where it’s currently heading. They are 100% against the Greens and their moronic policies. Mums, Dads, kids, Grannies and Granpas, far from White supremacists.

    The other mob are rent a crowd paid for by the Greens and then mostly Middle Eastern scum who like the ISIS scum, are too afraid to show their face and go there for one reason only, to disrupt and halt free speech.

    If you are going to comment on shit like this, at least get your facts straight, you are so far off the mark on this it’s not funny.

  12. Ali says:

    Lefties rule. We ARE the champions, the freedom fighters, the heroes and the do-gooders! You loose righty-tighty wing nuts stripped your gears in public. The Reclaimers were out numbered, out witted and out of their tiny minds. By the way, some of you need to learn how to spell your country’s name – it’s AUSTRALIA. Bwahahaha total losers the lot of you.

  13. ablokeimet says:

    [Pseudonymous critic]: “Maybe it’s time to drop the mask Andy, you’re no anarchist, you’re really just a communist right?”

    The vast majority of Anarchists are communists – even if they’re not aware of it. Communism is the principle of “from each according to their ability, to each according to their need”. People who identify communism with the regime set up in Russia for decades are making a fundamental mistake. Lenin was a poor communist – and a State communist at that. Stalin was no communist at all and, in fact, shot all the communists he could get his hands on.

    Anarchists, or at least the vast majority of them, aim to establish libertarian communism.

    And as for the rest of the comments from the Right wingers moaning about the actions of the anti-Fascists yesterday, it’s not an issue of free speech at all. Because a Fascist organisation is a conspiracy to murder, the appropriate way of dealing with them is using reasonable force in self defence.

  14. Michael says:

    The RA and UPF demonstrators were surprisingly well behaved, orderly and from footage that I have seen online, organisers have even made a point of ejecting and removing Nazi Skinheads from their rally.

    Shame on all of those violent counter-demonstrators, however. Attacking innocent bystanders, men and women indiscriminately, all while hiding behind masks. If there was a point to anything you were out for across the weekend, it’s been completely and utterly lost amidst base thuggery and disgraceful behaviour.

    You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.

  15. AnarchoCommieLiberalScum says:

    It’s funny to hear fascists claiming that antifascists/anarchists are the violent ones, and yet for as long as I can remember boneheads and their kind are the ones who go around bashing/torturing people to death just for being the wrong skin colour.
    Hypothetically if there was a scenario where you saw some Nazi scum murdering someone for being Vietnamese, and you could help them by putting some bullets into those Nazis you would be morally justified in doing so. By doing this an anarchist is not violently forcing his beliefs on others, but acting in defence. Some things are just morally right and some things are just morally wrong. I am certain you’d agree if we were talking about female circumcisions wouldn’t you?
    If everyone’s opinion is equal you shouldn’t have a problem with female genital mutilation but instead you want to force your beliefs on those who want to mutilate their kids. What gives you the right to speak out against female genital mutilation? How dare you act like some stinking communist forcing your Stalinism on them!
    So ever you retards have to agree, whether you want to or not, some things are right and some things are wrong, and defending yourself or others is never wrong. I’m not forcing my communism on you but hypothetically if you take an eye from me, I’ll take both of yours. That’s not communism mate, it’s common sense. Do unto others as they would do to you.

  16. AnarchoCommieLiberalScum says:

    Judges cut jail time for neo-Nazi who attacked Vietnamese student

    Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/judges-cut-jail-time-for-neonazi-who-attacked-vietnamese-student-20130820-2s8p2.html

    He wasn’t a Muslim rapist, so attempted murder on account of wrong ethnicity only gets you 7 years. What a joke. Still waiting for the stories about anti fascists doing this sort of stuff.

  17. Ramachandran says:

    If fascists are allowed to multiply it gets to the point like in Russia about 10 years ago where they started murdering children like Lilian Syssoco and Khursheda Sultanova. So, as a short, skinny, brown person, thanks a lot and I’m sorry that the cops attacked you.

  18. [Pseudonymous critic] says:

    @ablokeimet

    “the appropriate way of dealing with them is using reasonable force in self defence.”

    Yeah, like 30 blokes in black masks chasing two blokes down the street yelling “I’m gonna cut your throat.” Or crowds of masked men beating and kicking lone individuals as they fall to the ground needing to be rescued by police. Attacking people for simply carrying an Australian flag and being brave enough to walk the streets.

    ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• •••

    “Anarchists, or at least the vast majority of them, aim to establish libertarian communism.”

    So I can take it this means agendas such as shutting down any individual access to freedom of speech, violently beating anyone with opposing viewpoints and removing any right to protest unless approved by the Anarcho-Communist organisations themselves? I am smelling some taint of Fascism here but the waft is definitely not coming from where some are trying to point at it.

    ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• •••

    Half the trouble here is that a lot of the people on the left are naive as to the reasons they are protesting. They believe they are fighting racism and bigotry. But in fact they are more coming across as fighting Australian values and being brainwashed by groups constantly screaming “Won’t somebody think of the children” with very weak arguments based in facts.

