Once again the farcical exercise of elections has rolled past us, and once again the various political parties have put great effort into persuading us to validate their overflowing bank accounts in return for their continued interference in our lives. The parties attempt this, as always, by highlighting the crimes and errors of their rivals while being guilty of the same incompetence and corruption themselves. Different elections, same old shite.

Perhaps what made this time different was the worrying situation that some people were seemingly so sick of the cash-grabbing antics of the larger parties (as if any of the smaller parties would be any different!), that they threw their lot in with the likes of UKIP and the BNP in what has laughably been dubbed as a 'protest' vote.

The end result of this has been BNP Führer Nick Griffin and fellow former National Front 'elite' Andrew Brons representing parts of England in Europe. Something which the bullshit merchants of the BNP are now making a great song and dance about, despite the fact that the pot-bellied pair actually received less votes than when the election circus was last in town. The BNP knew that getting just one person elected would give them a level of exposure that money can't buy, such is the mainstream media's desire to feed them the oxygen of publicity they so badly crave.

However, for our very own local BNP scumbags things did not go according to plan (some things never change). The desperate begging, or in some cases the abject indifference, of the eight BNP candidates that were put forward resulted in very little. The most 'impressive' outcome being Michael Carey, who stood in the St George East ward and will no doubt rave about receiving 17% of the vote, although in reality this equates to total count of just 575 and was even lower than the last time. Still it's better than his chum Christine Ogden, who stood in Horfield, and came dead last with 3% or a 'staggering' 135 votes.

Obviously any support for fascist lunatics, no matter how minor, is cause for concern and opposition. Perhaps for the time being we can take some comfort in the fact that Bristolians continually refuse to swallow BNP lies, although it’s a fair bet that this refusal was aided by the very public revelation, a few days before the election, that local BNP head honcho (at least in his own imagination) and public relations nightmare Clive Courtney may well have a taste for domestic violence.

The resounding lesson of this episode, and what we need to convey to those within our communities who felt desperate enough to foolishly support this sham of a political organisation, is that there is no such thing as a so-called protest vote. Put simply, a vote for a fascist organisation is a vote for fascism.

From last Friday's Bristol Evening Post:

A British National Party activist who has run for council and to be an MP was arrested on suspicion of assaulting his deaf wife.

Clive Courtney, 55, was yesterday being questioned by Avon and Somerset police for alleged violence against his spouse, Julie, at their home in Pensford.

Mr Courtney has been a local organiser of the right-wing party for Bristol and has been active during the current local election campaigns.

A police spokesman told the Bristol Evening Post: "I can confirm that last night, at about 11.25pm, we were called to a disturbance at a Hillcrest address in Pensford.

"Subsequently, a 55-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault and is being questioned at Bath police station."

It is thought construction engineer Mr Courtney's teenage step-daughter was also at home during the alleged assault on Wednesday night. As of yesterday evening, he had not been charged with any offence.

The BNP are normally extremely quick to publicly counter what they perceive to be 'media bias' against them, particularly when it involves senior figures like Courtney. To the best of our knowledge, they have not yet responded to this article.

We sincerely hope that Courtney has not assaulted his wife. We unconditionally condemn domestic violence, in any form. But, if he has assaulted his partner, and his stepdaughter witnessed it, then it makes the email we recently received from him all the more despicable.

After confirming that it was, indeed, him in the photos we took in Bedminster a few months back, he went on to say:

My stepdaughter, by the way, thinks she disagrees with the BNP but that is the result of PC brainwashing from TV and her multi-culti teachers at school (so bear that in mind if you decide to do something heroic like put our windows in while our two babies are sleeping – it will prove me right to her about my reasoning regarding all you cowardly lefty/liberal/self-loathing dupes of the establishment).

Courtney's stepdaughter has nothing to fear from anti-fascists. She is obviously an intelligent young person who understands perfectly what the BNP stands for and rejects it wholeheartedly, which comes as no surprise seeing as she's living under Courtney's roof.

Bristol Antifa aren't in the habit of harming innocent people. That's why we fight fascism.

