By the Crow
Fascism raises its head again in recent weeks with protests in Melbourne and an attack on the CFMEU Victorian union offices. Covid-19 has become the latest fertile ground for right wing extremists and fascists.
Whilst there has been legitimate scrutiny and many questions asked by the working class, in general, over the safety of vaccines and the implementation of mandatory vaccination on building sites, and the right to say no to vaccinate, the fascists have seen an opportunity to exploit these legitimate questions raised by workers. They have implied that the union movement has let them down, are in with the government, and are somehow weak in not fighting for true workers’ rights.
Fascists have historically always attacked unions, workers’ organisations, the political left. In these recent protests the fascists were able to capitalise on a city and state that has had many lockdowns and closures of workplaces with many workers at wits’ end, frustrated and angry at the ongoing pandemic that is screwing with their lives.
The pandemic has been handled badly right from the start by the Federal Liberal government with Astra Zeneca being the only vaccine available at first. Workers were told it’s safe, then it causes blood clots in some cases, then only safe for over 50s, then only safe for over 60s, then it’s safe for everyone. This start left a lot of uncertainty in the minds of many, lack of information hasn’t helped either.
So the fascists have latched onto this tide of anger and frustration. Together with the state Victorian government closing building sites for two weeks with the ultimatum to building workers to get vaccinated or find another occupation, it makes for fertile ground for the fascists to drive a wedge into the union movement and working class. They position themselves as ultra left in their slogans, ‘freedom’, ‘know your rights’, ‘the unions are selling out’, ‘the unions are the tool of the bosses’, ‘we must fight for our rights’.
It is no surprise that they targeted the most militant union, the CFMEU, and their offices in Melbourne. Most building workers were home because of the two week shutdown, and many angry or concerned at the mandatory vaccination implemented by the state Labor government.
The working class must be on their toes and aware of attempts to drive wedges into the organised working class. The attack on the office of the most militant working class organisation in Australia should be seen for what it was, an attempt to split workers and an attempt to get a foothold in the building industry, and an attempt to widen their fascist influence among the wider working class using covid as the vehicle.
