Reports of planned march and rally organised by the fascists of UKIP were doing the rounds for several weeks. Those of us in the know understood that the new UKIP, under Nick Tenconi, is desperate for publicity and wants to encourage its membership to take to the streets.
Saturday 22 February, 1pm, Manchester City Centre. Be there.
And we were…
Under Tenconi’s leadership, UKIP has absorbed some particularly unpleasant types from the Tommy Robinson orbit. This group, very much given to the “we must rule the streets” ideology of Josef Goebbels and his stormtroops in Berlin in the early 1930s, has now, effectively, taken over UKIP. It’s a party of thugs and grifters.
It was a disaster for him and the miserable 46 individuals (we counted them) who trailed along behind him and his megaphone
Having said this, none of them were evident today in Manchester. Searchlight was front and centre in covering Nick Tenconi’s first foray into the middle of the city. It was a disaster for him and the miserable 46 individuals (we counted them) who trailed along behind him and his megaphone this afternoon. His PA system packed up early on, probably in protest at his the vile words.
From midday, a large group of anti-fascists gathered in Piccadilly Square beneath the famous Queen Victoria statue. It’s important to note that the coalition that gathered to oppose Tenconi included members of Trafford Trades Council, Unison, the IWGB (union), Stand Up the Racism, the Socialist Workers Party, Counterfire, Pro Palestinian groups, Muslims, Jews, trans activists, Manchester Anti Fascist Collective, and several people from a local Christian evangelist group who were horrified to discover that Tenconi believes that Christianity is somehow racially or culturally exclusive.
In other words, Manchester was represented by a huge coalition of the willing; willing to physically oppose an albeit tiny fascist presence in our city.
A small group of UKIP activists gathered around 50 metres from the large anti-fascist gathering in Piccadilly Square at 1.30pm but were strongly encouraged by police to move away for their own safety. They slithered off to St Peter’s Square, followed by anti-fascist spotters.
Rabble
Searchlight was right there as Nick Tenconi, in black tie and suit, tried to assemble the rabble of anti-vaxxers, bigots, freaks, fascists, so-called patriots, and the genuinely confused, into some sort of working cohort. He gave a short speech outside the main library and we were able to count the total number of fascists – it came to and 36, plus 10 anti-vaxxers whose crazy conspiracy theories were more than most Kippers could take.
A line of police separated this motley crew from anti-fascists who were starting to gather next to the Tenconi group by the library. Tenconi had boasted that he’d prepared a “very special, very big banner” for the occasion. Its purpose was to “annoy the reds” and it spoke of ‘Remigration’. So he’s at least a week ahead of the hapless Paul Golding who’s similar attempt in Nuneaton next Saturday is also doomed to fail. But even so, he’d wasted his money.
It was suggested by anti-fascists that it would be a big mistake for the police to allow Tenconi to march from St Peter’s Square to Piccadilly Gardens (less than a mile distant). His initial stated aim was to rally beneath the very same Victoria Statue at 3pm. No chance Nick. None at all.
Dozens of children, representing multiracial Manchester, enjoying their half term weekend, were playing football in the area designated, initially, for the Tenconi tragedy. But that clearly wasn’t going to happen.
Growing numbers
The growing numbers of people wanting to have a pop at Tenconi was reason enough for the police to think twice. In addition, his small group would have to take a circuitous route due to an early tram accident nearby where a young child had been killed. The police, under pressure and in difficult circumstances, made a decision to allow Tenconi to march, but this was never going to work. Outnumbered, out-chanted and out-manoeuvred, the fascist column was halted on five separate occasions by anti-fascists. And each time the anti-fascist protest got bigger and louder.
Trams, buses, taxis, cars and people on bikes all had their afternoons interrupted by the feeble 46. The police became increasingly aggressive towards the anti-Tenconi forces, physically pushing them back on many occasions.
Much to Tenconi’s embarrassment, the purple UKIP flag that had been front and centre of the “march” was captured by anti-fascists, much to the amusement of passers-by.
At one stage, much to Tenconi’s embarrassment, the purple UKIP flag that had been front and centre of the “march” was captured by anti-fascists, much to the amusement of passers-by.
In the end, the miserable Tenconi group made it to the bus and tram stops on the far side of Piccadilly Gardens. Here, they were massively outnumbered by their opponents. The Gardens is, perhaps, the most multiracial part of the city and many a willing participant joined the anti-Tenconi side; students, Muslims and Jews, a group of Manchester United fans who shouted at Tenconi that he was a “poundshop Mussolini.” No argument there.
Tenconi tried to say something on his megaphone as he cowered behind a massive line of police, but was drowned out by hundreds of anti-fascists. The police tried to move protesters back but by the time they’d forced Tenconi into the middle of the Gardens, there was no way out for him and his dwindling band of losers. They were distraught. And he was going nowhere. Anti-fascists were so great in number and this was always going to be the focal point for our efforts.
Conspiracy-deranged
Lowlights of the day, from the Tenconi side? He was able to assemble 36 of his own people. The rest were, technically, local as they’re found in the city centre peddling conspiracy-deranged ‘The Light’ newspaper and anti-vaxx materials every Saturday. But hardly anyone takes them seriously.
Tenconi was captured on film clearly copying Elon Musk and Steve Bannon by raising his arm, fascist salute style, but keeping his fist clenched. We know what he’s getting at and it’s not a nod to the Black Panther movement. He is an out and out fascist and some of his followers are too stupid to notice.
Tenconi’s supporters were from Bolton, Huddersfield, Keighley, Hull and Leeds. His group, that he described as “his boys,” interestingly wearing Turning Point UK hi-vis jackets (marshalling the fiasco), were from Southern England. All that effort and for what? A total rout.
It reminded me of Oswald Mosley in Manchester in 1962 where he, too, was given a bum’s rush by a massive anti-fascist collective. Mosley, despite being rather better known that Nick Tenconi, also assembled only 40 supporters, though many of them ended up on their backsides in the dirt.
We’re under no illusions as to the danger he poses, which is why we will always organise to oppose him
Anti-fascists often debate tactics but the bottom line is that Tenconi was stopped in his tracks. His paltry turnout showed the public how pathetically small his party really is. But we’re under no illusions as to the danger he poses, which is why we will always organise to oppose him, and develop new strategies and tactics each time. But the fluid tactics offered by anti-fascists in Manchester today resulted in the forces of decency once again overcoming the supporters of darkness, hatred and division.
Now on to Nuneaton…
