By Sheffield Socialist Alternative reporters
In a reminder of the increasingly confident and aggressive role of the far right in Britain, two pensioners were physically assaulted on Saturday 15 August by a far right actor attacking a socialist campaign stall. The incident emphasises the need for our movement to organise against the far right, which is increasingly targeting the labour movement and the left – as well as uniting to defend migrants, refugees and people of colour who are being systematically targeted.
An older man using a walking stick was pushed to the ground after signing a petition on our Socialist Alternative stall in Sheffield. The attacker later struck the face of one of the Socialist Alternative members, also a pensioner.
Our stall had petitions and posters on two issues. One was the need to renationalise the water companies. The other called for an end to the supply of arms to Israel. The far right man came up to our stall talking of “the boats” being the real problem and saying that the Palestinians are lucky to be allowed any land at all by Israel. After dismissing our points he moved on to abuse. He then started filming and shouting at us, saying his film would “go round the whole world”. He also claimed to film asylum seekers living in hotels.
When the older man signed our petition on water renationalisation, he too was shouted at. As he left the stall with his walking stick, he was followed and then pushed. This caused him to fall backwards and land heavily on the paving.
At this point, a large number of outraged local people stopped to help. The man was helped to get up and move to nearby seating, and drinks offered. Shaken, he muttered that he wanted the police. Other passers by, plus Socialist Alternative members, led the far right activist away from the man he’d attacked, and stayed with him until the police arrived. The crowd cheered and applauded as he was frogmarched away.
During the wait, the far right acivist struck a Socialist Alternative member, a man in his 70s in the face. He also caused conflict by continuing to film, distressing a mother with her two daughters. This family went to support the assaulted socialist. Later on, the mother walked over to our stall, putting a donation in the tin.
The council’s street ambassadors told us the man was an “auditor” and known to the police. There had been previous incidents, with him being easily recognisable due to his full facial tattoos.
Auditors have become a regular feature at far right events. They seek to create and film conflict, particularly the harassment of asylum seekers and ethnic minorities, for online content and monetisation. But in some cases, their footage has been used by police to convict and jail some of the far right activists they support.
Such violence and harassment is a symptom of the increased confidence of the far right. Not only have Farage and Reform UK built a following by blaming migrants for the economic problems caused by capitalism, but the anti-migrant policies of both the Conservative and Labour governments have assisted them in doing this. Meanwhile, within this toxic political environment, an increasing confident and violent street-based far right is engaging in physical attacks, violent riots and even pogroms.
Socialist Alternative members in Sheffield refuse to be intimidated by this kind of far right thuggery. We will be carrying out our regular campaigning activity on The Moor at 11am on Saturday. We encourage all local anti-racist and anti-fascist activists to drop by to show your support.
