Workers Solidarity Movement

A very successful anti-fascist Rally For Peace took place December 14th as 100s of anti-fascists occupied the planned site at the Dail of a far-right rally. Stewards did a great job of containing far-right provocations throughout the rally.  The 1st group of far right agitators that appeared were visibly bewildered to find the site of their rally occupied. This group included masked members of Generation Identity, the group linked to the New Zealand mass killer & two of whose Irish members were jailed recently. [see video]

180 arrived for the far right rally, and ended up stuck across the road from their intended rally site. Some, particularly the masked fascists spent over an hour trying to provoke people on the anti-fascist protest. Stewards prevented this happening at the rally Four to five times as many anti-fascists turned up - the far right had been very sure in advance that the anti-fascists could be 'dealt with' which is why such a large number of stewards were deployed to keep the rest of the anti fascist rally goers safe from fascist violence

In fact 100 anti-fascist stewards deployed an hour ahead of the announced start time to take control of the location and set up a perimeter which would be free from fascists and their violence. A few fascists did try and enter this but were prevented from doing so.  Leading to the glum faces seen here on the fascists clustered around one of their piss poor leaders, ex British soldier Tan Torino. The best the fascists could manage afterwards was to sob online about how mean everyone was to them - who knew fascists were so disliked?  At the time a journalist who was in the far-right rally said they were constantly moaning about how we had taken their spot and whining at the Garda that they should move us for them. 

Because we were helping with stewarding and so facing the fascists our video view of #RallyForPeace was of the confrontations but inside the security cordon created there was much singing and even some dancing. There were also speeches (although the sound system was a bit underpowered for the numbers) from a wide variety of people including SIPTU Deputy General Secretary Ethel Buckley. SIPTU was one of several unions lending support to the anti-fascists.  

A large number of NGOs also took part. Interestingly the hard right GRIPT group have decided to not only align with open fascists in opposing the anti-fascist rally but have chosen to specifically target catholic charity Trócaire for taking part. After 7 fascists arson attacks in the last 12 months, attacks on peoples houses and prolonged harassment & threats as individual anti-fascists there isn't much of a mystery when some anti-fascists needed to obscure their identity, particularly those from marginalised group. The GRIPT piece not only fails to provide this context it actually fails to mention the word fascism or even racism once. Perhaps that's why the article is anonymous, GRIPT writers have played with the fascists in the past and got their fingers burned

The reality was a huge range of groups from right across 'civil society' in Ireland lent support to the anti-fascist rally. There is widespread concern with the poisonous hatred far-right YouTubers are spreading intendeding to incite vulnerable people into acts of violence. Many republican, left & anarchist groups were also present including a first outing for Feminist Anti-Fascist Action FAntiFa - a coalition of groups that yesterday helped secure the space ahead of the RallyForPeace