Archive for May, 2019

Swedish Anarcho-Syndicalist Youth Federation Gothenburg: Anti-fascist May Day in Kungälv

Handful of Nazis got protection from hundreds of police, yet got beaten  – SUF Göteborg’s [Swedish Anarcho-Syndicalist Youth Federation Gothenburg’s] statement on anti-fascist May Day in Kungälv.

The club began the day by gathering for a pre-meeting in Gothenburg, before we together went to Kungälv. On location we gathered together with other anti-fascists at the Travel Center at 11:30 to participate in Gothenburg’s Anti-fascist Front’s [Göteborgs Antifascistiska Front, GAF] counter-demonstration. Banners were handed out to the demonstration’s participants and the front banner was unveiled. According to the papers the demo consisted of about 500 people.

The demo went from Travel Center to Komministergatan [street], where GAF’s arrangement was ended and everyone could continue on their own. We then chose to together with the anti-fascist crowd of people move towards Nytorget [a town square]. The police had blocked the area around the place, so to even get close one was forced to two by two get let through into their corrals.

Once in there the police tried to push us into a smaller area to gain control over the location, so we linked together to stand against their assault. Reinforcements were quickly called in, police vans blocked off the area and in the corner of the eye we spotted the Nordic Resistance Movement’s [Nordiska motståndsrörelsen, NMR, the Nazis] demonstration march.

Their day did not start as filled of hope as ours – the parking lot they gathered on was according to rumor covered with slogans like ”FUCK NMR”.

At the most we were well over a thousand counter-demonstrators at Nytorget. A clear sign of how much stronger we are than the Nazis, who is spite of having mobilized from the entire country only managed to scrape together about 250 people.

When we spotted them we tried to exit at the side of the cordoning, which made the cops call in the cavalry. Anti-fascist counter-demonstrators threw firecrackers and pyrotechnics in response to this, which made the horses shy back and the police that sat on them whip furiously with their whips.

All solidarity to the cop-horsies, they too are victims of the police! Animals of course don’t belong in stressful situations like these.

After NMR had marched on towards Nytorget the crowd of people went closer to their assigned demonstration location to show what they could do. Fruit and other yummies soon rained over the Nazis while they lined up. In video clips from within their march one can see how the panic spreads when the thunderous sound of firecrackers was heard again and again from inside their own lines.

At the same time as that tumult appeared, anti-fascists at the front started tipping the fences that separated the crowd of people from the tiny number of ties-adorned and shield-bearing Fascists. The police had to once again call in reinforcements in the form of a line of riot police and a line of horse. When this was not enough several police vans drove forward and the riot police frantically used both batons and pepper spray.

Nigh hundred costumed Nazis

It was noticeable that the police felt threatened by the enormous wrath the Nazis awoke in the gathered counter-demonstrators. They by and by deployed lots of both uniformed and plainclothes police in the crowd – wherever one turned one eventually saw examples of the well known counter-demonstrator type ‘jacked dude with stubble, hoodie and earpiece’, which temporarily dampened the anti-fascist resistance..

It did however not seem as if the police had thought much farther than corrals, undercovers and horses, as NMR’s march back didn’t get one quiet moment. To protect the Nazis from the furious crowd the cops were forced to box in their demonstration march completely, see picture below.

In connection to this NMR also got in a violent confrontation with both police and bushes. The result was that several of them were apprehended or left Kungälv with injuries.

At this time it was also high time for us in SUF and other Socialists to go back to Gothenburg and hold our own May Day demonstration.

NMR had to wander back totally surrounded by police and police vans

We are proud of our contribution as an organization, that our effort at mobilizing made a difference, and how clear our cohesion in the club was manifested during the demonstration.

We are certain that NMR with all  the desired clarity were made aware what would have happened if they had not been protected by hundreds of cops. The reason they are ever able to hold demonstrations is because they have police escort from start to finish..

