Civil Liberty - When is a blackshirted nationalist marching band not "fascist"?

A march through Liverpool this weekend headed by a blackshirted nationalist marching band was warmly supported by various 'anti-fascist' cranks, including the Labour Party front group, 'Hope not Hate', which is headed by a former establishment media researcher, Nick Lowles, who is widely regarded as a state-friendly tout by many of his critics on the left.

The march, an annual commemoration of the birth of the Liverpool-born Irish trade unionist, James Larkin, was attended by various anarchists, communists and far-left groups, including Alec McFadden, president of the Merseyside TUC and former election candidate for the Muslim-dominated Respect party.

In the past, the march has proceeded unopposed through the streets of Liverpool headed by the blackshirted nationalist marching band.

This year, the march turned into a show of strength between 'anti-fascist' cranks, local people opposed to the march and the police who were intent on defending it.

'Hope not Hate' wrote on their website: "By the end of the march which was 200 strong, up to 100 fascists had tried to line the route and disrupt it, but the band kicked up a rousing rendition of "The Fields of Athenry" to the delight of everyone."

Of course, if that blackshirted nationalist marching band was carrying the Union flag or the Cross of St George, those very same dewy-eyed 'anti-fascists' would have been shouting insults and trying to attack the marchers!

You can watch the very impressive blackshirted nationalist marching band parading through Liverpool in 2010, here.