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by Emma Hagberg (Author), Gabriel Kuhn (Translator), Tomas Rothaus (Preface by)
The Revolutionary Front spoke the only language fascists understand: violence!
The
Revolutionary Front (RF), 2001-2015, was the most militant organization
on the left in recent Swedish history. Staunchly working class, the
first generation of RF members engaged in numerous street battles with
Swedish fascists. When the fascists retreated from the streets, RF
attacked them in their homes. The police cracked down on the
organization in 2013, raiding the apartments of several alleged members
at the crack of dawn. The courts handed out prison sentences of up to
six and a half years. Two years later, the organization folded.
The
Revolutionary Front uploaded videos of many of its actions and received
widespread international attention. In Sweden, RF members appeared in
videos of prominent hip-hop acts and were the subject of prime-time
television documentaries. The Swedish security service declared them a
threat to society. Within the left, RF members were controversial both
for their level of militancy and their disregard for the norms of the
leftist scene.
This book tells the story of the organization from
the perspective of its members. It is based on interviews and written
memories, and illustrated by articles from the RF website, photographs,
banners, and posters. Pride in what RF has achieved is blended with
self-critique. Internal tensions are not swept under the carpet.
Comrades, Not Friends
documents one of Europe's most important antifascist, working-class
organizations of the early twenty-first century. The questions it raises
about militancy, class struggle, antifascism, political organizing, and
revolutionary politics are universal.
