Workers Solidarity Movement

Saturday 14th July we checked out the Dublin appearance of Youtube snake oil salesman Jordan Peterson. Peterson over the last couple of years has developed a sizable following of angry young white men through Youtube videos consisting of incomprehensible lectures on ‘meaning’ and, more disconcertingly, anti-trans, anti-feminist, and anti-leftist rants.  We expected it to attract many of the small fascist groups and those in orbit around them, indeed there were even ‘Men’s Rights Activists’ leafleting outside it, presumably having identified it as a recruiting ground for their poisonous misogyny.

On Saturday 10 June, loyalist supporters of the far-right anti-Muslim group, Britain First staged a march and demonstration in the name of ‘free speech’ for the founder of EDL (English Defense League), Tommy Robinson (whose legal name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon). Britain First is a militaristic, violent right-wing extremist group who specifically targets Muslims and migrant communities. One fascist group, Generation Identity, which is trying to organise in Dublin was also present at this loyalist organised protest, its lone flag sticking out in the sea of union jacks. [See video ]

While there is a lot of focus on Irish citizens returning home to vote Yes in the Repeal referendum what has received less attention are the huge numbers of non-citizens resident in Ireland who have no vote. They are also trapped under the 8th amendment. Some 3,000 have recently received Irish Citizenship but shockingly it turns out they have not been added to the electoral register even though arrangements are made for young people turning 18 just before May 25th.

You may remember a few months back the liberal left claiming that physically confronting fascists would just make them stronger. Well turns out they were wrong, US fascist Richard Spencer, famous for getting punched, has just surrendered and called off the attempt to continue his college speaking tour.

Position paper on Fascism as collectively agreed by the February 2018 National Conference. This paper sits under 'The Role of the Anarchist Organisation' and above 'No Platform for Fascists'.

Fascism

        a Workers Solidarity Movement position paper

What is the Purpose of this Position Paper?

It is important to have a firm understanding of what fascism is beyond vague generalities about racism and authoritarianism so that we may correctly spot it and be effective in preventing its success, especially given that fascist organising requires an emergency response.

The murder of one and stabbings of two other people in Dundalk recently was a horrible incident which was terrifying for those caught up in it and has left one family grieving for a loved one. Carried out by someone who was clearly disturbed - why or what caused that remains to be seen.

Some have reacted by letting anger or fear take over and jumping to unproven conclusions about Islamist terrorism, even after the gardaí have announced that they have investigated that possibility and found no link whatsoever. Fascist and far-right elements are drooling at the opportunity to smear all refugees, all Muslims, all people from the Middle East, and to a large extent all migrants. Social media, and Twitter in particular, has been buzzing with anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim hysteria for the past 24 hours.

There are an estimated 20 to 26,000 undocumented people living in Ireland, as many of 5000 of them being children and young people. People in Ireland are generally horrified by the Trump's administrations war on the undocumented in the US but perhaps not so aware that exactly the same situation has been created by government policy here.

Young, Paperless and Powerful, a creative youth project for undocumented young people in Ireland held a solidarity rally last night with undocumented young people in the USA. The rally took place at the famine memorial on the banks of the Liffey in Dublin. YPP said in advance of the rally that in the US "young people are in the fight of their lives to defend DACA". [ Video ]

The Direct Provision institutions were introduced as a supposedly temporary measure in 2000.  17 years later they are still with us and some have spent over a decade trapped in the institutional isolation and poverty they create.  Adult residents receive €21.60 a week and some like Mosney are in isolated locations with no transport connections.  Visitors are controlled and there are little or no cooking facilities which means the children who have grown up there have seldom tasted their parents cooking and have been unable to have friends sleep over.