SCARF - Sheffield Communities Against Racism & Fascism

This week the far right gathered across the North of Ireland and Britain, including here in Sheffield.  In multiple locations these "protests" were just a smokescreen for racist and sectarian violence. In Belfast people's homes were set on fire, businesses had their windows smashed in, cars and public transport were torched. Two years ago we saw this violence in South Yorkshire when far-right rioters broke into and set fire to a hotel housing refugees in Rotherham. Now this Saturday here in Sheffield, the far right intends to gather and march on refugee accommodation. We must turn out, and turn out in force, to defend our city from these racist thugs.  Saturday 13th June – 11:30am – Sheffield Town Hall! For more information and updates join our WhatsApp Announcement channel

Raise the Colours Sheffield (RTCS) is the local variant of a national campaign which launched last summer. The campaign sought to appropriate our flags as symbols of anti-migrant sentiment, primarily by attaching cheap St George’s Crosses and Union Jacks to lampposts, or crudely painting mini roundabouts. For many the novelty wore off fairly quickly, but in some areas this simple act has become a galvanising force for racist activism more broadly. RTCS is a classic example of this; united by a fear of migrants and an interest in far-right politics, a small group of friends began decorating street furniture, mainly in the north of the city around Parson Cross and Southey Green. Sustained by “donations” from some of their more sedentary neighbours, the group set about flagging streets by request – provided the cash had been received upfront. The occasional pro-Trump flag was added to the mix, just to make their noble stance on the protection of women and girls extra clear, while fear-...

On Easter Saturday 4th April, Raise the Colours Sheffield (RTCS) and skive-streamer Ryan Dales joined forces to put on a confusing and pointless demonstration outside Sheffield Train Station. A bizarre collection of flagheads, Iranian monarchists, conspiracy theorists and some actual out-and-out Nazis, numbering fifty at the most, clustered around a soundsystem playing the very worst of AI-generated slop, punctuated by lacklustre speeches. Does anyone know what this protest was for or against? John Drewett came all the way from Grimsby for this 🤣🤣🤣 RTCS is Sheffield’s most active flag raising group, primarily based in and around the Parson Cross area, but this was their first foray into protesting. Ryan Dales, also known as Ryan Rampage, is a Grimsby based purveyor of overpriced soap and a bottom-feeding fascist YouTuber. It wasn’t entirely clear in the build up to the demonstration what it was actually about, but since some publicity posed questions about inequality in our s...

On Saturday 4th April, local “flags-on-lampposts” group Raise The Colours Sheffield, alongside bath bomb salesman turned far-right auditor Ryan “Rampage” Dale, are organising what they describe as a “protest” in Sheffield. Their stated aims are vague, framed broadly as opposition to “the government,” but their own organising pages tell a clearer story. The comment threads surrounding the event are filled with open hostility toward migrants, asylum seekers, and, in many cases, anyone perceived to be of Middle Eastern or Muslim background. Calls for violence and dehumanising rhetoric are not only present but go unchallenged by organisers, and are often echoed by prominent figures within the group. One particularly disturbing post comes from main organiser Lee Shipley, who wrote that he hoped windy weather would cause migrant boats to sink, resulting in their deaths. Some posts, particularly from a user called “Dave Tune,” include coded language such as “KTF NSE” which stands for “Keep Th...

Dear Members of Sheffield City Council and Sheffield MPs, We are writing as concerned residents of Sheffield to demand urgent action regarding the flags that continue to appear on lampposts across Parson Cross, Southey, and other areas. These flags are part of a coordinated campa ign of intimidation and anti-immigrant hate. They are illegal, and allowing them to remain is an abandonment of public space and a toleration of harassment. The Council has acknowledged that Operation Raise the Colours has been discussed internally. Yet, it has refused to instruct its contractor, Amey, to remove the flags, citing concerns for staff safety. This reasoning is unacceptable. Sheffield has previous ly enforced highly unpopular policies when it chose to do so. During the Streets Ahead tree-felling programme, Amey was provided with full police support and security to continue work despite public protests. An independent report commissioned by the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner confirm...

On Saturday 28th February, Nick Tenconi brought his dwindling band of fascists to Hull for a pointless stroll around town, which will have done little to halt his group’s precipitous decline. Since picking the UK Independence Party brand out of the bargain bin in early 2025, he has well and truly driven it into the ground in his attempts to rebrand the former Farage vehicle as a Christian Nationalist street movement. UKIP planned to arrive at 12pm, so local antifascists got up early to take the bandstand in Queen Victoria Square, denying Nick a stage and consigning his rabble to the fringes for the day. UKIP had advertised their demo beginning at the Cenotaph (confusingly described as 40 Paragon Street on their material), but it was clear if any content could be farmed from the day, it would be found a couple of hundred meters back up the road. As a result only a few of the more disciplined Kippers could be found at their muster point, while about 100 fascists hurled ins...