There was a tense stand-off in Batley over the weekend as another rally took place on Saturday. Unlike last Thursday's peaceful rally hosted by the Reclaim Party, the event staged by the For Britain Movement brought out a crowd of leftist so-called 'anti-fascists'. The leader of For Britain is standing in this Thursday's by-election. Police said 400 people were involved in the rally and counter-protest and three arrests were made, although the two sides were successfully kept apart.
The counter-protest had been organised by 'Stand Up To Racism', a group linked to the Labour Party. Diane Abbott is its president, while Labour peer Baroness Blower is vice chair. Stand Up To Racism had tried to stoke disorder by whipping up activists with the claim that the founder of the English Defence League would be attending the For Britain rally. In the end there was no sign of Tommy Robinson and the assorted band of leftists claimed 'victory' by saying they had 'scared him off'. He had undoubtedly never intended to be there anyway.
Among the flags, placards and banners at the counter-protest were the red flags of communism, including the hammer and sickle of the Communist Party of Britain (see below).
These people are not simply ordinary citizens concerned about the supposed rise of right-wing populists, they are political extremists who support an ideology responsible for more death and misery than anything the right has perpetuated. Antifa are not merely anti-fascists, they are communists.