Workers Solidarity position paper No Platform for Fascists as ratified at April 2006 National Conference

Workers Solidarity position paper No Platform for Fascists as ratified at April 2006 National Conference

a Workers Solidarity Movement
policy statement

No Platform for Fascists

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1. As anarchists, we believe that there should be a right to free
speech, to organise, and to freely express political opinions; and
that such rights are extremely important. These rights, however, are
not inalienable and there are very limited occasions on which they
should be curbed.

2. There is a distinct difference between the right to free speech
and the right to organise. Racist comments and ideas should be
challenged and opposed, but a distinction must be drawn between this
and incitement to violence/active recruitment to fascist
organisations.

3. Attempts by fascist groups to recruit members to fascism cannot
be tolerated by an anarchist organisation. If such groups are not
smashed when they are small, they will inevitably grow to a size
where they will feel confident enough to attack immigrants, workers'
organisations, etc.

4. We therefore holds that the right to organise does not extend
to fascist organisers. Attempts by such organisers to exercise this
'right' will be opposed by us - physically if necessary.

5. This does not necessarily mean that all fascists should be
prevented from exercising the right to free speech. There may be
occasions, for example, on which members of fascist organisations do
not pose a threat as 'recruiters', and are therefore best ignored.
Others, such as the revisionist historian David Irving for example,
actively recruit people to fascist organisations and should therefore
be denied the chance to exercise their right to organise.

6. Racism - while being an obnoxious set of beliefs - is not
fascism. Therefore we do not oppose the right of racists to free
speech. We do, however, believe that racists should be actively
challenged and opposed on all occasions. The task is not to prevent
racists from speaking but to defeat their arguments by putting
forward a strong alternative, and by challenging the assumptions and
myths on which racist arguments are based.

7. Racist organisations/individuals who physically attack people
or who carry out attacks on hostels, B+Bs or other accommodation used
by refugees and asylum seekers do not have the right to organise, to
recruit for such activities. In such instances, force should be met
with force; with maximum democracy used in deciding how particular
organisations/individuals should be dealt with.

As ratified at April 2006 National Conference