Our Friends in the North
AFA in the North West have been linking up with bands on the hard core scene over the last few months, and the response of bands and punters have far surpassed what we had hoped for. Initial contact with some of the prominent bands on the scene prompted a three gig benefit tour in late May. In preparation other gigs were leafleted while AFA stalls promoted the tour. 150 attended a 'highly politicised' AFA benefit in Manchester. Bradford, despite clashing with the European Cup Final, was also a success. The bands committed to doing the third gig, which had to be pulled due to venue problems are putting out a benefit CD for AFA instead. A second mini-tour is already planned to promote this CD.
RA in Scotland
APRIL 3: Red Action sale at Celtic park. AFA Benefit with band Recidivist in Edinburgh. Literature sold, money raised. May 15: over 60 copies of the RA Bulletin sold at Celtic Park followed by a joint Fighting Talk/RA sale outside Wolfe Tones concert. More political literature sold at another gig later in the evening. May 22: well over 1,000 Tal's sold outside Scottish Cup Final. June 5: James Connolly Society March in Edinburgh. Attended by a 50 strong Campaign Against Sectarian Attacks/AFA delegation. A bizzare request by some march stewards that CASA placards be taken down in case they might prove provocative to police was politely rejected. March leafletted and large number of FT,s sold. A small number of off-duty AFA members, socialising with friends, clashed with BNP/ICF (Rangers FC casuals) in Edinburgh city centre in the afternoon.
National Civil Rights Movement
LONDON AFA representatives attended the first steering group meeting of the recently launched National Civil Rights Movement held in London on May 16. A proposal that in addition to a legal/monitoring approach to race attacks (now running at 2, 000 a month in London alone) there was an obvious need for a political strategy and a working party should be set up to investigate thisÓ - was rejected. Or more accurately given that three or four conversations spontaneously broke out as the AFA delegate addressed the meeting - ignored. In addition, it also now clear that the title Civil Rights Movement' is also misleading. For a majority of the steering committee ambitions stretch no farther than securing government funding for a monitoring type project on a National scale. Nonetheless a national conference is planned for early September when the AFA proposals will be vigorously re-submitted.
Annual General Meeting
WEST MIDLANDS AFA held its AGM in north Birmingham on May 9. The well attended meeting voted unanimously to support all IWCA initiatives as an integral part of an ongoing strategy opposed to attempts by the BNP in BirmingHam and the Black Country to present itself as the radical alternative locally. A 17.3% BNP vote in Tipton, quadrupling that achieved by the nominal socialist candidate, shows militant anti-fascist concerns are well grounded. The regional AFA organiser told the meeting: The entire position in which we find ourselves is the logical conclusion of all the years we spent dismantling the BNP's street operation. We must now see it through to its natural course.
Celtic Supporters
RED ACTION Celtic FC supporters in the west Mids have joined forces with other Celtic fans in the region to launch a Tiocfaidh Ar La supporters club. The club will serve to link up supporters of the fanzine on both a social and political level throughout the Midlands area. If interested in getting involved make contact via Tal or West Midlands RA.
AFA in the North West have been linking up with bands on the hard core scene over the last few months, and the response of bands and punters have far surpassed what we had hoped for. Initial contact with some of the prominent bands on the scene prompted a three gig benefit tour in late May. In preparation other gigs were leafleted while AFA stalls promoted the tour. 150 attended a 'highly politicised' AFA benefit in Manchester. Bradford, despite clashing with the European Cup Final, was also a success. The bands committed to doing the third gig, which had to be pulled due to venue problems are putting out a benefit CD for AFA instead. A second mini-tour is already planned to promote this CD.
RA in Scotland
APRIL 3: Red Action sale at Celtic park. AFA Benefit with band Recidivist in Edinburgh. Literature sold, money raised. May 15: over 60 copies of the RA Bulletin sold at Celtic Park followed by a joint Fighting Talk/RA sale outside Wolfe Tones concert. More political literature sold at another gig later in the evening. May 22: well over 1,000 Tal's sold outside Scottish Cup Final. June 5: James Connolly Society March in Edinburgh. Attended by a 50 strong Campaign Against Sectarian Attacks/AFA delegation. A bizzare request by some march stewards that CASA placards be taken down in case they might prove provocative to police was politely rejected. March leafletted and large number of FT,s sold. A small number of off-duty AFA members, socialising with friends, clashed with BNP/ICF (Rangers FC casuals) in Edinburgh city centre in the afternoon.
National Civil Rights Movement
LONDON AFA representatives attended the first steering group meeting of the recently launched National Civil Rights Movement held in London on May 16. A proposal that in addition to a legal/monitoring approach to race attacks (now running at 2, 000 a month in London alone) there was an obvious need for a political strategy and a working party should be set up to investigate thisÓ - was rejected. Or more accurately given that three or four conversations spontaneously broke out as the AFA delegate addressed the meeting - ignored. In addition, it also now clear that the title Civil Rights Movement' is also misleading. For a majority of the steering committee ambitions stretch no farther than securing government funding for a monitoring type project on a National scale. Nonetheless a national conference is planned for early September when the AFA proposals will be vigorously re-submitted.
Annual General Meeting
WEST MIDLANDS AFA held its AGM in north Birmingham on May 9. The well attended meeting voted unanimously to support all IWCA initiatives as an integral part of an ongoing strategy opposed to attempts by the BNP in BirmingHam and the Black Country to present itself as the radical alternative locally. A 17.3% BNP vote in Tipton, quadrupling that achieved by the nominal socialist candidate, shows militant anti-fascist concerns are well grounded. The regional AFA organiser told the meeting: The entire position in which we find ourselves is the logical conclusion of all the years we spent dismantling the BNP's street operation. We must now see it through to its natural course.
Celtic Supporters
RED ACTION Celtic FC supporters in the west Mids have joined forces with other Celtic fans in the region to launch a Tiocfaidh Ar La supporters club. The club will serve to link up supporters of the fanzine on both a social and political level throughout the Midlands area. If interested in getting involved make contact via Tal or West Midlands RA.
Reproduced from RA Vol 4, Issue 1, June/July '99
