Searchlight
Contents
Relations with other 'anti-fascist' groups
- Given the similarities in objectives, why could the different antifascist groups not work together on these campaigns? For their part, AFA generally refused to cooperate with other antifascists if doing so involved working with agents of the state. They argued that if "you seriously oppose the fascists in a way which is effective, you are operating against the state. This is a fact of life" (Fighting Talk 1994b, 6). These divisions between the “legal” and “radical” (see Copsey 201, 7) antifascists sometimes caused problems for the movement. For example, Red Action reported that Groove Records "was already under AFA surveillance" and that by having it closed down, Searchlight "den[ied] militant antifascism a source of intelligence on the far right" (Red Action Bulletin 1999, 9 f.).[1]
- The 'united front' where activists worked together started to break down as the 1990s progressed. The relationship with Searchlight started to turn sour. Anarchists had not trusted Searchlight since at least the early 1980's - when articles in anarchist papers examined Searchlight's then editor Gerry Gable's links with Special Branch (alleging a 'something for something' relationship – i.e. Searchlight would give details to the State, and not just about fascists).[2] In 1993 Searchlight ran a smear campaign against anarchists - in particular against specific DAM and Class War members - alleging they were really fascists. This probably wasn't a coincidence now there were alternatives to AFA to back. From the mid-1990's Red Action - who had previously had a very close relationship with Searchlight - began more and more to take the line that association with Searchlight was becoming a liability - with Searchlight increasingly providing misinformation and trying to manipulate AFA for its own agenda.[3]<ref>
Companies and charities
- Searchlight Educational Trust (Registered charity 1013880. Company no 2738367)
- Searchlight Magazine
- Searchlight Information Services Limited (Company number 02055070 12 Sep 1986 - 25 Oct 2012). Name changed to Hope Not Hate (1986) Limited (25 Oct. 2012 - 14 July 2015)
See also
- Hope Not Hate
- Gerry Gable | Nick Lowles
- 43 Group | 62 Group | Community Security Trust | JACOB | Group Relations Educational Trust
Resources
- Paul Anderson, ANTI-RACISTS AT ODDS New Statesman & Society, 15 October 1993.
- The Searchlight Archives
- https://journals.lwbooks.co.uk/anarchiststudies/vol-25-issue-2/article-9327/
- https://libcom.org/article/1985-2001-short-history-anti-fascist-action-afa
Notes
- ↑ Alex Carter, "Move Your Feet to the Cable Street Beat": The Cultural Praxis of Anti-Fascist Action, 1988 – 2000. PArtecipazione e COnflitto http://siba-ese.unisalento.it/index.php/paco ISSN: 1972-7623 (print version) ISSN: 2035-6609 (electronic version) PACO, Issue 17(1) 2024: 29-45 DOI: 10.1285/i20356609v17i1p29 Published 15 March, 2024
- ↑ Various articles in anarchist papers and magazines. Also New Statesman, 15.02.1980.
- ↑ See various articles on the Red Action web site www.redaction.org. Also various 'Fighting Talk's. Whatever the reasons, it's clear there was a breakdown in the Searchlight-Red Action relationship.
