Skip to main content

Tied In Notts

On Saturday 21st June, a few SCARFers attended the double-header of Nottingham Trans Pride and the latest stop on UKIP's hate tour.

Kick UKIP Out of Nottingham

There was a healthy turnout for Trans Pride. The march was in good spirits and (as far as we're aware) it didn't encounter any organised opposition.

After linking up with some local and regional antifascists, at midday, we headed up to Stand Up To Racism (SUTR)'s counter demo adjacent to the fash meeting point at Robin Hood Statue. Approximately 40 kippers were already mooching about, presumably spurred on by the chance to hurl abuse at the great unwashed – their start time was supposed to be 1pm. SUTR had slightly more numbers and the high ground, but there was some concern about how many more boneheads would shake off their (foreign lager-induced) hangovers and join the ranks.

The number of far-right live streamers, cosplaying as journalists, was particularly notable. Including a few known South Yorkshire wrong'uns. They weren't given free rein, with some of their equipment suffering from the combined effects of gravity and insufficient grip strength, but reflections on tactics for successfully neuturing these pests are probably overdue.

The fashion poilce were reluctant to make arrests

Fortunately, by half one, Tenconi's mob had barely got into three figures, and opposition numbers continued to rise, bolstered by many Pride attendees turning out. At 2pm it became clear the sizable police presence was mobilising to facilitate UKIP's shuffle down Castle Rd – away from the SUTR counter, but directly towards about 30 autonomous antifascists, who had flanked the Sheriff's stooges in advance.

Despite some spirited resistance, the uniformed fascists manhandled the group down to the junction of Castle Boulevard, kettling about 20 of the less lightfooted in a cul-de-sac, violently arresting one keffiyeh wearer in the process. With the path clear, UKIP and the boys in blue were free to stage a joint march down to the canalside where they were treated to an incoherent 'speech' from Nick, before being allowed to disperse throughout the city.

Hartlepool fascist visiting Nottingham
That's why bums go to Iceland

Two tier policing was evident, with antifascists hounded throughout the day by particularly handsy cops, while groups of up to 30 kippers were given a light escort, which soon gave up as soon as they were out of sight of the antis. In this enforcement vacuum, antifascists stepped up and kept tabs on the fascist groupuscles as they attempted to demonstrate at the BBC and Unite's Union offices. These actions didn't amount to much and, by late afternoon, the UKIP presence in Nottingham amounted to little more than the occasional flag waving oddball and small groups of 'lads' who weren't particularly keen to engage in political discussions without their police protection.

The day is probably best summed up as neither a glorious victory nor a humiliating defeat for either side. With lessons to be learnt, networks to be rebuilt, and tactics to be adapted to our current situation – antiracists will be busy in the coming months. To get involved in the urgent work to undermine and counteract the scourge of fascism – drop us a message at scarfsheffield@protonmail.com or follow @sheffieldcarf on most socials.

See you in the streets!

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

SCARF Statement – In Response to UKIP's March on 8th November

On Saturday 8th November a small band of fascists marched through Sheffield with the support and protection of a massive policing operation. Despite being billed as a national mobilisation, Nick Tenconi’s UKIP barely managed to draw 100 attendees from across the country, dwarfed by around 800 antifascists, the overwhelming majority from Sheffield. With less than two weeks’ notice, people across the city spread the word and turned out, making it clear that fascists are not welcome in our city. Despite outnumbering them 8:1, a feat widely celebrated this week, we were ultimately unable to stop the march. We need to learn from this so that the next time we ask “whose streets?”, the answer rings loud, clear and true. UKIP only marched because the police enabled them. South Yorkshire Police’s last-minute Section 14 order criminalised almost all opposition while granting UKIP a protected route through our city. Hundreds of officers, many drafted in from other forces and armed with bato...
Read more

Countering the Flags-On-Lamposts Group in Sheffield - Saturday April 4th 2026

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...
Read more

Raise the Colours Sheffield – Meet the Racists Next Door

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-...
Read more