Fascist tea baggers physically attacked supporters of the Party for Socialism and Liberation this afternoon in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

The Party of Socialism and Liberation called for a counter-demonstration against the fascist tea bag movement, which has been holding weekly rallies. Today was supposed to be a special day of protest nationwide for the tea baggers and their anti-immigrant message.

Comrades of the PSL and other supporting socialists, including a member of the Socialist Party, counter-protested on the far side of the street, when one hot-headed fascist decided to start a confrontation, physically getting in the face of one of the leaders of PSL. Things seemed to be averted for a moment, as he and he fellows returned to their side of the street, only for him to return a few moments later.

This comrade did not see how things started, but turned around to see a one fascist knocking down a support of the PSL in the middle of the street (at a very busy intersection). One fascist with a camera began swinging it like a club and was chased across the street before hitting the comrade in the head with it. Fortunately, the comrade had a thick, bushy mane of hair, and was not injured.

This happened in the space of seconds. When I saw the camera begin used as a weapon, I ran to intervene, jumping on top of the fascist with the camera, though not before breaking a stick upside his head after he hit me in the head with his camera (ow). After that, I put him in a choke hold until he calmed down (though he kept pinching my arm).

At this point, another comrade from the Socialist Party arrived with his very apropo sign, "Fight The Rich, Not Each Other!"

To avoid further confrontation, we moved down the street, still within sight of the fascist rally. Later, one of them, as she was leaving, swerved her truck at my wife and our SP comrade, before pulling off at the last second.

Several immigrants personally thanked us for being there, and a number of workers in the area told us they no longer used that corner to catch the bus on Saturdays, because of the fascists. People who tried to walk through the fascist rally told us that they would not move to allow people to walk on the sidewalk.

Some of the fascist signs included slogans like, "All Mexicans Should Be Neutered" and "Immigration = 67% unemployment 4 Black Young" [sic] although there were no Black people among the tea baggers.

Wow...

Fucking fascists.

they put their balls in their mouths?
or do i just play too much games?

Fucking capitalist/fascists. Those motherfuckers are completely intolerent - I seriously don't even see a difference between this "libertarian" and "conservative" tea party movmenet and fascists. They are the most racist, egotistical asshole know-nothigns imaginable. Perhaps they're even worse.

+ YouTube Video

Here they are screaming at an old man carrying a sign that merely says 'public option.' It's not just socialists; anybody who doesn't agree with Glenn beck = the enemy.

Anyway, much respect for having the nerve to stand up to the nuts in this 'tea party' bullshit; fascism is clearly making a come back in America with these loons.

I'd LOVE to help out although these guys piss me off so much I fear i'd just 'attack' somebody, and then be forced to 'attack' myself. I don't have the nerve to engage with them (even watching that video above makes my blood boil).

One of the really funny things is that last night a comrade in PSL and I were chatting, and he was like, "It's not gonna be like Little Havana," where he and I were attacked by a right-wing mob a few years ago. Famous last words.

It's good that you're well after this amateurish Teabagger incident.

I'm kinda in a bit of pain. Not because he hurt me, but because I hurt me. I'm too old and too out of shape to be getting into street fights, or any kind of fights really.

Mostly what interests me is my memory of the event. I cannot remember how this guy ended up on the ground or how I ended up on top of him. And I'm not being coy for the police reading this. I really can't remember.

I think that if this thug hadn't been swinging his camera like a weapon, I would simply have tried to break up the fights, but since he was, I had to fight him.

Thanks, Jacob.

Can't we all get along?

wow. that's crazy. I hope you all there are OK.

the fascist tea baggers sound disgusting. I hadn't heard of violence like that from them. My first impressions that they were a joke. For example, back in April, when the tea party "movement" was new, they were attempting to pour tea into the river here in Jacksonville (those big odd shaped jugs of Arizona Green Tea, the anchors on the news even mocked them for it). They were actually preventing from doing so as that is considered pollution.

The alliance of racist xenophobes, Christian fundies and free-market loons could coalesce into a fascist threat. In fact, that threat already exists as an organized political party, the so-called "Constitution Party".

You might be interested in some of Chris Hedges work - specifically 'American Fascists'. Good stuff.

Also OP you rule.

Keep up the good fight. These fascist tea baggers are the new Friekorps of Weimar Germany.

I love fascist paranoids

For thirty years I've been watching groups like this: the Moral Majority, the Promise Keepers, etc. All along people have been calling them fascists, and I've said, 'No, they aren't fascists. Not yet.'

They fit the Trotskyist definition of fascism, the mass movement of the enraged petty bourgeoisie ruined, or threatened with ruin, by capitalism in decay. What they've lacked all along, however, was the support of big capital. Now they have it. Now, they are fascists. Not merely FOX News, but the big sickcare industries have been pouring money into this "astroturf" movement to try and derail the modest liberal reforms of late capitalism.

I consider this movement a serious threat, and I did even before I got knocked on my forehead with a camera.

BTW, the OP isn't about how much I rule for kicking fascist butt. It's about solidarity, solidarity between the SPUSA and PSL, solidarity for all my socialist and anarchist comrades. I'd have done it for any of y'all. That's what comrade means. That's why we fight. For each other. For a world where we don't have to fight again, ever.

How long have the Teabagger movement been going, did it exist before the 2008 presidential election?

What is the nature of of this reactionary movement; is it just a big PR stunt by the Republican Party bigwigs and their friends and connections in the media or is it a diverse mass movement of the more radical/non-mainstream reactionary forces such as the hardline Christian right, the 'Birther' conspiracy whackos, anti-abortion activists, anti-gay/'family values' activists, anti-immigration activists and anti-tax/anti-welfare state libertarians?

Ideologically, the tea baggers are not a coherent movement. They are all over the place, with some really whacked out beliefs. One guy was holding up a sign "CO2 is good." What really seems to have unhinged them all, though, is the election of Obama. They just cannot believe that a Black man was elected, though they will never state this overtly.

Materially, however, the root cause of this movement is that capitalism is kicking their asses. Since they would be succeeding if it were a fair system, in their own minds, since they all think they are superior, if they are failing, it is because the system is rigged against them.

If a single person could be pointed to as responsible, in as much as any single person could be blamed for a mass movement, it's Glen Beck. Behind the scenes, Dick Army, is funneling money from big financial firms to these tea bag groups.

Am I wrong, or is this fight a sign that the bourgeoisie in the US is becoming ever more reactionary?

I truly think it's the right time for all the American left to start radicalizing the workers.

It's time for the workers to start radicalizing the American left.

That's really awesome.

Also, and sorry for my ignorance, but how do SPUSA and PSL differ ideologically? I know PSL is Marxist-Leninist, but I don't know that much about SPUSA.