Red Action: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
imported>SchlurcherBot m Bot: http → https |
imported>Sabletiger55 m doi |
||
| Line 8: | Line 8: | ||
'''Red Action''' was a British [[Left wing politics|leftist]] [[Politics in the United Kingdom|political group]] formed in 1981. It became known for violently confronting groups such as the [[British National Party]] on the streets, and for being the main organisational force behind [[Anti-Fascist Action]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amielandmelburn.org.uk/collections/soundings/14_53.pdf |title=Anti-Fascist Action |date=2000 |publisher=Amielandmelburn.org.uk |access-date=17 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="zephanaiah">[https://web.archive.org/web/20160228165711/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/feb/28/if-we-did-nothing-we-would-be-killed-on-the-streets-benjamin-zephaniah-on-fighting-the-far-right Zephaniah, Benjamin. 28 February 2016. "Benjamin Zephaniah on fighting the far right: 'If we did nothing we would be killed on the streets' {{pipe}} Books {{pipe}} The Guardian". ''The Guardian''.]</ref> In 1995, ''[[The Independent]]'' estimated that it had between 20 and 30 branches with 10–15 activists in each, and the paper stated that the group "enthusiastically espouses the use of violence"; it also set out links between Red Action and the [[Irish republican movement]], and stated that members operated primarily in large cities such as London, Manchester, Leeds and Glasgow.<ref name="charge">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/charge-of-the-new-red-brigade-1570278.html|newspaper=The Independent|title=Charge of the new Red Brigade |first=Matt|last=Seaton|access-date=26 September 2009|date=29 January 1995}}</ref><ref name="zephanaiah" /> | '''Red Action''' was a British [[Left wing politics|leftist]] [[Politics in the United Kingdom|political group]] formed in 1981. It became known for violently confronting groups such as the [[British National Party]] on the streets, and for being the main organisational force behind [[Anti-Fascist Action]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amielandmelburn.org.uk/collections/soundings/14_53.pdf |title=Anti-Fascist Action |date=2000 |publisher=Amielandmelburn.org.uk |access-date=17 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="zephanaiah">[https://web.archive.org/web/20160228165711/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/feb/28/if-we-did-nothing-we-would-be-killed-on-the-streets-benjamin-zephaniah-on-fighting-the-far-right Zephaniah, Benjamin. 28 February 2016. "Benjamin Zephaniah on fighting the far right: 'If we did nothing we would be killed on the streets' {{pipe}} Books {{pipe}} The Guardian". ''The Guardian''.]</ref> In 1995, ''[[The Independent]]'' estimated that it had between 20 and 30 branches with 10–15 activists in each, and the paper stated that the group "enthusiastically espouses the use of violence"; it also set out links between Red Action and the [[Irish republican movement]], and stated that members operated primarily in large cities such as London, Manchester, Leeds and Glasgow.<ref name="charge">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/charge-of-the-new-red-brigade-1570278.html|newspaper=The Independent|title=Charge of the new Red Brigade |first=Matt|last=Seaton|access-date=26 September 2009|date=29 January 1995}}</ref><ref name="zephanaiah" /> | ||
The group was formed by [[activist]]s who had been expelled from the [[Socialist Workers Party (UK)|Socialist Workers Party]] (SWP) for their involvement in alleged "[[squadism]]" (violent actions against [[far right]] racist groups).<ref name="charge" /> The expelled activists regrouped around a paper named ''Red Action''. After several years, the group became more interested in the [[electoral process]], and it joined the [[Red Front (UK)|Red Front]] electoral alliance in 1987 and the Socialist Alliance in England and Wales in 1999.<ref>''Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations: Parties, Groups and Movements of the Twentieth Century'', Peter Barberis, John McHugh & Mike Tyldesley, Frances Pinter, 2000</ref> Red Action members then left this organisation, along with the [[Socialist Party (England and Wales)|Socialist Party]], citing the domination of the SWP over the organisation. Some Red Action members went on to found the [[Independent Working Class Association]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://libcom.org/history/1985-2001-anti-fascist-action-afa |title=1985-2001: A short history of Anti-Fascist Action (AFA) |publisher=Libcom.org |access-date=17 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.redaction.org/misc/who.html|title=Red Action 2000 - Shaping The Future|publisher=Redaction.org|access-date=26 September 2009}}</ref> | The group was formed by [[activist]]s who had been expelled from the [[Socialist Workers Party (UK)|Socialist Workers Party]] (SWP) for their involvement in alleged "[[squadism]]" (violent actions against [[far right]] racist groups).<ref name="charge" /> The expelled activists regrouped around a paper named ''Red Action''. After several years, the group became more interested in the [[electoral process]], and it joined the [[Red Front (UK)|Red Front]] electoral alliance in 1987 and the Socialist Alliance in England and Wales in 1999.