The Basingstoke Anti-Fascist Comm itle (AFC) has waged one of the most effective campaigns in the country over tbe last year.
During the recent cloctions, the AFC picketed a last-minute press conference arranged by the National Front for John Tyndall, who was then Chairman of the NF.
Anti-fascist militant, Peter O'Sullivan charged with "threatening behaviour" and posessing an offensive weapon. The 'offensive scapon' was a l lb. bag of Glour. Tie trilot cammde O'Su lan takag place in the Basingstoke Mapistrates Court on 25 November, at 10.30am.
A accond alterpl al harassmont of the Basingtake AFC is, bowever, more serious. A leaflet produced by the ARC has been forwarded to the Director of Puhie Prosecutions following a complaint from the National Front to the retuming officer at the cloction.
The NF complain that the leaflet had no address (a mere oversight); and that the NF candidate, Goodall, was being lihelled by innuendo because the loaflet Implied that he was a nasty fascist like Tyndail and Webster. In fact Goodall is. a typically third rate populist racise like many other NF members.
The police have also sent a dossier they have compiled on the AFC to the DPP.
Furthermon, Lhe NF have lodged a further complaint claiming that they NF agent Hames had his spoctacles broken, and that various missiles tinclading road lamps were thrown at them. The AFC denies charges of assault, but says thai three of its memhers vigorously heckled' five fascists as the latter were returning to their car.
The APC's activities undoubtedly played a part in the bad NE results in lusinestoke and the Cammittee feels that the Ni's recourse to law is to "get oven" for the effective anti-fascist work carried out during the elections The investigations by the police and the DiPP into the allairs of the AFC ane likely to last several montls. and in the event of a prosecution, the charges will he laid hefore Winchester Crown Court.
...and Bolton The Bolton AFC also organised a picket of a meering in the pre-cloction period where fascist leader, Tyndall, wus speaking Fourteen arrosts were made and the tines total over E200. An appeal to all trade unianists, ancialists and anti-lascists has been launched to Belp pay the fine. Readers wishing to contribute cheques parable to Bolton int Frost Commitress should cond the Jewish community.
In the 1930s, most notably at Cable ing class action drove Mosley's British Union of Fascists out of the Eust End of London. In these antifascist mobilisations-whose scale and militancy left the police powerless the local Jewish community played an importunt role.
however, stands in stark contrast to the conservative response of the Jewish community to the new fascists of the National Front. On the day before the 7 September NF march, the Jewish Chronicle reported an appeal by the Chairman of the Detence Committee of the British Board of Jewish Deputies to 'stay away from the march and its antifascist counterpart.
Nothing, it would see, haunts the higwigs of the Board of Deputies more In a previous article Tom Cameron looked at the relationship between Fascism and anti-semitism. This week Bob Slansky assesses the various reactions to Fascism, both past and present, which have developed within Street and Ridley Street, mass workcommunity leaders.
The militant spirit of the 1930s.
What Has changed?
End of London), THREAT TO BIGWIGS National Froot, and the powerful traditions of anti-fascism among British Jew's, the need for a alliance with the social. ist left is becerning an increasingly serious Their position today is almost the samne as it was in the 1930%, When they Issued similar appeals to the Jewish pop ulation of the East End to stay at home and avoid trouble. Then, fortunately their appeals tell of deal cars; today they tefloct toe attitude of a whole generation.
POLITICISED The vost majority of Britain's 450,000 policy, immigrants sha fled from antisemitic persecution in Russia and Poland at the turn formed proletarian and semi-proletarion communities ployed mainly in labour-intensive industries (auch as textiles) and heavily concentrated in certain paris of the right, Jews played a prominent role in the British working class movement, hut it was which gave rise to a deep potiticisation USIC TENDS SECON Since the 1930s, a combination of events has had a deep do politicising effect on the Jewish community. The mass exteratination of European Jewry by the Nazis and the cynical indifference of the Western ruling classes to their fate allowed Zionism to become a powerful fore in Jewish life. Stunned by the chil ling details of the concentration camps and shaken by the wretched fale of the Surors OL Dachau and Auschaits, Jess almost everywhere turned towards Zion son, secing in the establishment of the Israeli scate a guarantee against future SHEELLO against the Arab peoples has led to a steady rightward drift in Jewish opinion " drill which has accelernted since the 1967 ma, after which it was increasingly difficult lo square support for Zionism with socialist principles.
ILLUSION Today the abaolute failure of the Is tact state to solve the Jewish problem, comhined with the re-emergence of las cist groups in countries where sizable Jew ish communities exist, is beginning again to challenge the strand chold of lionist Particularly amongst the Jewish youth thems is an in mabon to loin with the lef in the fight against fascism. This could po tentiaily tear apart the official conservat ive institutions that were built up during the post-war years, when the Jews could the West with Israel as a sort of insurance Building united action against the fas cists with sections of the Jewish commun i was sopen ona real tegot agains the ideological hold of Zionism, This, in turn, maices it vital to expose all attempts Lo cuunte the anti-Zionism of the revol utionary left with Lie anti-semitism of Only by fightiog apainst every case of racist and anti-semitism will this equation he saen the he. The compurison between our record of consistent anti-fascism and anti-racism and the refusal of the Zionists
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