A return of Fascism in Europe?

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > A return of Fascism in Europe?

Brannock: Feb 9, 2006; by exmarx; Fallen Rib

_{Many of the following links contain descriptions, pictures, gifs, and videos of violence and torture. Consider them all and/or . All quotes are snippets from the corresponding articles. Read the articles to get the full story.}

We will start the thread with a primer on the resurfacing of fascist / nationalist / populist groups in a few European countries:

RUSSIA

http://www.thegailygrind.com/2013/07/25/russian-neo-nazi-groups-tricking-and-torturing-gay-male-teenagers-the-blood-is-on-putin-hands/

quote:

Infamous Russian ultra-nationalist and former skin head, Maxim Martsinkevich, known under the nickname �Cleaver� (or �Tesak� in Russian) spearheaded a country wide campaign against LGBT teens using a popular social network VK.com to lure unsuspected victims through personal ads. Mr. Martsinkevich�s numerous and enthusiastic followers started two projects: �Occupy Pedophilyaj� and �Occupy Gerontilyaj�. Allegedly they are trying to identify and report pedophiles using these �movements�. In reality, over 500 online groups have been created inside VK.com social network in order to organize illegal militant groups in every Russian city. Oddly enough their idea of fighting pedophiles targets exclusively male teenagers who respond to the same-sex personal ads and show up for a date. Captured victims are bullied and often tortured while being recorded on video.

These self-proclaimed �crime fighters� perform their actions under the broad day light, often outside and clearly visible to general public that indifferently passes by or even commend them. Video recordings of bullying and tortures are freely distributed on the Internet in order to out LGBT teens to their respective schools, parents and friends. Many victims were driven to suicides, the rest are deeply traumatized. So far Russian police took no action against these �movements� even though Russian criminal code was clearly violated and despite numerous complaints from parents, victims and LGBT activists. Social network VK.com intermittently shuts down selected groups and profiles only to allow them to be re-open on the next day. Currently, the founder of VK.com, Pavel Durov, resides in the US and so far has not released any comments.

We would never know what occurred after the camera went out. Naturally, all his personal details were released to the general public and viewed by millions in Russia. Infamous Russian ultranationalist and former skin head, Maxim Martsinkevich, known under the nickname �Cleaver� (or �Tesak� in Russian) spearheaded a country wide campaign against (primarily male) LGBT teens using a popular social network VK.com to capture, torture and ultimately out unsuspected male teen victims. Over 500 online groups were created. As one can see, they operate under a broad day light. Bystanders either ignore or condone their actions. Police refuse to arrest them even though they are in violation of the existing criminal laws in Russia. Their excuse? They fight pedophiles � but attacking pedophiles� victims. Certainly, they are selective and lure mostly gay male teens. Being outed in a small Russian city often equal death, torture, suicide. They track suicides publicly online and brag about those deeds.

http://www.thegailygrind.com/2013/0...injuries-video/

quote:

These Russian Neo Nazi militant groups have been advised by a top-ranking supremacist to create fake profiles on a popular Russian social network, VK.com, and lure in gay male teenagers in order to torture and humiliate them for being gay.

Over 500 online groups have been created inside VK.com social network in order to organize illegal militant groups in every Russian city.

Their enthusiastic followers have launched two well known projects: �Occupy Pedophilyaj� and �Occupy Gerontilyaj�. Allegedly they are trying to identify and report pedophiles using these �movements�.

...

No arrests have been made and no charges were pressed. Putin�s law enforcement seems to fully condone these actions. Moreover, Dr. Degtyarev�s numerous written complaints to the authorities only resulted in his own persecution and threats directed at him and his 72 years old mother.

...

In the official correspondence from the local District Attorney office and Governor�s office it was explained that Russian authorities do not see any wrongdoings in the video clips or photographs posted by Neo Nazi group �Occupy Pedofilyaj.� Actually, the authorities referred to this group as one of the �civil movements fighting the sins of the society.� Dr. Degtyarev diligently collects every piece of evidence and correspondence and records all phone conversation with direct threats to him and his mother.

Yet, no actions from authorities have resulted so far. Dr. Degtyarev is routinely approached and offended on the street, receives numerous threats via mail, phone, SMS and email.

...

Update: Spectrum Human Rights (SHR) has also highlighted another disturbing case of Neo Nazis torturing and kidnapping another gay victim. SHR notes that the victim in the video is a �kid with disabilities.� It must be noted that these organized Neo Nazi gangs continue to operate within Russia in broad day light and also continue to share videos and pictures online of what they call �safaris� (hunting down gay victims for torture).

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...wn-8742591.html

quote:

Gay competitors in next year�s Winter Olympics risk arrest by Russian police if they engage in �propaganda� of their homosexuality, Russia�s Sports Minister has confirmed.

