Dave (David) Gardner is known to many involved in both animal rights and left-wing struggles in the West Midlands. What is less well known is his history of far-right activism, a past he has recently returned to.
Formerly a member of the fascist organisation the National Front, at the start of the decade, he endeavoured to integrate himself with assorted left, liberal and animal rights groups.
His attempts to get involved with militants of AFA were quickly rebuked. From here he got involved with varying success in groups as wide ranging as the anarchist influenced S26 collective to the SWP, Birmingham Friends of the Earth Building to assorted animal rights grouplets.
Repeatedly anti-fascist militants raised his past antics and refusal to pass on any information re: his supposedly ex-mates. Repeatedly they were ignored.
Now there can be NO DOUBT over where Mr Gardner's allegiances lie.
First he was snapped on the BNP demonstration in support of sacked BNP teacher Adam Walker, fratenising with longterm BNP activists, leafletting and generally being a fascist fucker!
(see photos below)
Formerly a member of the fascist organisation the National Front, at the start of the decade, he endeavoured to integrate himself with assorted left, liberal and animal rights groups.
His attempts to get involved with militants of AFA were quickly rebuked. From here he got involved with varying success in groups as wide ranging as the anarchist influenced S26 collective to the SWP, Birmingham Friends of the Earth Building to assorted animal rights grouplets.
Repeatedly anti-fascist militants raised his past antics and refusal to pass on any information re: his supposedly ex-mates. Repeatedly they were ignored.
Now there can be NO DOUBT over where Mr Gardner's allegiances lie.
First he was snapped on the BNP demonstration in support of sacked BNP teacher Adam Walker, fratenising with longterm BNP activists, leafletting and generally being a fascist fucker!
(see photos below)
Dave Gardner BNP member
Dave Gardner at the December BNP protest in Birmingham
Dave Gardner distributing 'Solidarity' leaflets: A BNP front
Days later the BNP membership list was leaked. Guess who is on the list!
Search for 'Dave Gardner' on the leaked BNP members list on Wikileaks
http://wikileaks.org/leak/bnp-membership-list.txt
Dave Gardner's email:
paganman14@hotmail.com
No Pasaran!
Search for 'Dave Gardner' on the leaked BNP members list on Wikileaks
http://wikileaks.org/leak/bnp-membership-list.txt Dave Gardner's email:
paganman14@hotmail.com No Pasaran!
Comments
Hide the following 22 comments
He Can Fuck Off
06.02.2009 00:28
AR ANTIFA
he does look familiar
06.02.2009 10:47
If he hangs around groups which have diverging and even contradictory goals, possibly the reason is he is working for the state or private investigators, rather than being a genuine fascist?
Or he could even be an anti-fascist trying to infiltrate the fascists, in which case this article will have fucked it up rather! It does sounds like this isn't the case though.
veg@n
In hiding?
06.02.2009 11:05
BruisedShins
Veg@n if he is a lefty infiltrating fash this story might not effect him,
06.02.2009 12:33
Redskin
sad fact
06.02.2009 18:58
their are Nazis amongst the animal rights, and their are butchers, dog fighters and vivisectionist amongst the antifascists. we need to work together using articles like this to inform each other.
a fascist in oxford was kicked out of animal rights for being a Nazi, and i'm hoping this guy will never have the cheek to turn up at AR again, and if he does he should be excluded. but the fact is at the minute its all one sided. their ARE animal abusers in anti fascist groups and this is accepted.
please don't misunderstand me, lets kick this fucker out of AR, but lets see more vigilance within the antifascist movement.
I'm fairly sure as well that the BNP are targeting AR activists.
especially with ex-ALF activists running and seemingly proud of it
the BNP have launched campaigns for better animal welfare. with a whole section on their land and people website
plus
small things like fighting for the RSPCA
for years now the leaflets have talked about stricter policy's on animal slaughter.
so we need to make sure that people within our movement (animal rights) aren't stupid enough to believe their bullshit. very few are, but it happens.
like i said before tho, this is completely one sided. their are so many known anti-fash whom i consider scum.
come on anti-fa/AFA lets consider the fascism being inflicted on animals everyday.
veganarchist
Vegan Anarchist
06.02.2009 19:19
Stop being a twat.
Antifa Member (personal capacity)
To Antifa Member
06.02.2009 21:12
Random person (professional capacity)
Too Random
07.02.2009 12:43
I don't eat meat but nor am i going to patronise people who do because it's their choice, yes they are implicitly toleraing the death of animals, something that has gone on in human culture for millenia. However if someone wants to embrace the ideals of fascism and national-socialism, advocates ruling society with an iron fist, of imposing draconian government, exterminating union members, anarchists and socialists, establishing concentration camps and forcefully deporting ethnic minorities, then i'm not going to stand by and say that's their choice, i'm going to stand up to them and ensure that they never get an opportunity to implement their misanthropic ideals.
Now if you're not talking about the act of eating meat (something which hundreds of millions people do the world over) and you are infact making accusations of actual animal abuse then please step foward with some solid facts and evidence. Otherwise keep your vague, patronising drivel to yourself.