We've received this report from Hereford Solidarity League, publishers of the excellent 'Hereford Heckler', on fascist activity in their area. They've also adapted our anti-BNP election leaflet for mass distribution around the town, and are busy countering the fascists' lies on the street and in the media. Good work!

Christopher Gower (Supreme Leader of Hereford BNP) and his ragtag bunch of numpties

Hereford Solidarity League (HSL) has been busy organising against and exposing racism and fascism in rural Herefordshire for almost two years. Through their bimonthly news sheet the Hereford Heckler, they have been making life very uncomfortable for the local British National Party.

The recent behaviour of the Hereford BNP numpties has been particularly sickening. The murder of a local teenager in March was seized on in an attempt to stir up anti-eastern European feelings. The two men arrested for the murder are Lithuanian nationals, but that didn’t stop the BNP from calling on all Polish people to be kicked out of Hereford!

Unfortunately for the clueless fash, Hereford is a small town and word gets around. People immediately contacted HSL to let them know what was going on and where the BNP were organising. A quick phone call to the Hereford Farmers Club (right, tel: 01432 272247) confirmed that the venue was being used by the aforementioned numpties. An article followed in the Heckler calling for members to boycott the club. The chairman of the Farmers Club was interviewed by BBC local radio where he predictably claimed that they had no idea that the BNP were meeting there. He went on to say that they are a non-political club and there is nothing stopping the BNP meeting there in future. A spokesperson for HSL, also speaking on BBC Hereford & Worcester, warned that everything will be done to stop fascist groups organising in Hereford and hoped that the Farmers Club would see sense and stop allowing the BNP to use their premises.

At present the Farmers Club haven’t commented further, but HSL are determined to stop the BNP meeting anywhere in the city.

We have produced a new leaflet for the upcoming local and European elections.

You can download the leaflet here.

Please print or copy as many as you can and distribute them as widely as possible – in your workplace, the pub, the library, the community centre, the local health centre or surgery, and anywhere else you can think of. Even if you can only do your own street, it all counts. Or get together with friends, family and neighbours and spread them across your local area.

Our message is simple:

The following social inadequates are standing for the BNP in the forthcoming Bristol council elections:

Avonmouth:
Ronald Colston George
120 Bloomfield Road, Brislington BS4 3RD

Frome Vale:
Colin Richard Chidsey
20 Belmont Road, St Andrew's, BS6 5AS

Hillfields:
Christopher David Pegler
52 Summerhill Road, St George, BS5 8HJ

Horfield:
Christine Margaret Ogden
5 West Town Grove, Brislington, BS4 5EQ

Lawrence Hill:
Janette Dunster Ashman
Gratia Patri, 3 Stanshaw Close, Frenchay BS16 1JY

Lockleaze:
John William Hooper
19 Freshland Way, St George, BS15 1DD

St George East
Michael John Carey
5 Adams Court, Cumberland Place, Hotwells BS8 4LQ

St George West
Christopher Richard Stocks
52 Wyndham Cresent, Broomhill BS4 4SY

You may well find groups of their knuckle-dragging supporters lurking on your street over the next few weeks, trying to peddle their hate and stir up tension in your community. Our advice is simple – BE PREPARED! Talk to your friends and neighbours, set up a phone network and, if these nazis have the nerve to turn up uninvited, put the call out, gather together, and tell them where to go.

Reclaim your streets!

Given his eagerness to proclaim even the smallest fart from Nick Griffin's arse as some kind of huge success, we're surprised that the local BNP nutjob, Clive 'Pie Face' Courtney, has been less than forthcoming about the recent Keynsham council elections, where he stood for the Keynsham East ward.

Could this be something to do with the fact that, despite bragging about their occasional brief forays into the town and the 'support' they've received from locals, Pie Face polled a misearable 5.49% (73 votes) of the total votes cast, putting him and his mob firmly in last place?

Still, Pie Face should be used to this kind of public humiliation – he scored an underwhelming 6.09% in Keynsham South in May 2007, last place again.

It seems that the more the good burghers of Keynsham get to know about Pie Face and his unsavoury organisation, the less inclined they are to fall for the BNP's lies. No surprise there then.

We have it on good authority that Nazi Nick Griffin, lardbucket leader of the BNP, is due to attend a 'fundraising dinner' in South Gloucestershire on Sunday night.