In a direct contradiction of assurances from Olympic officials that competitors and spectators attending the Sochi Olympics next February would be exempt from the controversial new law, Vitaly Mutko said competitors who flaunted their sexuality would be punished in accordance with the legislation.

�No one is forbidding a sportsperson with non-traditional sexual orientation from coming to Sochi, but if they go onto the street and start propagandising it, then of course they will be held accountable,� Mr Mutko told Russian agency R-Sport during a visit to Barcelona.

This has become the widely-accepted symbol of Occupy Pedophilyaj, and will likely be adopted by other fascist gangs in Russia:

GREECE

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/24/golden-dawn-nazi-anthem_n_3647370.html

quote:

ATHENS, Greece -- An extreme-right political party in Greece played a Nazi anthem during a charity event Wednesday that authorities had attempted to ban.

A Greek version of the Horst Wessel song � known as "keep the banner flying" in Greek � was played on loud speakers outside the central Athens offices of the Golden Dawn party, where members handed out bags of food and clothing.

http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2013/07/far-right-publishing-in-greece-stories-that-teach-people-a-lesson/

quote:

The rise of the Golden Dawn and its campaign against groups it perceives to be anti-Greek � leftists, immigrants, gays and lesbians � has encouraged nationalist and far-right sympathisers to spread their ideologies through existing and new media outlets both online and off.

...

Far-right publications have rejected voices considered to undermine �the purity of the Greek race and the glory of the nation.� And such publications also find �any distortion of religious beliefs� or support for the rights of immigrants to be unacceptable.

Indymedia Athens, for example, is a local collective of grassroots activists that heavily criticises Golden Dawn�s practises and nationalist ideas. For publishing calls for pro-immigrant rallies, and condemning racist attacks against immigrants, far-right voices have labelled the group as a �cesspit� and its members �snitches� and �employees of billionaire George Soros.�

http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-1-194554-HRW-slams-%20abusive%20-Greek-migrant-roundup

quote:

The New York-based group timed its statement to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the �epic-scale� crackdown on August 4.

�Since the start of the operation, tens of thousands of people presumed to be undocumented migrants have been subjected to abusive stops and searches on the streets, and hours-long detention at police stations,� HRW said.

The roundup has been code-named Xenios Zeus after the king of the ancient Greek gods in his role as protector of guests.

According to the police, over 5,400 people had been arrested by the end of July �for unlawful residence and other immigration-related infractions.�

The detainees are locked up in special camps called �hospitality centres� until they can be repatriated.

Migrant groups charge that detainees have been subjected to further abuse by police inside the camps, and are denied proper healthcare.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/15/greece-racist-violence-grows_n_3596681.html

quote:

In the Athens neighbourhood where he lives -- an area full of empty, graffiti-covered shops with "for rent" and "for sale" signs on the windows -- it has become increasingly dangerous to be a dark-skinned foreigner.

"There are zones where we no longer have the right to go, or where we can only go in groups."

He was on his own when he was assaulted. The attack was swift and silent, unaccompanied by racist taunts or demands.

"Four people got hold of me on the street, one of them hit me with some object on the head. I fell down and they hit me. When they finished, they left."

...

"I saw a young Pakistani being beaten right in front of me, by two giants, who ran through the whole bus to get to him and then kicked him violently out on the street. I did not interfere because I was scared," a mortified retired Frenchman, who has been living in Athens for a year, told AFP.

...

"In my understanding, they (perpetrators) try not to kill, but to make visible injuries, so as to spread the fear to the communities," said Doctor Nikitas Kanakis, secretary general of the Greek branch of the non-governmental group Doctors of the World.

...

Dendias said the rise of Golden Dawn and its xenophobic and racist doctrine was linked to a surge in undocumented migrants arriving in Greece, which he said were "are a huge burden to our society."

UNITED KINGDOM

For more comprehensive information, see this thread.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-23291268

quote:

An explosion which left nails and debris strewn outside a mosque was "an act of terrorism", police have said.

The blast happened on a disused railway line near Binfield Street in Tipton in the West Midlands at about 13:00 BST.

A nearby shopkeeper said: "I did tell the police there to evacuate the area, please for god's sake - there were nails all over the place."

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/07/21/314803/antiislam-demo-turns-violent-in-uk/

quote:

They gathered at a local bar since morning, and shouted expletive slogans about Islam, Allah and Muslims.

This protest is particularly contentious with EDL supporters being bussed in from around the country; to come to Birmingham where 1 in 5 of the city�s one million population is Muslim; in the middle of Ramadan and as mosques across the country are attacked.

Just moments after this was filmed, the scene erupted into chaos; with bottles and batons flying. Some were badly injured. Over a dozen arrested. One police man suffered a head wound.

