Your say / protest
‘Bristol is and always will be antifascist’
This summer has been much like the last. From Bournemouth to Edinburgh, fascists have mobilised in the streets of Britain, marching for “remigration” and harassing asylum seekers staying in hotels.
On August 9, racists attempted to do the same in Bristol, calling a demonstration outside the Mercure Brigstow.
Outnumbered ten to one by 500 antifascist activists – including Bristol Antifascists, Bristol Against Hate, Bristol Antiracist Action, Bristol Stand Up To Racism and hundreds not part of any group – the racists were unable to get anywhere near the hotel
is needed now More than ever
Not quite getting the message, the racists – now rebranded as ‘Bristol Patriots’ – immediately called another demonstration two weeks later, on August 23.
With Castle Park as their new meeting point, they announced their intention to march to an unnamed location nearby. On the day, at their advertised meeting time, fewer than ten racists found themselves surrounded by hundreds of antifascist activists who had mobilised in the same location more than an hour earlier and moved together in a coordinated effort to take the space.
Another two dozen trickled meekly into the far-right demonstration over the next hour, while one of the organisers panicked on a livestream, begging more “patriots” to come and reinforce their numbers. Meanwhile, the crowd containing them swelled to half a thousand.
At this point, it seemed that the police, who had formed a protective ring around the much smaller group, would be forced to call the demonstration off.
Instead, as they have done time and again, the police sided with the far right. Attacking antifascists with horses, batons, fists and boots, the police attempted to march the racists out of Castle Park and towards the Mercure Brigstow.
Even in the face of such indiscriminate violence, antifascists managed to halt both the police and the far right on Wine Street, forming lines and standing firm against hours of repeated assaults by mounted and foot officers.
Outmanoeuvred and contained once more, the police gave up on the Mercure Brigstow and turned to direct the racists to hotels housing asylum seekers at the Bearpit.
Unbelievably, this involved marching them into the heart of Broadmead, where families, including young children, were holding a Palestine fundraiser.
People in the shopping district – not part of and perhaps even unaware of the events of the day – were forced to scramble out of the way to avoid being trampled by police.
All in all, with their brutality and absolute disregard for public safety, the police themselves exposed the farce that they exist to “protect” us.
Ultimately, even with their facilitation, the racists – intimidated and completely demoralised – were pushed back to Castle Park and made to disperse for their own safety.
Fascists are afraid to organise in Bristol and this is no accident. It is our collective strength, organisation and repeated willingness to mobilise that keeps hatred off our streets.
Elsewhere – in Epping, Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Southampton and many more – the racists outnumber us every week and are only becoming more emboldened. The same will happen here if we do not keep turning out.
We must also recognise that ‘Bristol Patriots’, while racist, are not the sharp end of fascism.
Unlike other hotel demonstrations across the country, neo-Nazis are not orchestrating things behind the scenes.
It is our very unwillingness to concede an inch to racist ideas, our intolerance to intolerance, that prevents this from happening.
Fascism is growing nationwide and we must not be complacent.
We should all be proud of our courage on Saturday, and our commitment to continuing the antifascist legacy of our wonderful, diverse city.
If you or anyone you know sustained injuries at the hands of the police, please take photos, get a doctor’s note, and provide a detailed account of the incident to bristoldefendantsolidarity@riseup.net; there may be a chance to take legal action against the cops.
Love, solidarity and fuck the police. Bristol is and always will be antifascist.
This is an opinion piece originally published as a statement by Bristol Antifascists, a group committed to opposing fascism and all that it stands for
‘I feel so much safer with refugees than with fascists’ – photo: Rob Browne
In a statement to Bristol24/7, chief superintendent Mark Edgington said: “A significant policing operation, involving officers from Avon and Somerset Police and other forces, was stood up in response to a protest and counter-protest on Saturday in Bristol.
“Our police liaison team sought to treat the two groups equally and engaged with those involved for the purpose of enabling lawful peaceful protest, both in the lead up and on the day itself.
“Officers on the ground faced a really challenging situation and in Newgate positioned themselves in such a way to separate the two groups and keep the public safe, during which it was important to maintain our professional approach.
“One woman was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker on the day and has since been released under investigation. A number of other assaults on officers have been recorded.
“We are aware of some criticism relating to our actions and we have already put steps in place to review footage we recorded on Saturday and for any issues identified to be acted on accordingly.
“Separately, our Professional Standards Department (PSD) has received five complaints relating to events on Saturday. Work to process them is being prioritised.
“Prior to officially recording any complaint, PSD will follow the statutory guidance around eligibility to check whether the complainant – or the person they are complaining on behalf of – witnessed the incident in person or has been directly affected by it, depending on the nature of the issues they raise.
“Officers deployed at the protests, who are trained in public order policing, were equipped with bodyworn cameras.
“That footage will be reviewed by our Professional Standards Department where deemed appropriate when reviewing eligible complaints.”
The Bristol Patriots group called to ‘stop the boats’ and ‘deport illegals now’ – photo: Rob Browne
Main photo: Rob Browne
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