Antifascistisk Aktion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Anti-Fascist Action. (Discuss)

Antifascistisk Aktion (AFA) is a militant [1] Swedish extra-parliamentary network whose goal is to "smash fascism in all its forms".

AFA is a socialist movement which rejects the capitalist society, and wishes to replace it with a stateless and classless society. In working towards this goal, they fight sexism, racism and homophobia. The ideology of AFA is based on the theory of triple oppression.

Contents

[edit] History and organisation

Further information: Anti-Fascist Action and Antifa

The first AFA, Antifaschistische Aktion, was created in the 1930s by the German Communist party as a defense organisation against outer enemies, such as fascists (in the broader usage of term, including Nazis).

The Swedish AFA was founded in 1993, when there was an increasingly racist climate in Sweden and a rise in confrontations between anti-fascists and fascists.[1] As of 2006, there were seventeen AFA groups listed on AFA's website.[2] In addition to this, they have a support group and an Internet-based dokugrupp, which surveys and registers alleged fascists and fascist activity.[3] AFA works with other anti-racist networks all over Europe.[4][2]

AFA has taken responsibility for burning down Tråvads spinneri,[5][6][7] which was owned by the right-wing extremist Curt Linusson and used as headquarters of the nazi organization Nationalsocialistisk Front in western Sweden.[7][8][5][6]

[edit] Working methods and internal structure

AFA is an extra-parliamentary network and fits its working methods to what they think the situation demands, even if this leads to illegal activities. AFA is a militant organisation, which can mean anything from handing out flyers and organizing demonstrations to physical confrontation with political opponents.

A large part of AFA's activity is illegal, but they claim that they have been cast in a negative light by the Swedish media, especially after the protests during the EU summit in Gothenburg 2001.[citation needed] However, they do not renounce violence, and believe that a certain amount of violence is ineviteble in the struggle against Nazism and capitalism.

AFA urges interested people to contact them via e-mail, and using PGP when communicating via the Internet. The police have received a lot of criticism from AFA for protecting demonstrations and concerts organized by Nazis and other nationalists. They offer this as one reason that only a broad spectra of the public can smash Nazism and fascism.[citation needed]

In line with the libertarian socialist thoughts of AFA, and as a consequence of being constantly monitored by the police, AFA has no central authority of any kind, and is organized in a rather platformist manner. This means it has a flat organization composed of many independent groupings, also these without a board or some kind of chairman or leader. The point of having the organization is to exchange information, collect information and to coordinate activities between local groups.

[edit] Criticism

The factual accuracy of this article is disputed.
Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page.

AFA has been criticized for its ideological standpoint, which is to abolish parliamentarism as the political system.[citation needed] They have also been criticised for their views about the law and the police; AFA does not usually engage in dialogue with the authorities.[citation needed] Critics say the AFA does not respect freedom of speech, as it attacks fascists and other nationalists.[9][10]

AFA has been criticized from different parts of the radical left in Sweden, often as part of a continuation of a historical conflict between the orthodox Marxism and anarchism.[citation needed]

The most outspoken enemies of AFA consist of extreme right-wing movements like the Sweden Democrats, National Democrats, Swedish Resistance Movement, National Socialist Front and Nordic Alliance.[citation needed]

[edit] References

  1. ^ (Swedish) AFA Historik, 1990-1995
  2. ^ a b (Swedish) AFA Lokalgrupper
  3. ^ (Swedish) AFA Dokumentation
  4. ^ (Swedish) AFA Presentation, Plattform
  5. ^ a b (Swedish) "Antifascister erkänner mordbrand", Sveriges Television, 2005-12-28. Retrieved on December 6, 2006.
  6. ^ a b (Swedish) "Afa tros ha satt eld på nazistgård", TV4 (Sweden), 2005-12-28. Retrieved on December 6, 2006.
  7. ^ a b (Swedish) "Afa tar på sig mordbrand på nazistgård", Dagens Nyheter, 2005-12-28. Retrieved on December 6, 2006.
  8. ^ (Swedish) "Högerextremister intar Vara", Dagens Nyheter, 2005-11-27. Retrieved on December 6, 2006.
  9. ^ (Swedish) Poohl, Daniel. "Ta avstånd från våldet mot SD", EXPO, 2006-10-18. Retrieved on December 8, 2006.
  10. ^ (Swedish) "Vänsterextrema infiltrerade IOGT-NTO", Svenska Dagbladet, 2006-09-07. Retrieved on December 8, 2006.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../a/n/t/Antifascistisk_Aktion_db8e.html"
In other languages