OTHER EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS HAVE REFUSED TO HONOUR EXTRADITION REQUESTS FROM HUNGARY FOR ANTIFASCIST ACTIVISTS, CITING CONCERNS FOR THEIR SAFETY AND WELLBEING ~ punkacademic ~ Antifascist Maja T today began a hunger strike protesting their treatment by Hungarian judicial authorities since their extradition from Germany last year. Whilst in custody in Hungary, Maja, who identifies as non-binary, has been subjected to inhumane conditions, including several months of constant video surveillance, persistent solitary confinement, and ‘intimate searches’ during which they have been forced to undress. Visits have been sporadic, food has been inadequate, and their cell is plagued with bedbugs and cockroaches. Maja has been in pretrial detention in Hungary since June 2024. In a statement released by the Budapest Antifascist Solidarity Committee they stated they are “no longer prepared to endure this intolerable situation and wait for a decisions from a justice system that has systematically violated my rights over last few months”. Maja was due to receive a judicial ruling on Wednesday (4th June) as to whether their pretrial detention would be converted to house arrest, only for the hearing to be postponed until the 20th, triggering the decision to go on hunger strike. Maja’s extradition was based on a European Arrest Warrant issued by Hungarian authorities for an alleged attack on neo-Nazis at the far-right ‘Day of Honour’ commemoration in Budapest in 2023. The event is an annual commemoration of an attempt by members of the Waffen-SS and Hungarian collaborators to break a Red Army siege towards the conclusion of the Second World War. Maja was extradited despite the intervention of the German Federal Constitutional Court, which had concerns with regard to Maja’s potential treatment. The extradition was initially ruled on by the Berlin regional court, with the German authorities expediting Maja’s transfer before the Federal Constitutional Court was able to rule on an injunction. In January, Maja was offered a plea deal carrying a fourteen year jail sentence. As it stands, they face up to twenty-four years in prison. Maja’s arrest, extradition, and current plight exist in a context of a clampdown on antifascist action in Germany, particularly in the East. Maja was pursued by the SoKo LinX taskforce of the Saxon Criminal Police, and transferred in the middle of the night despite a pending injunction, with the attendance of riot police and counter-terrorism officers despite (as the Saxon authorities later admitted) no credible threat. Other European governments have refused to honour extradition requests from Hungary for antifascist activists, citing concerns for their safety and wellbeing. Hungary’s persecution of the LGBTQ+ community was today condemned by a senior legal scholar at the European Court of Justice. Hungary in 2022 was downgraded by the EU Parliament from a democracy to an authoritarian state, but continues to have access to the European Arrest Warrant system. These wider concerns are echoed by Maja, who in their declaration concluded that “no more people should be extradited to Hungary”. A further activist, Zaid from Nuremberg, remains under threat of extradition. The post Antifascist Maja T. on hunger strike to protest “inhumane” prison conditions appeared first on Freedom News.

MAJA T OFFERED FOURTEEN YEARS IN PLEA DEAL FOR ATTACKS AT NEO-NAZI ‘DAY OF HONOR’ ~ Juju Alerta ~ Seven of the anti-fascists in hiding since the ‘Day of Honour’ events in Budapest have turned themselves in to German authorities, reported ABC Dresden on 20 January. The unnamed activists are accused of dangerous bodily harm and membership of a criminal organisation following attacks on German, Polish and Hungarian neo-Nazis at the far-right convergence in February 2023. It is understood that several of them are also accused of attempted murder. Gino, another anti-fascist wanted in the case, was recently arrested in France and is currently battling his extradition to Hungary. Meanwhile, supporters reported that Maja T., a non-binary activist also accused in the case, is being offered 14 years in prison in return for a confession. Extradited to Hungary in what supporters described as a ‘night and fog’ operation, they could otherwise face up to 20 years at trial. The German Federal Prosecutor’s Office and domestic security service have been cooperating with Hungarian authorities in the two-year hunt for the activists. Their family and friends were also subjected to widespread surveillance, including over twenty house searches. During the investigation, widespread agitation by Hungarian and German neo-Nazis caught on in the press. As with the Antifa-Ost case, “absurd threat scenarios of a new RAF and left-wing terror were propagated”, said ABC Dresden. “The potential will to extradite us is an expression of a transnational hunt for anti-fascists”, said the seven in a statement. They described the accusation of attempted homicide raised against some of them as “a politically motivated escalation” which serves “to deter and legitimise the action against anti-fascist practice. It is obvious that the current anti-fascist movement is not aimed at killing Nazis”. The post Seven anti-fascists wanted by Hungary turn themselves in appeared first on Freedom News.