<ref>''Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations: Parties, Groups and Movements of the Twentieth Century'', Peter Barberis, John McHugh & Mike Tyldesley, Frances Pinter, 2000</ref> Red Action members then left this organisation, along with the [[Socialist Party (England and Wales)|Socialist Party]], citing the domination of the SWP over the organisation. Some Red Action members went on to found the [[Independent Working Class Association]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://libcom.org/history/1985-2001-anti-fascist-action-afa |title=1985-2001: A short history of Anti-Fascist Action (AFA) |publisher=Libcom.org |access-date=17 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.redaction.org/misc/who.html|title=Red Action 2000 - Shaping The Future|publisher=Redaction.org|access-date=26 September 2009|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924085359/http://www.redaction.org/misc/who.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| Line 14: | Line 14: | ||
==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
*Mark Hayes "Red Action – left-wing pariah: some observations regarding ideological apostasy and the discourse of proletarian resistance" in Evan Smith and Matthew Worley, eds, ''Against the grain: The British far left from 1956'', Manchester University Press 2014 | *Mark Hayes "Red Action – left-wing pariah: some observations regarding ideological apostasy and the discourse of proletarian resistance" in Evan Smith and Matthew Worley, eds, ''Against the grain: The British far left from 1956'', Manchester University Press, 2014. | ||
*Stott, Paul "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction: two responses on the British left to the rise of identity politics – the cases of Class War and Red Action" ''Twentieth Century Communism'', Volume 9, Number 9, August 2016, pp. 96–120(25) Publisher: Lawrence and Wishart | *Stott, Paul "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction: two responses on the British left to the rise of identity politics – the cases of Class War and Red Action" ''Twentieth Century Communism'', Volume 9, Number 9, August 2016, pp. 96–120(25). Publisher: Lawrence and Wishart. {{doi|10.3898/175864316815923542}} | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
Latest revision as of 00:19, 11 September 2025
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "For". Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English
Red Action was a British leftist political group formed in 1981. It became known for violently confronting groups such as the British National Party on the streets, and for being the main organisational force behind Anti-Fascist Action.[1][2] In 1995, The Independent estimated that it had between 20 and 30 branches with 10–15 activists in each, and the paper stated that the group "enthusiastically espouses the use of violence"; it also set out links between Red Action and the Irish republican movement, and stated that members operated primarily in large cities such as London, Manchester, Leeds and Glasgow.[3][2]
The group was formed by activists who had been expelled from the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) for their involvement in alleged "squadism" (violent actions against far right racist groups).[3] The expelled activists regrouped around a paper named Red Action. After several years, the group became more interested in the electoral process, and it joined the Red Front electoral alliance in 1987 and the Socialist Alliance in England and Wales in 1999.[4] Red Action members then left this organisation, along with the Socialist Party, citing the domination of the SWP over the organisation. Some Red Action members went on to found the Independent Working Class Association.[5][6]
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b Zephaniah, Benjamin. 28 February 2016. "Benjamin Zephaniah on fighting the far right: 'If we did nothing we would be killed on the streets' | Books | The Guardian". The Guardian.
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations: Parties, Groups and Movements of the Twentieth Century, Peter Barberis, John McHugh & Mike Tyldesley, Frances Pinter, 2000
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Further reading
- Mark Hayes "Red Action – left-wing pariah: some observations regarding ideological apostasy and the discourse of proletarian resistance" in Evan Smith and Matthew Worley, eds, Against the grain: The British far left from 1956, Manchester University Press, 2014.
- Stott, Paul "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction: two responses on the British left to the rise of identity politics – the cases of Class War and Red Action" Twentieth Century Communism, Volume 9, Number 9, August 2016, pp. 96–120(25). Publisher: Lawrence and Wishart. Script error: No such module "CS1 identifiers".
External links
- Red Action archive
- "Left Wing Political Pariah": history of Red Action by Mark Hayes
- Red Action material at Libcom
- As Soon As This Pub Closes - Red Action section satirical profile by John Sullivan
Template:UK far left Template:SWP Script error: No such module "Navbox".