    The left and associates are trying to paint Australia as a racist right wing bastion, when in reality we are mainly a middle slightly right leaning PC nanny state, where I have to check with mother before I can do almost anything. Australia has a multi ethnic population with a high rate of inter ethnic marriage and as a whole most Australians coexist peacefully and quite happily together whatever their background. Racial discrimination is against the law with legislation such as the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, Commonwealth Racial Hatred Act and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act.

    So please show me where is this Fascist state they claim they are inciting violence against? Where are the violence and racist acts that are being perpetrated by Reclaim Australia? Show me details of this right wing racist spring here in Australia that is being proclaimed as the enemy by the left? I’m sorry but I just don’t see it, except maybe a very small minority of isolated instances.

    The major issue I do see is the rapid radicalisation of the left, driven by groups like Antifa who are more interested in creating outright Anarchy and less so in harmonisation, racial tolerance and basic human freedoms. Radicalisation somehow always leads away from reason and will cloud the vision of those swept up in the fervour.

    The chant today may ring out as “Say No to Racism” but really what is behind a very thin veil is “Kill the enemy, topple the system. Vive the revolution!”.

    Stop being so blind Australia. Think for yourself and stop listening to sock puppets trying to lead you up the garden path. There is no rose garden at the end of it.

  19. Dan Murf says:

    Respect to Melbourne Antifa. My new heroes.

  20. Sossle says:

    @ AnarchoCommieLiberalScum

    One word for you my friend. “Islamofascism.” Read up about it.

    And then ask why you are supporting thugs that are assaulting anyone for raising concerns about it. It doesn’t seem like you’re defending those in need of help from “racist violence” but are aligning yourself with the groups attacking those brave enough to speak out about the rise of a new fascist power. Which doesn’t align you with anti-fascism but seems much more more akin to you being an enabler for very real fascist ideals. A group who are currently involved in a global conflict aimed at total world domination. Islamic extremists are unapologetic about being fascist, racist, sexist, homophobic, intolerant and above all extremely violent.

    I don’t see the current “No Room for Racism” movement as anti-fascist and only as just barely anti-racist. I see it more as a aligning itself with Muslim extremist apologisers and IS sympathisers. People with similar mentalities are what led to the Nazi regime coming to power and the atrocities of the tragedy of the Holocaust. It was all made possible by people who were not brave enough to speak out for fear of violent reprisal attacks.

    Covering yourself in Duck sh*t doesn’t make you a duck … Think hard before making threats of violence, about which side are you really on. And what you are representing.

    And despite what you think the world doesn’t end at the Victorian border. Have a look at the world news sometime. You may learn something.

  21. breaker morant says:

    Anyone got a picture of this “Andy” prick who runs this site?

  22. Undeadbreathing says:

    Nah, he never emerges from his parent[‘]s basement long enough for a photo. There[‘]s plenty of speculation though on the net if you search. Seems he is too busy spinning half truths and posting lolcats on his lame facebook site where he self styles himself as some kind of anarcho freedom fighter. But in reality he makes about as much difference as a fish pissing in the ocean. His facebook fans are right now rather cowardly bashing police officers for just maintaining civil order against violent lefty protesters. Even to the point where they are playing guessing games to officer[‘]s [identities]. Potentially putting the officers[‘] wellbeing at risk. Low methods, but i guess that[‘]s what to expect from those with no morale [sic] compass. Seems like there [sic] lining there [sic] own coffin and destroying any shred of credibility they may of once had. Or maybe it[‘]s just there [sic] masks are slipping.

  23. Tying the Noose says:

    breaker morant, there is a picture being investigated at the moment. seems Andy wasnt careful enough. he likes book fairs.

  24. Liaquat says:

    As a Muslim I can tell you that ISIS has virtually no support. A few sad, losers – not unlike the UPF – support them. Even al-Qaeda has far less support now than it did 15 years ago. People are moving away from Salafism towards other types of Islam – of which there are many.

  25. AnarchoCommieLiberalScum says:

    “Look up Islamofascism, and then ask why you are supporting thugs that are assaulting anyone for raising concerns about it.”

    News flash to retards, just in case you hadn’t notice we are living in Australia. This is not Africa, and there’s no Boko Haram running around other than in your fucking heads. The idea that we’ll all be subject to sharia law is so fucking retarded it’s not funny. But believing retarded bullshit is not a good enough reason to deserve a bashing.

    Why I would support them using violence against you is because your ilk right back to your granddaddy’s granddaddy have been bashing blacks, gays etc. And even in this day and age I’ve been to pubs where people got together for a drunken black bashing fest. These are the sort of people that attend Reclaim rallies.

    And to top it off, nearly everyone I meet hates Muslims and yet most of them have never met one, let alone a bad one in their limited life. Now if these people go to some racist rally where they know there will be violence and end up getting a few smacks in the head I am going to enjoy watching it in the same way you guys enjoy watching Aborigines getting bashed by cops.

