An anti-immigration activist has just had a taste of his own medicine

Martin Sellner has been denied entry to the UK


Support us and go ad-free

Martin Sellner is the head of the Austrian branch of far-right youth group Generation Identity. He planned to take the microphone at Hyde Park’s Speakers’ Corner in London on 11 March. But on 10 March, news broke that Sellner was detained at the UK border:

Twitter users reacted with amusement. The situation’s irony was celebrated by groups opposing the far-right:

Related articles

Read on...

‘Defend Europe’

As well as heading up Austria’s Generation Identity, Sellner is known for organising the Defend Europe project. This project saw far-right activists charter and crew the C-Star ship in order to disrupt the rescue of drowning migrants in the Mediterranean.

Despite crowdfunding more than $100,000, the Defend Europe project experienced numerous issues. Problems included:

  • Locals blocking the ship from docking at a number of ports.
  • False papers leading to the C-Star captain’s arrest.
  • Engine troubles that left the ship adrift without power.

This last issue led to the C-Star being rescued by a ship also used to assist migrants in the Mediterranean. And it brought an end to the Defend Europe project.

Chilling with UKIP youth

Since Defend Europe’s failure, Sellner has become a figurehead for nationalists and the far right in Europe. In the UK, he has spoken at a conference of the right-wing Traditional Britain Group. And he’d intended to headline a September 2017 conference by the UKIP youth group Young Independence. But the event was cancelled after the host venue pulled out following pressure from anti-fascists.

Young Independence tried to host another event for Sellner on 10 March. But this too was cancelled after the host venue pulled out. And it led Sellner to arrange a talk on “free speech” at Speakers’ Corner on 11 March instead.

Though Sellner was unable to attend, Generation Identity still held a small rally on the pavement outside Hyde Park:

But it’s not just Sellner

Sellner’s deportation is a satisfying moment of irony. But let’s not forget that his anti-immigration views can be regularly seen in the pages of UK newspapers. The government may have kept out Sellner and his rant about “free speech”, but it’s clear that his toxic ideas are already very present within the UK’s borders.

Get Involved!

– Support Stop Funding Hate, which tries to starve newspapers such as the Daily Mail of advertising revenue.

– Check out your local anti-fascist group.

Featured image via Matt Brown/Flickr

We know everyone is suffering under the Tories - but the Canary is a vital weapon in our fight back, and we need your support

The Canary Workers’ Co-op knows life is hard. The Tories are waging a class war against us we’re all having to fight. But like trade unions and community organising, truly independent working-class media is a vital weapon in our armoury.

The Canary doesn’t have the budget of the corporate media. In fact, our income is over 1,000 times less than the Guardian’s. What we do have is a radical agenda that disrupts power and amplifies marginalised communities. But we can only do this with our readers’ support.

So please, help us continue to spread messages of resistance and hope. Even the smallest donation would mean the world to us.

Support us

Comments are closed

Related articles