Over 1000 officers stopped a counter demo getting anywhere near the EDL rally.

http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/the-night-the-edl-attacked-me

quote:

Instead, three guys come to our table. They are all very drunk.

One, who leans on the table and slurs his speech, asks what we think of the EDL.

We say they are idiots; a view shared by many.

The men ask why, claiming to be from the group.

I tell them I've known and heard about violence at their rallies and the way they treat journalists who report on them.

A quick online search for "EDL attack journalists" yields some proof.

Then a friend mentions I'm a journalist.

At this point the men begin to get louder and lairy.

"You're just another lefty journo," they say. "All you do is call us scum and thugs. All we're trying to do is protect this country."

We shrug and walk off to finish our drinks.

The man who went on to punch me and my friend calls me a "snob for looking down his nose at me".

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/07/22/illegal-immigrants-billboard-vans-go-home_n_3634362.html

quote:

Vans with giant billboards featuring the slogan "go home or face arrest" will be driven around London this week in an attempt to persuade illegal immigrants to leave the country.

The Home Office pilot scheme will also see the message also displayed in leaflets, posters and messages in local newspapers.

Over the next week, two vans will be driven around Hounslow, Barking & Dagenham, Ealing, Barnet, Brent and Redbridge and will show residents how many illegal migrants have recently been arrested in their area.

Immigration Minister Mark Harper said: "We are making it more difficult for people to live and work in the UK illegally. Every single day our enforcement officers are arresting, detaining and removing people with no right to be in the UK."

FRANCE

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2013/06/frances-flamboyant-shirtless-anti-gay-protesters-are-eyeing-tour-de-france/66172/

quote:

"From June 29 to July 21, we will have incredible international visibility to show our fight against Taubira law and gender theory. The idea is certainly not to disturb the race, but to show our colors on French and foreign direct each step.

Bring flags, hoodies, polo shirts, whistles ... to make us seen and heard."

http://www.francetvinfo.fr/societe/mariage/homoparentalite/les-hommen-mais-que-veulent-ils-vraiment_372460.html

(Apologies for the shaky translation on this)

quote:

"The group has mounted after March 24, when we heard about Manuel Valls breakers and overflows," said Fabian, one of the founders of Hommen reminiscent FranceTV info hidden in number and only give his nickname. "We realized that despite 1.4 million people in the streets [300 000 according to the police], we would have no answer other than that of violence, that Francois Hollande had nothing to do with democracy" , he insists.

...

"We will fight until the Taubira law is nothing more than a bad memory for France," explains Fabien, who does not want the text to be repealed but "abolished". Under their logo, the words "protect kids" among their slogans "radically towards children." Persuaded to speak for the "silent majority out of the shadows", they denounced "the minority led by the LGBT [Federation of lesbians, gays, bi and trans France]" that would impose its diktat. This leads them to see everywhere "attempts to silence them."

They are certain to "be on the side of morality - Christian -. not to be on the side of right and justice. This is a 'reactionary movement' in the proper sense of the term," wrote Rue89, citing political analyst Erwan Lecoeur.

------------

Perhaps I'm seeing ghosts where there aren't any, but I consider fascism extremely dangerous. Over the last couple years I keep reading news reports from European countries of various "populist", nationalist, and fascist movements bubbling up.

The gangs hunting down gay kids in Russia prompted me to make this thread - in collecting news reports on this I was shocked to see that those fascist gangs in Russia are state-sanctioned.

In Greece, the PM is openly struggling against the Golden Dawn but despite condemnations and attempts to restrict them, the GD keep on building a strong undercurrent of support. Matters over there aren't helped at all by the ongoing economic collapse, a population of immigrants in flux, and struggles with food availability.

The UK and France, being more prosperous, haven't had nearly as serious problems with fascism. Hommen is seen as a joke and openly mocked (indeed I had trouble finding information on Hommen that wasn't about them being homoerotic), the EDL and UKIP are holding the favor of seemingly only a small portion of the population and UKIP in particular seems like it may be a flash in the pan. Britgoons please correct me if I'm wrong.

I didn't include articles in the above primer, mainly because I have a hell of a time finding news coverage on it, but the protests in Brazil have faced vicious brutality from the state police and state military trying to repress the protests. Not only that, but many Brazilian nationalist groups have been co-opting the protests and have been attacking left-wing protestors. Here is a GBS thread on the protests with many Brazilian and other South American posters commenting on the protests.

I'm also told there are "twitchings" in the Romanian political scene - does anyone know more regarding this?

# ¿ Aug 10, 2013 00:38

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# ¿ May 10, 2024 17:23

Brannock: Feb 9, 2006; by exmarx; Fallen Rib

Baroti posted:

You left out Hungary and the growth of Jobbik there. Unless something has changed since the last time I checked.

