Anti-fascist research group Kafka
| Part of a series on |
| Anti-fascism |
|---|
 |
Anti-fascist research group Kafka, commonly abbreviated to Kafka, is a Dutch anti-fascist and far-left research group. Its name was said to be an acronym for Kollektief Anti-Fascistisch/-Kapitalistisch Archief (English: Collective Anti-Fascist/-Capitalist Archive) before 1994, but the research group has since indicated that they had named themselves after the writer Franz Kafka.[1]
History
[edit]Kafka finds its origins in the squatters' movement. It conducts research into groups and individuals in the Netherlands whom it considers to be far-right, and the developments related to them. The results are published on the website of the research group.[2] Kafka is funded by gifts and donations, rather than subsidies.[3] Jaap van Beek has been the group's spokesperson since at least 2010.[4]
In the run-up to the provincial elections of 2011, Kafka published a report which showed that various Party for Freedom (Partij voor de Vrijheid, PVV) candidate members and party supporters (who had signed its "Declaration of support for a list of candidates" document) had ties to the far-right. Among them were former Centre Democrats and members or candidate members of the Dutch People's Union.[5][6]
In December 2017, the research group published a report on Géza Hegedüs, who had been presented as PVV's lead candidate in Rotterdam for the 2018 municipal elections. Kafka revealed that Hegedüs was a member of the alt-right Studiegenootschap Erkenbrand and had shared, among other things, antisemitic and antiziganist opinions and his belief in a coming civil war in Western Europe on that group's podcast.[7][8]
In 2023, two White Lives Matter (WLM) activists were arrested on suspicion of projecting white nationalist slogans on the Erasmusbrug in Rotterdam and other structures in Alkmaar and Eindhoven.[9] Dutch media cited Kafka's report on WLM in their coverage,[10] and the group's spokesperson voiced his concerns about right-wing extremists' attempts to normalize racism and the increased use of ethnonationalist rhetoric in mainstream political discourse.[11][12]
AIVD scrutiny
[edit]In the 2008 annual threat report of the General Intelligence and Security Service (Dutch: Algemene Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst, AIVD), under the heading 'left-wing extremism', Kafka was mentioned as the information supplier of the left-wing activist group Anti-Fascistische Aktie (AFA).[13] In 2010, the AIVD wrote in its report Afkalvend front, blijvend beladen (English: Calving Front, Permanently Fraught) that Kafka and AFA strove to "keep everything that is considered right-wing out of the public space." Kafka and AFA would allegedly pursue this anti-democratic goal through undemocratic means, such as (inciting) violence and intimidation.[14]
Selected dossiers
[edit]- Blood & Honour[15]
- Centre Democrats[16]
- Centre Party '86[17]
- Dutch Block[18]
- Dutch People's Union[19]
- Forum for Democracy[20]
- Linguistic purists[21]
- Lonsdale youth[22]
- National Alliance[23]
- Nationalist People's Movement[24]
- New National Party and Volksnationalisten Nederland[25]
- New Right[26]
- Oud-Strijders Legioen[27]
- Party for Freedom[28]
- Pim Fortuyn List and Livable Netherlands[29]
- Stormfront[30]
- Voorpost[31]
See also
[edit]- Antifa (Netherlands)
- Blokwatch, a comparable research and documentation group on right-wing extremism in Belgium
References
[edit]- ^ "FAQ" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Over Kafka" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Steun Kafka" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ Selevcek, Miroslav (24 October 2010). "Storm op komst" (in Dutch). Art.1. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- ^ "Rechtsextremisten actief bij de PVV" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- ^ Heijmans, Toine (16 February 2011). "PVV krijgt steun extreem-rechts" (in Dutch). de Volkskrant. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- ^ "De bruine wortels van de Rotterdamse PVV-lijsttrekker Géza Hegedüs" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ Beek, Monica (15 December 2017). "Kafka: Lijsttrekker Rotterdamse PVV heeft extreemrechtse ideeën". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ Bolle, Joram; Kraak, Haro (24 February 2023). "Politie arresteert twee verdachten voor racistische projecties op Erasmusbrug en stadhuizen in Alkmaar en Eindhoven". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ "White Lives Matter onder de loep" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. 18 February 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ "Racistische laserprojecties baren zorgen: 'Symptoom van groter probleem'". NOS. 25 February 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ Klei, Ewout (17 January 2023). "'Extreemrechts wordt steeds meer mainstream', ziet Jaap van Beek (Kafka)". de Kanttekening (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ Horst, Guus ter (21 April 2009). "AIVD Jaarverslag 2008" (in Dutch). General Intelligence and Security Service. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- ^ "AIVD-publicatie: Afkalvend front, blijvend beladen" (in Dutch). General Intelligence and Security Service. 2 November 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- ^ "Blood & Honour (B&H)" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Centrumdemocraten CD" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Centrumpartij '86 CP'86" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Nederlands Blok NB" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Nederlandse Volks-Unie NVU" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Forum voor Democratie Archieven" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Taalpuristen" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Lonsdalejongeren" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Nationale Alliantie NA" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Nationalistische Volks Beweging NVB" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Nieuwe Nationale Partij NNP / Volksnationalisten Nederland VNN" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Nieuw Rechts NR" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Oud-Strijders Legioen OSL" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Partij Voor de Vrijheid PVV" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Lijst Pim Fortuyn LPF" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "internetforum Stormfront" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "Voorpost" (in Dutch). Anti-fascist research group Kafka. Retrieved 6 September 2023.