AS THE FAR-RIGHT SEIZES GROUND, WE NEED ENERGISED COMMUNITIES WHO CAN RESIST NATIONALISM ~ Blade Runner ~ On October 26, another Tommy Robinson-led rally took place outside 10 Downing Street under the “Unite the Kingdom” banner. Neo-fascist crowds gathered to advocate for Robinson’s release following his recent arrest, displaying Union Jacks and anti-immigration rhetoric. Although the turnout fell short of the rumoured 25,000 attendees, it was substantial enough to underscore the persistent influence of the far-right, which appears strategically positioned within the UK political landscape. An antifascist migrant worker bloc was formed to face the fascist march, organised by groups like United Voices of the World, Black Lives Matter, Plan C, Anti-Fascist Network, Revolutionary Socialism in the 21st century, Brighton Anti-fascists, Independent Workers Union, and Hackney Anarchists. The bloc gathered at Piccadilly Circus, aiming to distance themselves from the sinful Stand Up To Racism assembly, who had unsurprisingly called for their meeting point at Piccadilly only days after the antifascist migrant worker bloc announced theirs.  After joining the UVW picket march from the Science Museum — in solidarity to the striking security guards, the bloc moved assertively down Shaftesbury Avenue toward Charing Cross Road. Though initially caught off guard, police regrouped, creating a standoff at Haymarket. Despite police warnings, the bloc held firm, chanting slogans until the pigs eventually allowed them to proceed. They marched to Whitehall to join the United Friends & Families Campaign, who had also marched earlier on that day, setting aside banners in a silent show of respect upon arrival. Both the antifascist migrant worker bloc and SUTR numbered several hundred participants each, being significantly outnumbered by the fascists and confronted by a heavy police presence that nullified any chance of exerting meaningful pressure. Minor skirmishes ensued, resulting in five arrests, including one counter-protester allegedly involved in an assault on a police officer. THINKING STRATEGY These events illustrate the ongoing struggle of grassroots movements in the UK, particularly as peaceful demonstrations emerge as the only permitted option in a heavily policed environment that shows little tolerance for diverse street tactics. Consequently, these movements often fail to apply significant pressure, let alone create conditions that might challenge authority, inadvertently reinforcing the state’s narrative around superficial reforms and allowing its institutions to maintain control over dissent. Peaceful protests can easily be co-opted into legal and political frameworks, making them predictable and manageable for the state. This co-optation can also hinder transformative justice within movements themselves, depriving them of the disruptive power necessary to effectively challenge informal leaderships within activist organisations. As a result, non-conflictual tactics will keep falling short to make a significant impact or shift public opinion against the government, as seen in the limited, if not backfiring, effects of initiatives like Just Stop Oil. Amid tightening state repression, the Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Act of 2022 grants law enforcement broad authority to restrict protests labelled as “disruptive”. This legislation enables fines, arrests, and dispersals based on vague criteria, such as noise levels or perceived public inconvenience, creating a chilling effect that deters activism. Advanced surveillance technologies, including facial recognition, further discourage participation by increasing the risk of identification and scrutiny post-protest. The spectre of long-term repercussions looms over protesters, likely explaining the significantly low turnout at grassroots demonstrations. Meanwhile the far-right networks have been consistently building up, successfully staging “people’s riots” last summer using confrontational tactics that appropriated insurrectional spectacles to promote white supremacy through performative violence. Anti-Islamic and nationalist sentiments remain attractive, fuelled by social fractures and the failure of multicultural integration amid significant global restructuring. New waves of immigration are to be expected, driven by the ongoing wars and environmental collapse, that will keep exacerbating social inequalities. Immigrants will remain the scapegoats for economic and cultural anxieties, while facing exclusion from the consumerist lifestyle of Western societies, starkly illustrated by the genocidal violence faced by millions in the Middle East and elsewhere. The events of last Saturday highlight the difficulties of navigating this landscape. The statist left remains stagnant, lacking any ideological or economic alternatives during this time of profound global crisis and restructuring. Fascist elements are encouraged to re-emerge unchecked in an environment of complete state control, gaining confidence to terrorise vulnerable communities and spread their hateful rhetoric. Without energised communities to build anti-hierarchical networks that foster diverse strategies and provide essential ground support, grassroots movements risk further decline and may lose ground to rising nationalist narratives. An anti-authoritarian ethos is crucial now more than ever, as it is the only force capable of countering the growing homogeneity and suppression imposed by the state and its various manifestations.  The challenge isn’t just about fighting against fascism; it’s also about understanding how different parts of the state perceive and utilise these movements. This dynamic allows the far-right to strengthen while more radical voices are suppressed, even within parliamentary politics. This situation underscores the need for a new kind of resistance from the below, that goes beyond protests and promotes strategies that effectively disrupt and challenge the underlying systems of oppression. The post Avoiding the ‘peaceful protest’ trap appeared first on Freedom News.

