A review of my blogging efforts in 2015.<\/p>\n
January<\/strong> (8 posts)<\/p>\n In addition to several notes on anti-fascism (which included some advice on Facebook<\/a> use), I wrote about the ‘Rojava Revolution’<\/a> in northern Syria and a strike and occupation at a factory in Dandenong. Oh yeah: in January I also briefly appeared on an episode<\/a> of The 7.30 Report<\/em> about ‘citizen detectives’.<\/p>\n February<\/strong> (9 posts)<\/p>\n In February I began<\/a> to chart the emergence of proto-fascist movement ‘Reclaim Australia’. I republished<\/a> several (very interesting) articles from Le Monde Diplomatique<\/em> on the Charlie Hebdo<\/em> killings in Paris, took note of the #HESTAdivest<\/a> campaign, and a controversy re protest, the Black Rose kolektiv and the (now sadly-departed) Indigenous activist Ray Jackson. I also republished an article by sociologist Ghassan Hage on Continuity and Change in Australian Racism<\/a> and briefly noted some silly neo-Nazi shenanigans<\/a> at the Melbourne Knights.<\/p>\n March<\/strong> (15 posts)<\/p>\n March was also entirely devoted to documenting and promoting opposition to Reclaim Australia, though I also republished Melbourne teenager turned IS\/ISIL\/ISIS\/Daesh supporter Jake Bilardi’s account<\/a> of his brief life and political evolution. March witnessed the announcement by key Reclaim Australia figure Shermon Burgess (‘The Great Aussie Patriot’) of local Melbourne neo-Nazi Neil Erikson’s stillborn documentary film project ‘The Hunt for Andy Fleming’<\/a>. Also in March, following a concerted campaign by fascists and various other bizarr0s, my Facebook page<\/a> was forcibly closed<\/a>.<\/p>\n April<\/strong> (6 posts)<\/p>\n April witnessed the first of a series of national rallies organised under the umbrella of ‘Reclaim Australia’: I wrote several posts about the April 4 events and also published a few things elsewhere<\/a> (New Matilda and Overland). On my monthly radio show on 3CR (with co-host and raconteur Cam Smith), we spoke to writer Van Badham about what it all meant and the importance of opposing fascist movements both online and on the streets.<\/p>\n May<\/strong> (10 posts)<\/p>\n Another month devoted to Reclaim Australia and the emergence of fascist splinter group the ‘United Patriots Front’<\/a> (UPF). Comprising a small assortment of local (Melbourne) neo-Nazis, fascists, and right-wing Christian fundamentalists, the UPF held its first, ‘anti-Communist’ rally in Richmond on May 31. The demo<\/a> attracted around 60-70 or so supporters, a counter-demo several times that size and, while attracting considerable media and public attention, failed to unseat Stephen Jolly from his Yarra Council seat (or to occupy the steps of Richmond Town Hall — even with police assistance). The targeting of Jolly eventually culminated in the arrest and prosecution<\/a> of a man for making rape and death threats against Jolly and his family. Oh yeah: after being briefly resurrected, my Facebook page was again<\/a> closed down by an orchestrated campaign.<\/p>\n June<\/strong> (12 posts)<\/p>\n More on Reclaim Australia, the UPF and assorted fascist dregs. Also: Facebook; an abortive ‘debate’ on anarchism and anti-fascism<\/a>; International Day of Solidarity with Antifascist Prisoners Saturday, July 25, 2015<\/a>; mass murderer Dylann Roof’s ‘manifesto’<\/a> and; cranky-pants neo-conservatives at XYZ<\/a> and their flirtations with fascism. Finally, the Victorian Trades Hall Council adopted a motion<\/a> on Reclaim Australia and (in response to popular demand) I wrote a very brief guide to the contemporary Australian far right<\/a>.<\/p>\n July<\/strong> (9 posts)<\/p>\n Another month devoted to Reclaim Australia et al (the second national rally took place on July 18<\/a>). I also republished online commentary<\/a> (now largely deleted) by UPF leader Blair Cottrell on his hatred of Jews, belief in anti-Semitic conspiracies, denial of the Holocaust, love of Adolf Hitler etc., and drew attention to a Kurdish solidemo<\/a> in Sydney by local anarchists. [Note: None of the UPF’s followers have ever registered any objection to Cottrell’s neo-Nazi views.]<\/p>\n August<\/strong> (11 posts)<\/p>\n In August, the UPF transferred its activities from Melbourne to the rural Victorian town of Bendigo, where they were able to draw upon the support of a pre-existing grassroots campaign against the construction of a mosque (the town’s first). Their first (August 29<\/a>) and subsequent rally in October were relatively large affairs, attracting hundreds, with opposition being split between the campaign ‘I Believe in Bendigo’ and the impromptu ‘Bendigo Action Coalition’. Margot Spalding of ‘I Believe’ was later featured on an episode of the ABC’s Australian Story<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n Of particular note : Reclaim Australia, Shermon Burgess & violence \u2026<\/a> (August 5, 2015) — August was also when #OperationBorderForce was told to get. in. the. sea<\/a>.<\/p>\n September<\/strong> (6 posts)<\/p>\n As the patriotik year dragged on, Reclaim Australia and UPF figurehead Shermon Burgess became increasingly batshit in his ideological pronouncements. Example: Q. Did Trotsky \u2018invent\u2019 the term \u2018racist\u2019 in 1927?<\/a> (September 28, 2015). Also in September, AK Press announced that anarchist writer \u201cMichael Schmidt is a white nationalist trying to infiltrate the anarchist movement.\u201d<\/a> (September 27, 2015) — the fallout from which is still developing.<\/p>\n October<\/strong> (5 posts)<\/p>\n While Nick Folkes and his ‘Party for Freedom’ began organising for a Cronulla riot re-enactment to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the anti-Muslim riot\/White Civil Uprising in December 2005 (heavily promoted by Shermon Burgess — who failed to turn up to the court hearing<\/a> intended to try and stop the re-enactment), the wheels began to fall off the UPF bandwagon. The rapidly unfolding drama<\/a> revolved around Burgess’s decision to quit, then re-join, then again quit the UPF, while current UPF fuehrer Blair Cottrell memorably described Burgess’s #BFF (and valour thief<\/a>) Ralph Cerminara<\/a> (Australian Defence League) as a ‘cancer’ upon the patriotik movement. October 10 was the day of a farcical, ‘global’ (Australia and the United States) rally against Muslims. E-commerce cowboy Jon Ritzheimer led the charge on that occasion and has been most recently (January 2016) witnessed joining a clutch of other wingnuts in an occupation of a wildlife reserve in Oregon<\/a>. (See also<\/em> : I Studied Oregon\u2019s Militia Movement. Here\u2019s 5 Things You Need to Know<\/a>, Spencer Sunshine, US Uncut, January 3, 2016.)<\/p>\n November<\/strong> (9 posts)<\/p>\n In November, along with the usual antifa notes<\/a>, I republished an article from US anarchist journal Drunken Boat<\/em> on the history of the concept of ‘decadence’ and a few things about the massacre in Paris<\/a>. Reclaim Australia went to Melton<\/a> and the UPF staged another awfully unsuccessful Little Big Day Out in Melbourne<\/a>; I was also interviewed<\/a> by Phillip Adams for Late Night Live<\/em>.<\/p>\n December<\/strong> (2 posts)<\/p>\n