Party members have been told to meet in the car park of the Huntsman Pub in Falfield (just off junction 14 of the M5) at 6.45pm. They'll then drive the mile or so to the Park Hotel, which is south of the Huntsman, along the A38 and down a single track road on the left. The BNP has booked a function room at the Park Hotel under a false name.

You may want to inform the owners or managers of these establishments of your opposition to having nazi scum in our midst, and ask them to take the necessary steps to prevent this gathering taking place on their premises. The phone numbers are:

Huntsman Inn 01454 260 239
Park Hotel 01454 260 550

Please remember that whoever answers the phone may not have any sympathy with the BNP. And they certainly shouldn't have to endure the sight and sound of fascist pigs stuffing their overfed faces and spewing out nazi crap.

One of our local supporters has produced this stunning new image for us. We think that it's so good we've turned it into a t-shirt. They're available now from our shop for £7.50 plus p&p, in men's standard fit and women's skinnifit (small to extra-large). All proceeds will be used to support our own work and that of other anti-fascists in need.

Striking and to-the-point, we think that this is set to become an antifa design classic!

If you've got similar creative talents, we'd be more than pleased to receive your own antifa designs too. Just get in touch and we'll let you know how to send them to us.

Bristol Antifa are pleased to announce the publication of our first newsletter (PDF file). The first issue puts into print the main articles published on this site over the last couple of months.

We would encourage our friends to print or photocopy it and leave it in public places – libraries, doctors surgeries, buses, workplaces, pubs etc. We would also welcome news, articles, info and suggestions from you for the next edition. Please use our contact form to send in your items or constructive criticisms.

The 'Three Arrows' anti-fascist circle on our newsletter was originally used by the Iron Front, a German anti-fascist umbrella group that took direct action (including street battles) against Hitler's supporters and allies in the early 1930s. The logo was designed to easily cover up the swastika.

Today, the symbol has been adopted by militant working class anti-fascists as the symbol of united international resistance to fascism. Bristol Antifa are proud to stand by and continue that tradition.

We've received the following information from our friends in Bristol Anarchist Black Cross. Please read and show your support.

Greek solidarity gig and info

The rebellion by Greek youth, students, workers and migrant workers & immigrants that began on 6 December 2008, following the murder in Athens of a 15 year old youth by police officers, has generated a lot of interest across Bristol and the UK. There has also been some solidarity action in Bristol, graffiti and posters have been seen around town, and persons unknown have claimed on Bristol Indymedia four solidarity attacks on police stations/vehicles.

Bristol Solidarity gig 3 January from 8pm

A number of punk bands have organised a Greek solidarity/benefit gig for Greek prisoners & defendants at The Chelsea pub, on Chelsea Road, Easton BS5. Bands include Disorder and Belladonna. A visitor from Greece should be at the gig. Support the gig and donate generously! See also http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/689452

Greek defendants & prisoners

Unsurprisingly, in Greece the state has reacted with mass arrests, increased harassment of migrant workers and refugees, and police brutality. There has also been evidence of collusion between Greek cops and the neo-fascist groups, and of course the use of agent provocateurs.

Info on Greek arrests for 6 to 21 December:
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=en&article_id=958127

Info on Greek New Years Eve prisoner solidarity actions:
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=en&article_id=959537

Use of counter-terrorism laws against school students in Larisa, Greece:
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=en&article_id=952918

Info on migrant & refugee resistance & support:
http://clandestinenglish.wordpress.com/

Bristol ABC supports calls for the dropping of ALL charges against those arrested, and the immediate release of ALL people detained by the Greek state.

The Greek Embassy in London:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/content/en/contact/europe/dl-greece

General background info on Greek rebellion:
http://anarchiststrategy.blogspot.com/
http://www.occupiedlondon.org/blog/
http://libcom.org/tags/greece-unrest
http://athens.indymedia.org/?lang=en
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/12/414640.html

Please pass this info on to your friends, networks & contacts. Thanks.

Solidarity! – Bristol ABC
http://bristolabc.wordpress.com/
Meeting the 2nd Wednesday of every month at
Kebele Social Centre: http://www.kebelecoop.org