Items discussed in this program: German antifascist arrests and deportations • Valencia square occupation for decent housing • Lisbon riots after police racist killing • Escalation in Chiapas • UK budget and Labour’s capitalist cult of growth • Tommy Robinson sentencing and the threat of fascist “victimhood” The post Freedom News Review 29.10.2024 appeared first on Freedom News.

SOLIDARITY ACTIONS BEING ORGANISED WITH “NANUK”, ACCUSED OF ATTACKING NAZIS IN SAXONY ~ Jay Alerta ~ Anti-fascist Thomas J., also referred to as “Nanuk”, was arrested by investigators from the Saxony State Criminal Police Office in Berlin on Monday 21 October, reported German media. Following his arrest, he was brought before a judge in Karlsruhe and has been in custody since then. In addition, two houses were searched in Berlin-Kreuzberg and Berlin-Mitte. State authorities are currently searching for several anti-fascists in hiding. These are said to be connected to the “Antifa Ost” case – in which a group of antifascists have been sentenced to prison terms for attacks on Nazis since 2019. Nanuk is also alleged to have participated in the 2019 attack on the Federal Court of Justice in Leipzig. Initially, investigations regarding the Leipzig attack focused on Section 129a (membership in a terrorist organization), which allows for expanded investigative powers such as secretly searching chat histories on smartphones or bugging apartments, as already happened in the Antifa Ost case. However, this case was closed in June and individual charges of arson and property damage referred to the public prosecutor’s office. Coming shortly after the deportation to Hungary of antifascist Maja T, this investigation reflects a new dimension of repression targeting individuals involved in anti-fascist movements. Also connected to the Budapest case is the arrest of anti-fascist Hanna in Nuremberg this May. In her case, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office is now trying to fabricate a charge of attempted murder because she is said to have participated in attacks on fascists during a counter-demonstration on the occasion of the annual “Day of Honor” in Budapest. In the wake of Nanuk’s arrest, anti-fascist groups have organised solidarity demonstrations in several German cities. The solidarity group of the Antifa Ost trial stated that state authorities were trying to “use the horseshoe theory to equate our comrades with the Nazis who were attacked”. The solidarity group sent “strength to all those who successfully evade the authorities, to all those behind bars and those outside who continue to fight for the ideas that the state tries to suppress.” The post Antifascist in hiding arrested in Berlin appeared first on Freedom News.

OFFICIAL LETTER REVEALS EXTENT AND SPEED OF OPERATION TO EXTRADITE QUEER ANTIFASCIST TO HUNGARY, DESPITE INJUNCTION APPEAL ~ Kit Dimou ~ The authorities in the German state of Saxony “could hardly wait to extradite” antifascist activist Maja T to queer-hostile and authoritarian Hungary, say supporters. According to responses received from the Saxon State Ministry of the Interior, and published by the Anarchist Black Cross, the authorities went into expensive and elaborate cooperation over the extradition, despite an application for a temporary injunction,  of this order final appeal to the Federal Constitutional Court. According to ABC Dresden, “It is reasonable to assume that this personnel effort was primarily aimed at extraditing Maja as quickly as possible and without attracting attention, leaving neither room nor time for interruptions”. Maja T faces 24 years imprisonment in Hungary. The non-binary activist was arrested in Berlin in December 2023, and charged for allegedly forming a “criminal organisation”, in connection with attacks on a neo-Nazi rally in Budapest in February 2023. They were held in extradition custody in Dresden prison before being taken across the border on 28 June in what supporters called a “night and fog” operation. The letter reveals that the Saxony Interior Ministry Police (LKA) “and the originally responsible Berlin authorities…have been in close contact…since the arrest of the person concerned”. For the extradition itself, it also provided so-called “external forces” including riot police and the anti-terror department (!) of the Saxony police. Despite alleged “danger aspects” and “expected disruptions to the extradition”, the and they openly admit that there was “no concrete evidence of an actual threat situation.” “Maja’s extradition is by no means legally motivated and justified, but exclusively politically motivated”, said supporters, citing “the unbelievable extent of personnel and official cooperation and at this speed”, even overlooking an urgent application with the Federal Constitutional Court. “The authorities were aware of the urgent application and knew that the outcome of the application was uncertain. They therefore deliberately decided to ignore it and deport Maja in the middle of the night”, said ABC Dresden, “Thus, the repression against anti-fascism in Maja’s case in Germany reached new, monstrous proportions overnight and just like that”. The post Maja T deportation: Saxony police mobilised anti-terrorist forces with “no concrete evidence” appeared first on Freedom News.