    It’s nice to see some violent racist shit heads get a taste of their own medicine. You get what you give. Antifa are the guys that stand up to those bullies. They know that the only way to get respect from a neo-Nazi is a good thump to their thick heads. Even then they won’t learn but at least I get some decent entertainment.

  26. hal says:

    UPF stands for Useless Pathetic Fascists.

  27. ablokeimet says:

    [Pseudonymous critic] “Yeah, like 30 blokes in black masks chasing two blokes down the street yelling “I’m gonna cut your throat.” Or crowds of masked men beating and kicking lone individuals as they fall to the ground needing to be rescued by police. Attacking people for simply carrying an Australian flag and being brave enough to walk the streets.”

    This is a classic tactic of the Right – putting words in someone’s mouth, so as to make it easier to criticise them. There is no evidence put forward that any of the actions mentioned even occurred, let alone would be endorsed by me. I saw very little of the rally on Saturday, for reasons I’d rather not disclose here, so instead I will put my position of principle:

    1. A Fascist organisation, such as the United Patriots Front, is a conspiracy to murder. As such, it is justified as an act of self defence for workers and oppressed groups to use reasonable force to break them up, disperse and demoralise them. To achieve this purpose it is generally adequate to, in Trotsky’s words, “acquaint their heads with the pavement”. Causing death or permanent disability would normally be excessive and could only be justified if it was necessary in the course of reacting to a Fascist attack.

    2. A Right wing populist organisation must not be dealt with in the same manner as a Fascist one. The nature of Reclaim Australia is in flux but, given the splits that have been happening, it is possible that RA may evolve into being merely Right wing populists. Such organisations must be confronted vigorously, with taking their organising space off them being a valid tactic to consider but, unlike with Fascists, a line must be drawn at the pre-emptive use of force.

    3. The difference between Right wing populists and Fascists is not to be looked for in their present policy statements (though some policy statements can be sufficient to identify a Fascist organisation, it is also common for Fascists to tailor their official policies for public consumption). The crucial difference between Right wing populists and Fascists is that Right wing populists are committed to the norms of capitalist democracy, while Fascists aim to come to power through, or with the aid of, extra-legal violence. Mussolini did it in Italy, Hitler did it in Germany and Franco did it in Spain. Mosely tried it in Britain, but failed – read up on the Battle of Cable Street.

    4. It is a ritual for all Fascist groups in the English speaking world to distance themselves (in public) from the Nazis and the swastika by saying “That’s German nationalism – we’re Australian/British/American nationalists”. The standard Fascist tactic is to wrap themselves in the national flag of the country they seek to rule – in the current case, Australia. This rag, which represents the invasion and genocidal conquest of Aboriginal Australia, should not be regarded as protection for Fascists.

    5. All reasonable steps should be taken by anti-Fascists to make the above distinction between Fascists and Right wing populists, but if the populists are going to welcome Fascists into their ranks as they did on Saturday, they should expect some collateral damage.

  28. AnarchoCommieLiberalScum says:

    In relation to that piggie high fiving a Nazi.

    http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/07/20/police-under-fire-over-high-five-reclaim-australia-protester

    Victorian Police said:
    The image of a policeman engaging in a hand gesture with a demonstrator yesterday represents a split second action in a dynamic environment. Speculation around the meaning of the interaction in such circumstances is both unfair and unfounded.

    WTF lol. “engaging in a hand gesture” Apparently Victorian Police can’t understand this really simple shit. No wonder they can’t solve crimes. Even you bunch of incompetent, corrupt arseholes understand what it means if someone made such hand gestures with an Islamic extremist. Everyone but Victorian police seem to understand the implications of a cop shaking hands with Klansmen.

  29. hal says:

    Glenn Anderson/Androvski is the bonehead holding that idiotic sign full of spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and neo-Nazi numerological symbolism (14/88). This muppet craps on about non-Anglos not being able to speak English, yet he cannot speak or spell. He is a brain dead neo-Nazi drone who has only hate in his heart. He has no interest in anything other than fascism. He is also a product of multiculturalism, as is Jim Saleam, and Jack Van Tongeren yet these vile thugs simply ignore this fact. Another muppet present was Felicity Sharpe. Do an internet search on her and you will see the people talking about her were right. She did claim to be Jewish once. She also has said she is a vegan. Now she is a white power neo-Nazi Catholic who loves Putin because he is “a Christian traditionalist” (sic) who opposes gay marriage. She urged Ireland to stand against gay marriage. She is the only neo-Nazi standing by Russia as all her comrades support the Ukrainian right. She is one messed up person who alters her identity every so often.

  30. Michael Lindsay says:

    One thing I don’t understand about these “patriot” “nationalists”.

    If these idiots are all about how awesome and unique their particular country is, how come in America, Europe and Australia they all look like pig-ugly blokes with shaved lumpy skulls and weird Hitler obsessions?

  31. hal says:

    According to the Daily Mail Australia website Glenn Anderson/Androvski was ejected from the mini Nuremberg Rally by his racist mates because they found him too embarrassing.

  32. Pingback: LOVE COBURG (///) HATE RACISM | Melbourne Antifascists

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