“They shall not pass!”: British Anti-fascists and the Politics of Violence
In the 1970s, British anti-fascists resorted to force to prevent the National Front from operating in public. In the 1980s and 1990s, similar tactics were used against the British National Party. This violence was politically motivated and was the latest episode in a long history of militant anti-fa...
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| I publikationen: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb, |
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| Huvudupphovsman: | |
| Materialtyp: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Språk: | Anglais |
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Revue française de civilisation britannique
2026
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| Länkar: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Sammanfattning: | In the 1970s, British anti-fascists resorted to force to prevent the National Front from operating in public. In the 1980s and 1990s, similar tactics were used against the British National Party. This violence was politically motivated and was the latest episode in a long history of militant anti-fascism. It bore only superficial similarities with other forms of mass disorder such as football hooliganism. From 2009, British anti-fascists had to face a new adversary in the form of the English Defence League (EDL), created by extreme right-wing activists and football hooligans. Despite the provocative nature of the EDL’s activities, anti-fascists did not mount a serious campaign of violent opposition. This can be explained by the evolution of the far left, the specificities of the EDL, changes in the labour movement, as well as more repressive policing. |
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