EYES DOWN, ELBOWS UP
In the unmoderated echo chamber of far right social media the same half-truths, misrepresentations, and lies pop-up again and again. Occasionally evolving or being modified to suit the moment, but ultimately built upon the same foundations of bullshit. It can feel like the truth is increasingly irrelevant to many people, if a lie is repeated or believed enough – what’s the difference? However these tropes are creeping into the mainstream, and when they’re parroted on the streets at fascist demos they should be countered, ridiculed, and undermined.
With that in mind, SCARF presents Bonehead Bingo! A fun game for all the family. Dabbers at the ready, first to get 4 in a row wins a set of SCARF stickers. If you complete the entire card, shout ‘HOTEL’ and give us £20 then you’ll get a SCARF t-shirt (coming soon).
HOW MUCH ARE YOU BEING PAID?
Bugger all. For many of us this is costing money through lost work,
travel, childcare etc. Unlike the far right which is awash with shady
millionaire funding and a constant stream of donations from gullible
grannies, we’re self funded with only the occasional benefit gig or
t-shirt sale to keep us going.
TRAITORS!
Just because we don’t align with their narrow definition of what
Britain is or should be, does not necessarily mean we are unpatriotic
or an enemy within. We are fighting on multiple fronts to improve this
country for all, the same can not be said for those stoking division
and hatred on racial or religious lines.
THEY’RE ALL FIGHTING AGE MEN
This isn’t true. While relatively young, healthy men are more likely to
make a solo cross continent journey and arrive in the UK on a small
boat, women and children seek asylum too. The current system is
designed to be physically draining and expensive, it isn’t surprising
that often one member of a family will attempt to negotiate it alone.
TWO-TIER JUSTICE
This is true, but not in the way they mean it. The poorer and more
marginalised you are, the more likely you are to be arrested and the
harder is to get justice. Many people received harsh sentences in the
wake of 2024’s race riots, but this was also the case back in 2011.
When the state feels threatened, it makes examples of people.
WE’RE NOT FAR RIGHT
Although some attendees are genuinely concerned locals, frustrated
by a lack of opportunities or the failure of the political system, the
protests are being organised and amplified by a committed core of
fascist agitators, many with links to extremist organisations.
YOU HATE THE WORKING CLASS
This is a common refrain, often from more affluent far right activists,
who assume all proles read the Sun, swill cheap lager, and hurl racist
abuse. The fact is, most of us fighting fascism are working class. This
is just a cheap tactic designed to keep us divided so we don’t address
the genuine causes of strife and hardship.
MUSLIMS ARE TAKING OVER
They’re not. They make up 6% of the population and many make the
choice to live here because they like the country, not because they
are seeking to overthrow it.
WE’RE LOCAL, YOU’RE NOT
While there are occasional coaches to big national demonstrations,
merely motivating antifascists to come to another part of the city
they live in can be a struggle. On the flip side, committed racists will
happily travel up and down the country seeking out local tensions
they can amplify and monetise.
HOW MANY ILLEGALS IN YOUR HOUSE?
How many homeless Brits live in Rupert Lowe’s house? Many of us have
given practical support to refugees, and sometimes this includes
housing. However, most don’t have the space, time, money, or
expertise required to support someone full-time in our homes. We
believe Britain should welcome people fleeing violence and persecution,
in our current system the state provides this on our behalf.
YOU SUPPORT PAEDOPHILES
There is no reliable data showing migrants are a particularly high risk
group. The dodgy statistics which are used to support this theory
either fail to adjust for age or rely on incomplete and unreliable
population totals. Offending crosses boundaries of race, religion, and
class – pretending it’s all done by outsiders doesn’t address the issue
and actually increases the risk of harm.
GET A JOB!
Most of us don’t have the luxury of not working, unfortunately. We
have many places we would rather be, but when fascists and racists
threaten our communities, there is a need to oppose them.
THEY WON’T INTEGRATE
This has been said about every wave of immigration, it wasn’t true
then and it isn’t now. More can be done to prevent segregated
communities forming, but if someone’s first experience of this country
is being shouted at and attacked by ‘locals’ this will only make the
process much harder.
GROOMERS
From Section 28 and gay panic in the 80s and 90s to current
prejudice towards trans people, fascists often seek to demonise
groups they see as deviant under the guise of ‘protecting kids.’ The
latest manifestation of this tactic is the myth that City of Sanctuary
– a charity promoting migrant rights and community cohesion – is
forcing children to write Valentine‘s cards to asylum seekers. This,
obviously, is a lie.
THE MONEY COULD BE SPENT ON LOCALS
The asylum bill comes out of the UK’s foreign aid budget, which has
already been slashed from 0.6% to 0.3% of GNP. Hotel owners,
landlords, and outsourcing firms are making lots of money from this
crisis, but even if asylum ceased to exist we would not benefit at all.
YOU’RE THE REAL FASCISTS
Fascism can vary depending on where and when it is being imposed,
but there are common facets which cross these boundaries. It
positions itself against the Left, reinforces rigid gender roles, defines
an outside ‘alien’ group to blame all problems on, obsesses over crime
and punishment, and wraps itself in the flag – denouncing anyone
who doesn’t fall in line as unpatriotic or treacherous. We stand
against all of this, stopping a fascist march or denying fascists a
platform is not fascism.
KIER STARMER’S A WANKER
True
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