Gothenburg vs Nazis

[luzula]

Okay, I have got to write this up while I'm still euphoric.

Background: a neo-nazi group was going to march through central Gothenburg today, and of course there was a counter-protest. They are actual neo-nazis who think citizenship should be decided through gene-tests to see if you are aryan enough.

I'd only been involved peripherally with the preparations--I went to a planning meeting as representative for my union, and also I was a functionary during the counter-protest rally (which only means I answered questions and told people where the toilets were, etc). Oh, and also I'd put up a tree-top banner about the rally a couple of days before.

Numbers:
Nazis: about 400 (they'd hoped to be a thousand).
Police: maybe 2 000.
Counter-protesters: around 10 000, though it's hard to estimate.

It was great to stand and welcome people and just see how many were pouring in! We really filled that huge square. The nazis were going to march past our rally and I knew people had plans to block the nazi march from going past. I was a bit nervous about this. But in the event it wasn't necessary, because the nazis fucked up their march all on their own. : D

We stood and waited; there was a great samba drum band keeping the mood up. No nazis. And then suddenly most of the police mini-buses just left in a hurry. Turned out the nazis were unhappy about not getting the march route that they wanted (a court had ruled a few days earlier that they could not march past the synagogue; thank you, court) and were trying to break out of the police lines. And then they got kettled.

So that meant our rally was left to its own devices and people just poured out on the street the way the nazis were supposed to have come. I have never felt such energy in a march! It was euphoric--we just OWNED the streets. There were all types of people there, and we all were shouting slogans and cheering. : D

The nazis meanwhile were stuck and continuing their futile violence against the cops. Apparently there was some violence from counter-protesters who I think were disappointed that the police were not transporting the nazis away on busses right away, or maybe they just wanted to get to them (which of course is being blown up in the media; I wish they hadn't given them the excuse). [ETA: It has now been revealed that at least one of the stone-throwing "antifascists" was actually a fascist provocateur.] But overall I have to say great job from the more militant antifa crowd, who were not in a separate black block or anything, but were mixed in the crowd ready to defend the rally if needed, looking like ordinary protesters.

So yeah, well done Gothenburg. : D

Comments

[isis]

Hply sjot, awesome! That is great that your group could make such an emphatic counter-protest and make the neo-nazis look like the small fringe group they are.

[luzula]

I mean it was not just one group, there were people there from all sorts of groups, mainly on the left but it was a mixed crowd. And yeah, they are a small sectarian fringe group, but there's a larger radical right which is a danger. So I'm very glad so many people got to have this positive experience of getting out on the streets like this.

[baronjanus]

*heartfelt:* Shiny.

[luzula]

I know. *basks in it*

[skygiants]

THAT'S AWESOME :DDDDD

[luzula]

YES IT IS. : D

[hurry_sundown]

Excellent to hear, Luz. Thanks for sharing.

[luzula]

Yeah, I figure people can use some happy stories. : )

[hurry_sundown]

Hey Luz, there was a story about this in the Washington Post today. Go, Gothenburg, go!

[luzula]

Yeah? What did they say?

Also, it has now been revealed that at least one of the stone-throwing "antifascists" was actually a Nazi provocateur...

[hurry_sundown]

Pretty much what you said, but the police estimate of the number of fascists was a bit higher - maybe 600.

I'm still feeling good for Gothenburg. *g*

[rachelmanija]

Fucking Nazis. I do enjoy how stupid they tend to be.

[luzula]

It was indeed very stupid! We all were so gleeful. : D

[seascribble]

Yaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy! Suck it, nazis.

[luzula]

This was the general feeling in town! : )

[ride_4ever]

Yes Yes Yes!!!

[luzula]

I know! It feels so strengthening, going forward.

[blnchflr]

I saw a comment that the police didn't fare all that well - that they were outarmed by some of the nazis? I haven't watched videos, because I really don't feel like it. Anyways, glad your lot did well, but I feel bad for the police :(

[luzula]

Hmm, this is not something I have heard? In the news it says that one police got hurt, but not badly. I know the nazis had shields and their flag poles, but of course I may not know all of it.

But yeah, kudos to the police this time--all the ones I saw behaved well towards the counter-protesters, and they did a good job with the nazis.

[jjhunter]

AWESOME. :D

[luzula]

YES IT WAS. : D

[antisoppist]

Thank you for the on-the-ground update. There's been a bit of argument between translators over whether or not they should attend the Gothenburg Book Fair due to Nya Tider being represented, and the march only exacerbated the arguments about boycott versus counter-protest. I'm glad in the end the Nazis weren't allowed to march past the synagogue and that the counter-protest was as big as it was. And also it sounds fun :-)

I'm not there, I'm going to the Helsinki Book Fair in October instead.

[luzula]

Ha, I can imagine the controversy. I went to an alternative leftist book fair instead. Do tell me if you come to Gothenburg some other time though; would be happy to have a fika with you.

It WAS fun. I'm still in the afterglow phase. : )

[jesse_the_k]

Lovely lovely lovely news.

Were the cops bused in from elsewhere? 1000 police is a lot, or were there military folks deputized?

(Marching past the synagogue on Yom Kippur. Yeah, fuck no.)

[luzula]

Yes it is! : )

No military; the cops were brought in from elsewhere, probably the crowd control police from Stockholm and/or Malmö.

(Indeed.)

[riverlight]

YAY, awesome!

[luzula]

I know! : )

[lilysea]

They are actual neo-nazis who think citizenship should be decided through gene-tests to see if you are aryan enough.

Oh, for fuck's sake. :(

[luzula]

They're a small and extreme sect, so not actually dangerous in themselves. But they're the tail end of a much larger and more dangerous movement. : (