[growth of fascist violence and describes the fight…]

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growth of fascist violence and describes the fight of the local AŃL to dri -ascists in London have been tryina to establish Chapel Market pitch for several years. Everton Williams charts the Graham Johns (centre) NF North West London organiser THE PAST year has seer a sharp increase in street violence from racist and nazi groups. Left-wing and community book shops, as well as individ.

ual activists have come in for greater attention.

Nationally last year saw about 5,000 racially motivated attacks, over 100 racist arson attacks, and 26 people were killed.

Organised fascist groups are implicated in most of these.

While the Anti Nazi League (ANL) has disappeared as a mass mobilising force on a national scale, many local ANL groups and campaigns against racism and fascism continue the fight.

The struggle for Chapel The strumale for Phonol Market in İslington, North London is probably the longest, and most violent, of local campaigns. It is also important for learning the lessons, and problems, in building an effective local antifascist campaign. And it shows the need to re-build a national movement.

The Nazis interest in Chapel, one of London's biggest street markets, began in July 1980. Their attempted paper sale failed, as did another later on in October of that year.

This time they tried to attack socialist paper selers, but they were chased off.

The nazis tried to establish a regular sale, but every week a large group of Islington ANL supporters appeared to leaflet the UB 40 played in leices! Fighter leaflet was handı Alex Owalade, from Le a long wait, was finally g * Given that your songs are often about unempl oyment and racism, and exploitation of the 'Third World' ', what apart from making music do you hope to contribute?

What we hope to do and what we can do are two different things. We don't think that we'll be making any great difference at all - all we're sonig is voicing our own opinions, we're not trying to give anybody any solutions.

Actually, we haven't go: a song that's just unemployment. •e do make reference to i though and use lots of satstics like One in Ten. Songs like 'Present market and counter nazi propaganda.

Slington ANL is supported by most local trade unions and labour party branches. It has a group of activists from most of the local political and community groups. It also consistently produces new leaflets and initiatives. Support, active and sympathetic, has grown considerably over the years.

The nazis, frustrated by the local ANL, began a systematic campaign of violence aimed at intimidating the opposition.

In April, 1981 ANL members were attacked, beaten up and one supporter was hospitalised.

stong nazi hit squad atyacked ANL supporters after leafletting.

Hit-list

Next, the local NF news paper, Islington Press started to publish a loca hit list. This included :

socialist bookshop and :

community press. Fol.

lowing this, a sales woman in the shop was attack.

ed and had her skull frac.

tured. A week later the community press was destroyed in an arson attack.

The responsibility for these was claimed by'SS Death's Head Legion' and the nazi 'Legion 48' In July, 1981 the local NFand NewNF decided to work together. On the 26th July a joint NF and NNF hit squad launched ter recently and ed out at the gig. eicester South YS, ranted an interview. Arms' aren't specifically about unemployment -its about the effects of propaganda on unempl oyed kids. Propaganda like joining i the army. But we don't ain to be spokesmen for anybody except ourselves really.

* What's your view of racist attacks, like the killing of Satnam Gill in Coventry and the firebombing in Deptford.

What can I say? and sickening.

...What did you think about the riots?

I think they were about young people, not just black kids, the youth of an attack on ANL leafetters, using sharpened poles. Two NFers were charged with actual bodily harm and three with obstruction. All were later acquitted!

An indication of the importance of Chapel to the fascists has been the involvement of local nazi leading light, Graham Johns (NF North West London organiser).

On 16th August, the most vicious attack to date took place. About 50 nazis took part in a militarystyle assault a a dozen ANL leafletters. A barage og bricks, followed up with bottles and iron bars, severely injured several ANLers and one was kicked unconscious. It was only the intervention of loaci shoppers that saved his life.

However, even this did not stop the dedicated and ›n as their sales = them out.

very brave ANL group from continuing their leafletting and campaigning among local people. For one ANL activist, fighting fascists is a family tradition. Her dad fought the Moseley blackshirts at the infamous 1934 Olympia rally and was involved in the battle of Cable Street, when the fascists were kicked out of the East end inthe '30's.

The week after that attack, a 5-strong nazi gang attacked the local ANL organiser's son. He was viciously assaulted -the fascists systematically carved up his face and body with a razor.

On the 23rd October an Islington ANL activist was stabed through the lung by a nazi who regularly sells at Chapel. Although the ANL member nearly lost his life, he has continued to be active at Chapel each week.

In November the local ANL called a local labour movement confernce. It was attacked by fascists (who came from as far away as Brighton) throwing smoke bombs. But they were repelled.

The confernce was a great success. It was well attended and showed the high level of support for the campaign as well as fruitfully discussing the way forward for the anti-fascist movement.

and fastitar Na: nal ir split their Car. lucry. Punched! int. to show opposition strate our opposition thud to fo Among the more prominent spo:

Chapel Market shows us that to oppose the fascists we must organise consistently and openly on the streets to drive them out. We must work to a greater extent I think, among the black community as well as winning the labour movement. But as Chapel Market shows, we need to organise to defend our supporters and events from attack. The local ANL has organised many other initlatives to counter the fascists and build the antifascist campaign; pétitioning among shoppers, paint outs of estates with fascist graffitti, and extensive and varied leaflets throughout local schools and estates.

It is unfortunate that many socialist groups and activists have not got as involved as they could have done (in fact the local SWP has expelled people for their involvement).

Chapel offers us the hope of a much needed victory for the anti-fascist movement. The ANL has seriously cut the NF paper sales in the borough and atthe last election the NF only got 50 votes.

But if the nazis are to be crushed it will need the active participation of all socialist, black and tradè union activists and members in Islington.

Crush

Only when these forces help and strengthen the local anti-fascist work and expand it to other areas will we be able to form the workers defence groups necessary to crush the nazis and drive them off the streets.

Anyone interested in helping should come down to Chapel Market on Sunday mornings from 10.15am. You can also wite, send messages of support, donations and affiliations to the ANL group at 265 Seven Sisters Road London N4.

Luck LYNVAL GOLDING, exSpecial, and now with Funboy Three suffered a brutal knife attack not long ago. The incident happened in Shades night club in Coventry city centre. Three white guys picked an argument with a black guy and were making racist remarks and getting quite heavy.

LYNVAL; WITH FRIENDS MERELY STEPPED IN TO CALM THINGS DOWN: The attackers. then exhibited their intentions. One lurched at Lynval and with a quick flick dealt a heavy cut across his throat. Then all three made a hasty departure.

Despite security' on the door, these attackers managed to get in with weapons they intended to use. The did not know who Lynval was and it was not a case of attack because he was a celebrity, as the local press tried to make out.

Shades nightclub has previously been in the news for operating the racist policy of only allowing a certain number of blacks in [thus evading any prosecution for racial discrimination]. This was ont Jo th Th be all fre als pr sta 7211 ali is1 se. wi 01f mt pei bu:

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nazi moience - police silence Islington Campaign Ac?i,

ISLINGTON Racism & In.