Durruti
Rebutle by Dave Gardner
07.02.2009 13:38
Dave Gardner
In defence of Dave
07.02.2009 18:20
We once chatted about his beliefs. It appeared that when growing up, he had struggled to get involved with something that he could feel a part of. After searching for somewhere to channel his energy and find friends, he apparently got involved in football hooliganism, which led to the BNP.
There was always criticism of his BNP involvement, amongst animal rights and other groups. I don`t defend Dave`s involvement with the BNP, but when organising for various campaigns mentioned above, he did some great work. Various people made his involvement with campaigning more and more difficult and eventually, he was pushed out altogether. As someone who was also involved with the anti-fascism movement, of course I can understand why he was pushed out. But when he was no longer around, there was alot less activity in Birmingham in terms of animal rights and anti capitalist campaigning, which was a shame.
I believe he`s just a bit mixed up but no doubt as he says, still holds the same animal rights/anti cap beliefs he always did. His energy could potentially once again be put to good use.
animal activist
Some of us steered well away from Dave Gardner from day one!
07.02.2009 19:45
BNP fascist scum shouldn't be tolerated or empathised with in progressive activist circles. Stop being spineless and make a stand!
As for all his 'worthy activism' in the past, well, some of us steered well away from him precisely because of his past and I'm pretty certain his presence excluded other hard working people. I went to a mayday event he appeared to organise and it was fucking pathetic. It's worth noing that some of the best infiltrators are always the hardest working members of groups. I also remember him from the front desk of the Brum Friends of the Earth building - what the fuck were they thinking? Does he still lurk around that place?
No Pasaran!
activist with a conscience
animal abuse
07.02.2009 20:21
i know antifascists in my area who are reasonably well known in the community, and do not hide their professions.
what good/point is posting details? that will result in either my head getting kicked in or my door knocked down when someone kicks them in.
veganarchist
I have a conscience too!
07.02.2009 20:48
When Dave was campaigning for animals and against the capitalist system, he wasn`t out with the BNP. Result!!
You say that the Mayday event Dave organised was rubbish. Well if that`s the case, did you organise it better the following year? I don`t think so.
animal activist
To Durruti
07.02.2009 22:22
Random Person
like i said.....
08.02.2009 13:24
As for Dave Gardner's fence sitting friends, either the guy has some serious mental health issues in which case he should seek help or he is quite happy to affiliate with fascists. If the latter his "anti-capitalist" principles are null and void and he's as bad as the scum he hangs around with and should be treated with the same contempt that Nick Griffin and other fascists are treated with.
No Pasaran!
Durruti
I didn`t say I was Dave`s friend
08.02.2009 21:07
At the end of the day, an animal stuck in a cage in HLS doesn`t much care about the political views of those fighting for his liberation.
There are very well known and respected AR campaigners/liberationists who once took part in animal abuse. When they began to see the light, thankfully campaigners gave them a chance, otherwise the one time animal abusers may have returned to their evil ways.
There are so few people willing to put their time and energy into fighting for animal liberation. We can`t afford to lose good campaigners.
animal activist
Nice but dim punk man?
09.02.2009 11:41
Vicki
Sounds Dodgy To Me
09.02.2009 12:54
Redman
Rewind!
09.02.2009 13:16
"His attempts to get involved with militants of AFA were quickly rebuked."
In Dave Gardner's rebuttal posted here as a comment (assuming he did post this) he declares he has always been a 'modern nationalist' ie. fascist, racist, bigot scum. He also reckons he was never a threat to anyone he worked with. Yeah right, as long as you're the same ethnicity as his 'master race'. The question is what was a self-confessed fascist doing trying to join an militant Anti-Fascist group like AFA? At least AFA had some decent politics!
And here's one for Gardner's apologists: by saying absolutely nothing will get in your way in the pursuit of campaigning for the animals (not even a BNP member in your group), then you're essentially an apologist for not just Gardner but the rise of the far-right more generally. And people wonder how these maggots get a hold on society and fascist authoritarian states are established. I still can't believe his apologists knew about his political contradictions and allegiances with the far-right and effectively sheltered him.
No Pasaran!
Alarming Contradictions
re: Nice but dim punk man
09.02.2009 13:40
Is this the same dave gardner that scratched an anarchist sign on a cop car by Digbeth police station and fled to the Friends of the Earth building? Didn't an armed response unit turn up at FoE warehouse looking for him?
Agent Provocateur?
To animal activist
09.02.2009 14:03
Additionally as a mixed race activist I know it would end any chance of recruiting or working with ethnic minorities, I know I wouldn’t have joined a local group with a BNP member. If AR is going to become a large movement it will need recruits from all racial groups in Britain.
It’s also worth thinking about where a fash members allegiance will be, will they support the BNP went it tries to bring back hunting? Will he leak antifash members of the group’s details to Red Watch? Will he shout racists rubbish on demos if a manager or staff member of a target company is black?
So aside from the ethical issues, there are practical issues with excepting fash in AR.
AR Cambridge
Back Off
11.02.2009 11:50
Gubba