AFA Press Release 22 december 2002
No rehearsal for fascists!
Today we have, such 30 activists of Anti-Fascist Action (AFA) Nederland, prevent the fascist band Brigade M could use the practice rooms of the Music House on the Middelstegracht in Leiden. At the moment the members wanted to enter Brigade M Music House, we blocked the entrance of the Music House. We carried signs with slogans like us “No rehearsal for fascists” en “Practice Session Brigade M canceled”. The members of Brigade M slunk off thereon.
The fascist band Brigade M makes more than a year regularly use the practice rooms in the Music House. Thanks to the training sessions can be arranged Brigade M performances and CDs, which will help the band to spread its racist message. The Music House is subsidized by the city of Leiden. In early October the Leiden City Council was informed of the fact that Brigade M uses the facilities of the Music House. All council groups, except that of the VVD and D66, then asked the alderman A. Pechtold to ensure that the band from the Music House would be banned. In a letter she wrote that “subsidized institutions may not be used for the dissemination of racist ideas”. Alderman Pechtold liked contrast that we do not “directly into a political spasm must shoot”, but after some pressure he put the half-hearted promise to change the house rules of the Music House in the hope that Brigade M “a genuflection” and allows itself to step down.
At the moment, almost three months later, We still have not heard from Councillor Pechtold. Without the tape a straw is placed in the way, exerts Brigade M still on the loose. So is the wish of the majority of the City Council to ban M Brigade from the Music House, beaten in the wind. Therefore, we have taken matters into their own hands and today we have a practice session Brigade M impossible. As long as the councilor and the Music House not show decisiveness, we will continue to protest.
Brigade M (voorheen Brigade Mussert, named after the founder of the NSB) is formed around Tim Mudde Sassenheim. Mudde was a board member of the banned far-right party CP'86. He was later involved in the far-right organization Outpost. He is currently one of the motors behind the fascist National Movement. Drummer van de band is Jasper Velzel, also known by the far-right record label Berzerker Records from Oegstgeest. Velzel was on 27 May 2002 sentenced by the court and got 120 hours of community service and 3 months conditional imprisonment for possession and distribution of music with racist, Nazi and revisionist texts. The singer of the band Dave Blom. Who is mainly known as one of the convicted bekladderaars of a Jewish cemetery in The Hague in November 1999. Members and sympathizers of Brigade M are often involved in far-right sticker- and draft actions in the Leiden region. The numbers of Brigade M have titles like “Disgrace to our race”, “True to red, white and blue”, “Eigen volk eerst” en “For people and country”. In the song “50.000 Heroes” the band pays tribute to the Dutch members of the Waffen SS who fought on the eastern front during World War II. Which should be given according to the band rehabilitation. In another song the singer that sings “Turkish rig in the Netherlands does nothing but steal” and that “proponents of multiculturalism end up against the wall”. In oktober 2002 the band released the EP “Boycott mcdood” from, showing a cover of the recently convicted German band Landser. Within the extreme right-wing circles this band is described as one of the most radical Nazi bands. 
Brigade M performs regularly, in the Netherlands and in other European countries. The band performed 13 april 2002 during a Flemish “Blood and Honour”-festival. Despite warnings from the Flemish Centre for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism, the police do not. Op 31 August Brigade M acted on a festival of German neo-Nazi NPD party in Ramstein. Tim Mudde also gave a speech. Op 30 november trad de band op in Gdansk in Polen. The present neo-Nazis flocking the Hitler salute. During this concert also joined the Polish band Honor on.
Band Members of Honor have been involved in the creation of the Polish campaign group the Aryan Survival Front. The frequent appearances in other countries Brigade M contributes to the strengthening of structures of neo-Nazis in Europe. Moreover Brigade M used the proceeds from the concerts and selling their CDs for political action and for research into the so-called enemies of the people. These include, according to the band anti-racists and leftist politicians.
Brigade M has performed several times with the English band The Legion of St. George. The band's name refers to the English voluntary military unit that fought in World War II on the side of the Nazis. The band says they anno 2002 role is to purify England “foreign influences”. They want the “white way of life” defend. The band therefore also speaks out against “race-mixing” and against so-called black music such as rap.
Freedom of expression should not be abused for the dissemination of racist and hate speech as does Brigade M. No rehearsal for Brigade M! Never again fascism!
End of press release
Anti-Fascist Action (AFA) Netherlands www.afanederland.org
Leidsch Dagblad – 23 december 2002 Marijn Cramp
Antifascists storm rehearsal of far-right tire
TO LEAD – Suddenly it is running. Thirty jumping from a van parked on the Middelstegracht. They sprint Ir. Driessenstraat over to the entrance of the Music House. Quickly they unfurl a banner with the slogan 'struggle with fascism'. Plates are inserted into the air, to which is: 'Practice session for Brigade M canceled'. That seems to have succeeded in this. The members of the far-right band make themselves rap from the feet as they abandon the protesters at the rehearsal space storms.
For more than a year practicing Brigade M, voorheen Brigade Mussert, the Music House which is across the street from the entrance to the parking garage at Albert Heijn. In October of this year this controversy arose in politics. Green Left, CDA, PvdA, SP, Livable Leiden, LWG / The Greens and Christian Union found that Councillor Pechtold should ensure that this band could no longer play in the subsidized rehearsal. Pechtold promised to take action, but that is the Anti-Fascist Action (AFA) not fast enough.
It's been almost three months since he promised this, sets J. Brook. ,,And we do not have the impression that something is happening in this area, hence this protest.” With drums, bells and rattles they make a lot of noise on Sunday night at the Middelstegracht. A few neighbors of the Music House encourage the protesters to. We did not know that this kind of lazy exercise next to us, tells a neighbor. ,,What a shame say, and the alderman does nothing? Good that you keep this in mind. Turn it on.”
Older residents also come out of their homes Christmas. A little timid they walk towards the group. A woman shall meet them and explains the purpose of the action. They also respond shocked. ,,With us in the street? You would never think huh? They're not aggressive, my lady?” The woman reassures them. Aggression Brigade M does not focus on the elderly residents of the Middelstegracht.
While making noise about thirty protesters in front of the Music House, keep some other members of the AFA environment in mind. Maybe the band members come back. When the protesters came sprinting to, ran a band member for the rehearsal room was waiting for fast road and the van that would parallel parking just pulled quickly. The 'scouts’ AFA see the van then stand on the cheese market. May Be, so it is suggested, try them on right-wing sympathizers drumming. The group therefore remains a time stand. Just fix the eyes as a van across the Ir. Driessenstraat stops. Two passengers steps, inspect the area and look a bit suspicious about him. After this brief exploration of the back door is still open. They turn waste tourists coming throw the containers full. Two hours after the assault on the team breaks. The van Brigade M has been some time not signaled.
