Comrades, Not Friends: The Revolutionary Front, Antifascism, and Class Struggle

The Revolutionary Front spoke the only language fascists understand: violence!

The Revolutionary Front (RF), 2001–2015, was the most militant organization on the left in recent Swedish history. Staunchly working class, the first generation of RF members engaged in numerous street battles with Swedish fascists. When the fascists retreated from the streets, RF attacked them in their homes. The police cracked down on the organization in 2013, raiding the apartments of several alleged members at the crack of dawn. The courts handed out prison sentences of up to six and a half years. Two years later, the organization folded.

The Revolutionary Front uploaded videos of many of its actions and received widespread international attention. In Sweden, RF members appeared in videos of prominent hip-hop acts and were the subject of prime-time television documentaries. The Swedish security service declared them a threat to society. Within the left, RF members were controversial both for their level of militancy and their disregard for the norms of the leftist scene.

This book tells the story of the organization from the perspective of its members. It is based on interviews and written memories, and illustrated by articles from the RF website, photographs, banners, and posters. Pride in what RF has achieved is blended with self-critique. Internal tensions are not swept under the carpet.

Comrades, Not Friends documents one of Europe’s most important antifascist, working-class organizations of the early twenty-first century. The questions it raises about militancy, class struggle, antifascism, political organizing, and revolutionary politics are universal.

Praise

“I just finished the book. All the memories almost got me teary-eyed. Everyone who was there has their own story to tell, me too, but you really captured the RF spirit and our diversity. Thanks and praises for a book that captures in a very honest way an important chapter in the history of the class struggle in Sweden!”
—former RF member

“Comrades, Not Friends sits you down to hear the stories of veteran anti-Nazi streetfighters in their own words. Their tales are exhilarating, their successes emboldening, and their failures and shortcomings illustrative. This captivating and engaging collection of interviews is a fantastic read and an invaluable resource for debating antifascist tactics and strategies for the twenty-first century.”
—Mark Bray, author of Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook

“‘Ever heard of RF?’ The voices of its participants shine through this book with inspiring examples and blunt shortcomings of a movement with so much to teach anti-fascists and the entire left of today.”
—Shannon Clay, coauthor of We Go Where They Go

“Emma Hagberg’s book is an important retrospective, giving us an insider’s view into working class, antifascist organizing. Dozens of interviews detail the bloody fights that kept neo-Nazis off the streets, the difficulties involved with creating a lasting organization across multiple cities, debates on how to face down repression, and more. We need more works like this, and from more perspectives, to renew our historical memory and gain a critical appreciation for the struggles of the recent past.”
—Peter Gelderloos, the author of How Nonviolence Protects the State and They Will Beat the Memory Out of Us

“The trial is the outcome of a massive police operation, in which firebombs, street fighting weapons, and computers of left-wing activists were confiscated. It is clear that the Revolutionary Front lies behind many of these crimes.”
—SVT, Swedish Television

“The Revolutionary Front’s ultimate goal is to eradicate the current social order.”
—SÄPO, Swedish security service

“These are people who have no qualms about using violence as a political means and who don’t seem to have any respect for basic democratic values.”
—Aftonbladet

About the Contributors

Emma Hagberg is an activist, writer, and educator from Stockholm, Sweden, with years of experience in the extraparliamentary left. She has worked on a range of subjects, from the anarchist movement in Greece to antifascist mobilization in the Nordic countries. She lives in Stockholm.

Gabriel Kuhn is an Austrian-born writer and translator living in Sweden. He has authored and translated more than twenty books, many with PM Press.

Tomas Rothaus is a lifelong anarchist and antifascist as well as an athlete and a father. PM Press published his first three books, Another War Is Possible; Argentina, a Tale of Two Utopias; and From Riot to Insurrection.

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