Over 400 anti-fascists confronted around 50 National Front (NF) supporters in Swansea on Saturday of last week.
The NF had called a “White Pride” march.
Swansea Unite Against Fascism (UAF) organised a brilliant counter-demo.
The Nazis stood around in a police pen for an hour.
We kept up a continual barrage of chanting that drowned them out completely.
The UAF demo brought together a broad cross-section of people.
Students and young workers came, along with pensioners who remembered demonstrating against the NF in the 1970s.
All the main unions were represented and sent support for the demo.
Peter Hain MP, the Wales TUC president Amarjite Singh of the CWU union and local Labour and Plaid Cymru representatives spoke to protesters.
Labour leader of Swansea Council David Phillips said, “Fascists are not welcome here.”
He later announced that Swansea Council would seek legal grounds to refuse any future fascist attempt to demonstrate in the city.
Marianne Owens of the PCS union said, “South Wales has a proud tradition of fighting fascism, from stopping Oswald Mosley to volunteers fighting General Franco in Spain.
“In the last three years we have seen off the English Defence League twice and now the Nazi NF. We are upholding the tradition.”
Fascist English Defence League leader Stephen Lennon plans to open a headquarters at his tanning shop at 11 Hastings Street in Luton.
One person who lives on the street said, “The EDL is not welcome. That shop will be used for racist purposes.”
Lennon, who calls himself Tommy Robinson, has had his bank accounts frozen while he is investigated for money laundering.
Some 30 UAF activists stopped the fascist British National Party (BNP) from setting up a stall in Sheffield city centre last Wednesday.
In nearby Maltby, shoppers objected to the BNP trying to leaflet during a recent by-election there.
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