The day started early in the morning with activists chalking the inner city and discovering that the National Front had delegated secretary Kerry Bolton to stake out the Cenotaph. Fortunately anti-fascist statements had already been left there the night before. After leaving messages at the train station, on Cuba Street and Manners Mall the group was followed by someone resembling a member of the fascist National Front, they left the scene to avoid confrontation.

At mid-morning the protesters started arriving at the Cenotaph to take a stand against fascism. As a group of 30 or so black clad demonstrators stood and watched a group of around 15 people calling themselves, ‘Fairies Fighting Fascism’ arrived. They then proceeded to climb onto the Cenotaph, dancing around, sprinkling glitter and chanting “fairies fighting fascists”. The black clad demonstrators then moved forward joining the fairies in chanting “nazi scum” and “1 2 3 4, smash the fascists out the door”. When Kerry began to propound his racist theories the demonstrators drowned him out, yelling “boooooorrrring”.

When the National Front tried to make their way up to parliament a group of anarcho/fairies formed an impromptu blockade, linking arms across the footpath. The National Front were then escorted up to the steps of parliament by the police while the punks, fairies and other protesters were herded behind a long row of metal barriers. Those who looked boring enough to pass as media were allowed to stay with the National Front. One fairy was told by a cop that ‘yes, he was proud to be defending fascists.’

After trying to listen to Kyle Chapman’s speech, drowned out by the shouting and singing of the anti-fascist crowd, the National Front attempted to leave before the arrival of the multicultural march. They made their way to the train station with a police escort and found themselves blocked at every entrance. From this point on bockades sprung up spontaneously to frustrate the National Front’s every attempt to escape. Police seemed totally unprepared and visibly frustrated, without the numbers to control the situation. The National Front were eventually trapped within the station between two lines of anti-fascists.

Just as the multicultural march reached parliament, bringing support for those cornering the National Front, police moved the beleaguered fascists out of the station. They spent some time trapped against the law school, surrounded by a crowd which grew to 150, before moving to their cars. The crowd followed in hot pursuit.

Then as the National Front tried to get to their cars the crowd became angrier and blocked their exit. One of the fascists leapt onto a car, brandishing a long pole and providing the lasting media image for the day. He was arrested as other NF members tried to get away in their car through an impromptu blockade that had been formed. They droved straight at one anti-fascist who had to leap on the bonnet of the car to avoid being run over. He was carried down the road on the bonnet, before managing to leap off the car, sustaining only minor bruises.

In a scuffle one anti-fascist was arrested, and a group of about 50 people marched to the police station demanding their release. The march took the road and blocked traffic all along Lambton Quay, chanting “whose streets? our streets!” and “free ****(the arrestee)” at the Saturday afternoon shoppers.

A couple of NF members were sitting on the front steps of the police station, saw this crowd arrive and hurriedly fled into the police station before they were spotted by the crowd, then let out he back.

When the anti-fascists arrived to demand the release of the protester they stormed and occupied the police station, and the police hurriedly closed up their shutters. These were then banged on while the crowd in the police station chanted for the release of the prisoner.

The police then re-took the police station, arresting one of the protesters for trespassing in a police station, even though he was nearly out the door.

Both prisoners were charged (the other with disorderly behaviour) then released within a couple of hours.

The Anarcho-Farie Collective

**There have been sightings since of the National Front in New Town talking photos and following punks, so keep your eye out and don’t be snapped.**