Fascism Scotland Ungagged Writing

AUOB? Kick Out The Fascists

Ball to the Wall

Tommy Ball

AUOB? Kick Out The Fascists

Why YES doesn’t need fascists marching under our banner

 

The Yes campaign/movement is one of the most remarkable organic movements in history. Opposed by the British government, the Crown, and all but one daily and Sunday newspaper (and increasingly, seemingly, by its own major political party), it seems to have lost little, if any, support in the four years since the first independence referendum. It retains its civic characteristic, having steadfastly refused to be racist or isolationist; violent or bigoted. This has disappointed a great many people on the British government side of the constitutional debate.

 

Yet we have a dirty little secret, and that secret needs to be outed, aired, and smashed.

 

We all have differing opinions on the value of marches and parades, and the participants therein (my own view of the latter coincides remarkably with my opinion on what sort of potatoes ought to be consumed on a Sunday). Let us concede that the independence march this month in Glasgow, at least, did no harm.

 

I was cheered to see a banner on the march bearing the legend TORY SCUM OUT. This annoyed precisely the right people. Staunch, florid-faced, tweed-wearing chaps who have spent their political careers defending rape clauses and poll taxes miraculously transformed into a bizarre cross between Maude Flanders and Kenneth Williams upon seeing it. Demands were made of Nicola Sturgeon – a First Minister who could never be accused of taking too close an interest in the wider Yes movement – to apologise for/immolate herself in a baby box in protest at/condemn the banner. Questions will be asked in Holyrood in the shrillest of fashions. Stephen Daisley was said to have collapsed in shock and was only induced back into consciousness by the wafting of a pie in front of several of his chins.

 

But here’s the thing. They were right.

 

Not about the content of the banner, nor that it was or is wrong to hate Tories. These people are worthy of our hatred and contempt. They force rape victims to undergo interrogations to prove they are worthy of state support. They pack black British citizens into aeroplanes and deport them to Jamaica. They drag disabled children into assessment centres to satisfy themselves that they’re “disabled enough” to deserve support. They are scum. And they do need ousted.

 

But what they don’t need to be ousted by is Siol nan Gaidheal, the makers of said banner. This is an ethnic nationalist grouping. A bona-fide blut und erde gang of fascists. They see our English neighbours not as partners in rebuilding our country, but as a fifth column; an enemy within.

 

It shames us to have such people marching in our demonstrations. And it needs to stop now. We pride ourselves on inclusiveness, but that inclusiveness can never and must never extend to those who would be exclusive. “Our” fascists are still fascists. And fascism must always be opposed.

 

What SnG is doing to us is exactly what Britain First is doing to Centrist Das. TORY SCUM OUT is our equivalent of “WANT TO STOP THIS PUPPY BEING TORTURED? LIKE THIS BRITAIN FIRST PAGE”. It’s not good enough. These people ought to be persona non grata-d from our campaign.

 

The problem with Unionism is that too many good people stood back and watched the far-Right take over on the ground. They normalised the far Right within Unionism. We don’t need that.

 

We need to exclude if we want to be inclusive. A nationalism which panders to fascism is not one of which I want any part.

 

The next time SnG turn up to a Yes march, imagine what you’d think of them if they carried a Union Jack instead of a Saltire.

 

The only thing a fascist needs is a boot to the face. He doesn’t need embraced by a campaign like ours.

 

I’d rather a break bread with a thousand Tories than a single Scottish fascist. Let’s nip it in the bud and nip it now.

 

 

Tommy Ball contributes to the Ungagged Podcast. You can find more of his Ungagged Writing here.

9 thoughts on “AUOB? Kick Out The Fascists

  1. They are not fascists, but do have right wing; “apolitical”, anti Irish, anti Catholic, anti Socialist, anti Republican, pro Monarchist, etc, etc, pro Trident members running the group. They have taken over the “Society of William Wallace” from the SNP and made it an “apolitical” registered charity and have banned political speeches, banners, flags, t shirts and stalls.

    Since 2014 thay run their own breakaway, rival Bannockburn Rally, as opposed to the SRSM, etc, open mic, now supported by AUB. June 23.

    1. Not fascists? Apolitical?

      Anti-Irish, anti-Catholic, anti-socialist, anti-republican, pro-monarchy and pro-trident though.

      Not absolutely conclusive maybe, but that sounds a bit fascist to me. And the more I learn about them, the more boxes they tick. Starting ‘apolitical’ social organisations isn’t an unknown tactic for fascists either. I wouldn’t touch them with a 10′ barge pole.

  2. I have no personal support for Siol nan Gaobhail (apologies if the spelling is wrong), and whose support in Scotland is tiny, but…

    1. On a practical level, the fact is that they supplied a number of the banners for the march, including “End London Rule” etc. not just the controversial “Tory scum out” one.

    2. Doesn’t the “All Under One Banner” title rather give a clue to the fact that we were marching with a number of groups that most of us don’t subscribe to, but we all share a common aim of Scottish independence? For example I’m not a great fan of Tommy Sheridan, but he is an eloquent speaker and his presence helped IMHO.

    Stirring division helps our unionist enemies far more than “purifying” our cause.

    1. I’d agree with you up to a point. A point just short of Siol nan Gaidheal. Do a bit of research on them, their history and their leadership, and I’m sure you’ll see what I mean.

  3. That garden rake moment when you condemn a group …then encourage violence against them…who’s the fascist now?

  4. Wait so the person who wrote this nonsense not only claim a the Scottish Government is against AUOB marches, which is total crap but going by his rather bizarre logic, he is also calling all trade unionists and Labour members who have protested over the years shouting Tory Scum…Fascists too???….As yes he trying to make this about a particular group of YES folk but growing up in my home town during miners strike, I always heard Tory and Scum used in same sentence by all Labour folk…and Socialists by the way who used much worse language….So I wonder if he could explain how he does not see these people as Facists…..or even if he can explain how he agrees with what banner says but does not consider himself a facists…Confused I am with this logic apart from what seems like anothet attempt to cuase divisions within the YES family..oh and final note AUOB if not for non political people and, SNP members would never reach the numbers it has reached ar these marches and rallies….Seriously this guy either needs to get a grip on reality…or explain himself better as what he doing here looks very much as if designed to help the unionists….Not further the YES cause…Shocking to say the least as does this writer not undetstand yet that it was ourselves the people of Scotland who made the YES family what it is today…not any politcal party and not AUOB organisers…No it was us normal Joe Bloggs who ensured the YES movement is 100% a case of Civic Nationalism that does not promote any violence, or hatred to any other nationality where as this person, who ever he is that wrote this nonsense, is promting what was it again.. “kicking folk in the face” …seriously WTF.

    1. Nobody said anything about kicking folk in the face. Or anything else in your comment in fact. Maybe you should read the article before commenting on it.

      1. “The only thing a fascist needs is a boot to the face.” – Quote from the article. Maybe you need to have a reread.

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