Debate over how to fight fascism exposes fault lines on the Left

Amid the renewed debate over black bloc activism, Omar Hassan responded to Tom Tanuki’s criticism of his article published on November 29, calling for focus and unity on the left.

I appreciate Tom Tanuki’s answer my article We discuss how the Left should respond to the resurgence of the Far Right. It is important that the left can have serious political discussions about politics and strategy without resorting to name-calling and sectarian sniping. But I’m not entirely convinced by his black bloc defense.

Let’s start by summarizing the points we agree on.

First of all, I admit that I don’t go out much. That’s what having a 17-month-old baby does to a man.

More importantly, we agree that the Far Right is a serious threat that must be responded to. We also have a shared view that the police are an anti-democratic, racist institution that regularly targets the Left and working-class people while giving a free pass to the Far Right.

And we both certainly think that the increasing powers of the police to suppress our right to free speech and our right to public protest should be challenged.

More surprisingly, we also seem to agree that throwing rocks at cops on November 19 was a foolish move that diverted attention from fascists, gave authorities a free pass to unleash violence against anti-fascists, and exposed us to further repression in the future.

At least that’s my interpretation of the following statement:

‘While I disliked them and their oppressive presence, in my view the police were not strategic or relevant opponents to be targeted that day. The target was a white supremacist rally. And in fact… October 19th would have been an easy victory… if some people… had done a lot less.’

Eventually we both realize that we need a mass movement to challenge the Right.

So what exactly are we discussing?

Well, let’s start by defining the extent of the Far Right threat. Far-right politics no longer exists on the fringes of politics, but is now a deeply rooted part of capitalism in a way it has not been since the Second World War. Embers He is implementing a range of fascist policies in the White House, at home and abroad. An assistant priest in Italy Benito Mussolini While in power, the main opposition leaders in England, France and Germany are similar names.

Here in Australia it’s not that bad, but it’s heading in a similar direction. A Nation has now stood up six to 14 percent There is a party in the polls doubled its membership Between May and November. Senator Pauline Hanson To be reinforced by a former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Barnaby Joyce.

Sensing this danger on their right flank, the Liberal and National parties are moving dramatically to the Right, legitimizing once extreme policies in the process. So the danger of the Far Right in Australia goes well beyond some LARPHitler wannabes. This is a much more organic and locally rooted version of far-right politics, with supporters across the country, including the political establishment.

All told, there have been four significant far-right demonstrations in the last two months (at least in Melbourne and Sydney), three of which numbered in the thousands. This is very different from recent history, except for the first one. take back australia Due to marches and brief anti-vax moments, most gatherings of the Far Right were limited to a few hundred people.

In this context, not allowing the Far Right to take over our streets was a viable goal that could realistically be achieved by the radical Left. Such victories could demoralize ordinary supporters of the Far Right, leaving hardline fascist cadres more isolated and ineffective.

So, does anyone really think today that the far right could be so easily demoralized? Even if each of their marches were somehow thwarted by ingenious street tactics employed by us, all they would have to do is turn on the television to console themselves. They would see Trump there and Putin’s Israel is strutting on the world stage, freely committing genocide, and concessions to its programs from so-called centrist figures are increasing. star player And Macron.

As far-right ecosystems have become more complex in recent years, including old and new media, election campaigns, and cultural boycotts, street actions are no longer the only or even the main way they are constructed.

So what will it take to remove the Far Right from society? Tom cheerfully dismisses my claim that fascism will exist as long as capitalism exists, assuming that this statement is merely a sales pitch for (perfect). Marxism conference. But almost a century has passed since Hitler seized power. Since then we have seen far-right or fascist figures come to power in countries as diverse as Spain, Chile, Indonesia, Hungary, Russia and now the United States.

Afterwards Elon Musk‘ greeting and rinehart‘s poem, perhaps it is time to admit that Marxists were right about the connections between the poems. big corporations and fascism.

Of course, there are many things we can do to push the far right back on ending capitalism. In the short term, this means building a mass movement of anti-racists and anti-fascists. Such a movement could preserve public space and give its members the confidence to respond to the Right’s racist lies at home, in the workplace, and in our communities.

Tom claims to support this goal but insists on one thing ‘permanent helper’ schooled ‘Antifascist struggle training’ is also needed. But, as he himself admitted, such groups failed to exert any influence against the mammoths. 31 August protests in Melbourne. As subsequent events showed, these tactics were in some way complementary to the mass movement, rather than antithetical to it.

The scandal and pressure that such ineffective tactics place on anti-fascists makes it difficult to gain broader support for any form of anti-fascist organizing.

Related to this is the claim that the black and gray blocks are a defensive tactic to “keep people safe.” So who exactly is the person being kept safe? On the 19th, the black bloc turned a tense but relatively safe protest into a battlefield by provoking the police for no apparent reason. An activist wearing an umbrella or goggles could have protected themselves from tear gas in this scenario, but everyone around them still suffered the consequences of their actions.

So in practice the uniform not only serves as a shield, but also facilitates senseless clashes and also allows police provocateurs to easily intervene. infiltrate and derail our movement.

There are many times when organizers may feel the need to push the boundaries of what is acceptable to officials, but there must be a purpose. It is often okay to march, strike, or picket, even if it is declared illegal. I was arrested in many actions; BDSs Action during a violent clearing targeting a pro-Israeli business Occupy Melbourne. These were larger campaigns that were judged appropriate to climb by various organisers.

It is not intended to clash with the police or attack a few Nazis in the absence of a conscious strategy; rather, it is a form of theater that glorifies itself. And it is dishonest to act as if the inevitable police response was unprovoked and unpredictable.

Tom used this Christchurch massacre In response to my criticism on this subject. I agree with his assertion that stopping the growth of the Far Right is essential to prevent such atrocities from recurring. Far-right terrorism is a serious and growing concern.

But Tom doesn’t explain how targeting a handful of fascists on the fringes of mass far-right demonstrations does this. This tends to occur as these individuals become radicalized by the Far Right. online. And it’s not as if Brenton Tarrant needed it. United Patriots Front Teaching him to hate Muslims. An entire generation of mainstream politicians have weaponized Islamophobia to justify multiple US invasions of the Middle East. The problem is again in capitalism and imperialism.

Anti-fascists were always at our strongest when we mobilized in large groups. From Cable Street Due to the blockade in the 1930s AFD youth conference in Germany last week. Any movement that aims to transcend the boundaries of the current radical Left (which we urgently need to do) will necessarily include people new to activism. We cannot expect such people to attend our rallies in uniform or take short courses in urban guerrilla warfare.

Only by persuading ordinary people to emerge and build a defiant, courageous and disciplined movement can we challenge the Far Right and protect our communities from bigots. This means mass mobilization in the streets, yes, but it also means strengthening worker-led unions and anti-capitalist political parties whose activities and arguments can help inoculate public opinion against far-right demagoguery. Black bloc tactics have repeatedly made this goal difficult; It’s time for them to retire for sure.