Displaying openly Nazi symbols is illegal in many countries, so European fascists have taken to using a plethora of symbols, logos and codes to hide their real views. This fashion has spread to British Fascists as well, so we’ve written a short guide to help people understand the confusing world of far-right iconography. Know your enemy!

SWASTIKA DERIVATIVES

Although many groups are trying to hide their Nazi views, others are more obvious. There are lots of symbols used by the far-right out there that bare more than a passing resemblance to the swastika.

This is the flag of the AWB (Afrikaner Weerstandbeweging or Afrikaner Resistance Movement), a white supremacist paramilitary group from South Africa. The symbol is derived from the “Triskelion“, a type of decorative Celtic spiral. It occasionally used by Neo-Nazis in England, most notably, fascist record label “Blood and Honour“.

The Blood and Honour Logo

The Black Sun or Sun Wheel is another Swastika style symbol. Originally a viking rune, it was stolen and used extensively by Hitler’s SS. Currently, various Neo-Nazi pagan groups use it across Europe.

The Sun Wheel in use at a fascist demo in Newcastle last year.

This is the logo of a small British Neo-Nazi group called “Englisc Resistance”, featuring a stylised sun wheel/swastika mix. Flags like this are becoming more and more common at EDL or other Far-Right demos. Round swastikas like this where used as the insignia of the SS Nordland Division.

The Golden Dawn symbol on display at a “Je Suis Charlie” rally in Manchester.

The Golden Dawn logo is a Greek style swastika. It has become more common in the UK as British nationalists seek to emulate GD’s successes.

SYMBOLS

Other fascist groups are slightly more subtle in their iconography, using symbols not so obviously Nazi in origin.

The Celtic Cross has been in use for many years as a symbol of the White Power movement. It is one of the most common fascist symbols in use, and often goes unnoticed, as it looks fairly innocuous.

Fascists in Dover recently, displaying 2 Celtic Cross flags.

The Wolfsangel is a Viking rune that was used by several SS battalions during World War II. Since then, it has been adopted by many Neo-Nazi groups as a more acceptable version of the swastika. Displaying this symbol is illegal in Germany. Currently used by Ukranian Neo-Nazi paramilitaries the “Azov Battalion“

The British far-right group “Infidels” displaying a Wolfsangel.

The “Odal” is another Viking rune appropriated by the Nazis. It was used by an SS Battalion and the Nazi Client state “The Independent State of Croatia” in World War II. Since the war, many neo-nazi groups have used it, including the “Wiking-Jugend“, a German fascist youth group outlawed in 1994, and various South African and Afrikaner white supremacist groups. It is very rare in the UK.

The Totenkopf is a skull and crossbones logo used by the SS and many other Nazi German military divisions. It’s use has been resurrected by many neo-nazi groups world wide, notably Britain’s infamous Combat 18.

The Combat 18 logo, featuring a Totenkopf.

The “Circled Flash” logo was first used by Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists in the 30s and 40s. After the BUF collapsed it passed out of use until recently, when it was resurrected by a tiny group of Mosleyite wannabes called the New British Union. Very rare, but becoming more common with the rise of openly fascist groups such as National Action.

The Circled Flash on display at a fascist demo outside the Greek Embassy, London, 2013.

The Falanga is a Polish fascist symbol, used by many parties and groups. It is supposed to represent an arm holding a sword, defending Poland. In Britain, this symbol is mostly used by NOP Division England, a group of far-right Polish ex-pats who have been active recently supporting the British New Dawn and other neo-nazi groups.

NOP Division England in London recently.

NUMERALS

Many fascist groups have taken to using numbers for letter of the alphabet as a sort of primitive code. For example, 18 means the first and eighth letter of the alphabet, or AH, Adolph Hitler. 88 stands for HH or Heil Hitler. 14 or 14w is the 14 words, a quote attributed to white power terrorist David Lane and used primarily by the National Front in the UK.

“We must secure the existence of our people and a future for White Children”

An alternative, less common meaning of the 14 words is “Because the beauty of the White Aryan woman must not perish from the earth.“

The National Front displaying the 14 words in Newcastle.

However, for some fascists, 14 words is too high-brow, so 5 have to do. 5w or 5 words is the slogan of British far-right fantasists the “Pie and Mash Squad” (pie and mash = fash, geddit?). It supposedly stands for “We go where we want”, but the accuracy of that statement has been called into question many times.

A Pie and Mash squad sticker displaying the “5W”

Many fascists will finish blog posts or other internet rants with “NS” or “NFSE”. These acronyms stand for “no surrender” and “no fucking surrender ever” respectively, and were popularised by Ulster Loyalists.

COPYING THE LEFT

Some far-right groups try to ape the success of left wing movements by deliberately copying their logos and symbols. Make sure you keep an eye out for these!

Left wing antifascist symbol.

Fascist copy.

Left Wing Antifascist logo

Fascist copy.

Left Wing Anarchist Logo

National Action Neo Nazi logo.

This is not a complete list by any means, but if you see any of these symbols anywhere in Brighton, be it on album art, graffiti, stickers, posters, fliers or anything else, please contact us at brightonantifascists[at]riseup.net

No Pasaran!