We want to thank all anti-fascists that were in Kungälv for standing up for what they believe in and really show whom May Day belongs to – that it will always be the labor movement’s day. We also want to thank the organizations that contributed to the arrangement around the counter-demonstration, especially our comrades in Göteborgs LS [Gothenburg’s Local Federation of the Anarcho-Syndicalist labor union SAC] that chose to postpone SAC’s demonstration to later the same day. When we stand united we can do anything!

Solidarity and thankfulness to all counter-demonstrators that were subjected to repression during the day – your sacrifices are meaningful.

Now we continue fighting for a Kungälv, a Sweden and a world free from Fascism.


Translated by b9AcE (https://soc.ialis.me/@b9AcE and https://twitter.com/b9AcE) to the best of my ability, from the original text in Swedish. Any errors are to be presumed mine, not SUF’s.

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Nazi group NMR met anti-fascist resistance in Kungälv, Sweden

May 1, 2019 the Nazis of NMR demonstrated in Kungälv. They succeeded in reaching their final destination but in spite of strong police protection they met a massive resistance going there and back. Over 500 counter-demonstrators showed that the Nazis are not welcome in Kungälv! A broad powerful anti-fascism lead to the Nazis walking bleeding and scared back.

 

NMR has been making an effort at Kungälv since for the election year 2018. They have had a number of public leaflettings and activities in Kungälv and ran two candidates in the municipal election. Low election results showed that their propaganda drive had not had great effect. They tried to once again concentrate on Kungälv by placing one of their demonstrations on May 1 there.

NMR gathered on the parking outside the cookie factory in Kungälv to get ready for their demonstration. At the same time anti-fascists gathered to walk in a May 1-demonstration against Nazism in Kungälv.The counter-demonstrators gathered at the Travel Center and walked towards central Kungälv.When the Nazis had started their demonstration anti-fascists went to their demonstration route and final destination Nytorget [a town square]..

When the Nazis came to Nytorget over 500 counter-demonstrators had gathered at the square to show that they were not welcome. Firecrackers and pyrotechnics rained over the Nazis when they went towards the square. When they had arrived the gathering was disturbed by both things that were thrown and by counter-demonstrators’ slogans and protests.

 

The anti-fascists were many and showed clearly that they did not want the Nazis there! Going back they walked with protection by police same way they came and the police could not protect the Nazis against those that did not want them there. Scared and sad they moved onwards on the demonstration route to finally get stopped by the police. The Nazis had attacked the police on several occasions during the day and were stopped until the police had removed those that were to be detained. 25 Nazis were detained for violent rioting, agitation against an ethnic or national group and threat to public servant.

According to own numbers NMR had succeeded in gathering a bit over 400 people at the demonstrations, out of which 160 in Ludvika and 270 in Kungälv. What for NMR was to be a day of showing strength and scaring their surroundings, ended in a fiasco where they met resistance and were bused away. Thanks to the responsible at the premises they should be at after the demonstration throwing them out, they could not have their finalizing activity there either. They instead ended the day by gathering 30-40 people at IKEA’s parking at midnight.

 

The anti-fascist counter-demonstrators were many and of all ages and in various ways showed their disgust against that Nazis demonstrated through the town. There was a strong solidarity and comradery among those that participated and we want to thank everyone for a united resistance during the day!

May 1 in Kungälv can be seen as an anti-fascist victory where it was not easy to be a Nazi. The struggle continues and Fascism must be stopped in all its forms. Get organized and continue making resistance against Nazis and their activity in the way you want to and are able to. All anti-fascism is needed.

If you have information about Nazi activity in Västra Götaland [County] or want to get organized in the fight against Fascism? Then don’t hesitate to contact us!

afa-goteborg@riseup.net

 

// Anti-Fascist Action Gothenburg


Translated by b9AcE (https://soc.ialis.me/@b9AcE and https://twitter.com/b9AcE) to the best of my ability, from the original text in Swedish. Any errors are to be presumed mine, not antifa’s.

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