Any omissions were gaps in my personal knowledge. Can you or someone else tell us more about Jobbik?

# ¿ Aug 10, 2013 00:54

Brannock: Feb 9, 2006; by exmarx; Fallen Rib

Given Snowden and Russia's former history as a Communist sector, I genuinely don't want to, want to be careful about condemning Russia - but if they're going to be a breeding ground for fascism going forward :sigh:

I really don't think I could possibly overstate how disturbing it is that Russia is sanctioning the activity of vigilante gangs going out and murdering gay teenagers. Have there been any comparable actions by the state towards its fascist gangs? Because holy gently caress, dude.

# ¿ Aug 10, 2013 05:40

Brannock: Feb 9, 2006; by exmarx; Fallen Rib

Xipe Totec posted:

By re-directing their hatred inwardly, is the return of fascism to Europa not a good thing for the world?

Surely having their excess population of young, dumb & cumfull psychopaths patrolling their hometown tenements with bats is better than having them patrolling foreign slums with machine guns?

What happens when they're satisfied with the state of their tenements after 2 years of patrolling them?

# ¿ Aug 10, 2013 22:28

Brannock: Feb 9, 2006; by exmarx; Fallen Rib

If the Republicans are para-fascist, what does that make Russia?

Is it even possible to have an effective antifa movement in Russia those days when the government is openly supporting groups like Occupy Pedophilyaj?

# ¿ Aug 11, 2013 03:09

Brannock: Feb 9, 2006; by exmarx; Fallen Rib

Er Pernacchia posted:

How can it be that "Fascists" (you are very unattentive about fascism if you make a thread like this) are now mayors? (Mayor of Rome and other cities and towns scattered around italy).

I made a thread like this specifically because I was "unattentive" to it. I hoped that people would add to it and fill in the gaps in my knowledge, and I've been learning quite a bit from reading the discussion in this thread. Until this thread I'd only known as much as I picked up through the news that made it across the ocean here to America. I'm sure others who have read this thread have also learned more about fascist gangs springing up around Europe that they may have overlooked.

If you have any more information you could add to the thread on "fascism" (as you put it) or Fascism I'm sure everyone here would welcome your contribution.

Er Pernacchia posted:

There are two fascist way of thinkings: the left and the fascists. At least the fascists know they are.

Can you tell us what specifically you find to be fascist about the left? Do you mean the progressive left or the neoliberal left?

# ¿ Aug 11, 2013 16:04

Brannock: Feb 9, 2006; by exmarx; Fallen Rib

Bob le Moche posted:

Libertarians, just like monarchists or fascists, basically hate any form of democracy or popular rule. They are authoritarians who believe that the mighty deserve to rule over the rest. (I would personally add most liberals to that list, who worship a fetishized ideal of democracy but are often deathly afraid of any real manifestation of it.)

"Real" democracies (that is, populism) frequently see the majority trampling upon the rights and needs of a minority. As a minority myself, I'm very uncomfortable with the idea that we should prostate ourselves before the altar of populism. If not for minority rights being protected at the cost of "real" democracy I would be uneducated and doing the lowest of manual labor.

Does your analysis of libertarianism re: fascism take this in account? I'm having difficulty seeing where leaving situations up to majority-rule benefits disadvantaged or numerically minority groups. Isn't much of fascism specifically predicated upon appealing to populist sentiments? Wouldn't a democratic approach still allow room for fascist elements to rise up? I'm slightly fuzzy on my WWII era history but both Hitler and Mussolini were democratically elected, right?

# ¿ Mar 4, 2014 03:16

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# ¿ May 10, 2024 17:23

Brannock: Feb 9, 2006; by exmarx; Fallen Rib

Randler posted:

Is defending people who abuse freedom of speech to criticize others really the hill you want to die on?

You have nooooooooooo clue what you're talking about.

Brannock posted:

Stephane Charbonnier's 'companion', Jeannette Bougrab, was born to a French Algerian father. She was part of the administrative board of the Arab World Institute and multiple other equality/antidiscrimination/antiracism organizations, including the authority to fight against discrimination and for equality as part of the French government.

Sure sounds like someone that would have been totally okay with any "racism" that Charb or his magazine published!

Charb himself was about to release a book on Islamophobia before he was brutally murdered.

http://www.sudouest.fr/2015/01/08/charlie-hebdo-jeannette-bougrab-compagne-de-charb-il-a-ete-execute-1790560-6092.php
http://www.francetvinfo.fr/faits-di...gne_791941.html

The magazine was stridently anti-racist and anti-fascist, among many other anti-s.

# ¿ Jan 9, 2015 01:30

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