United Front Against Fascism records, 1945-2021

The United Front Against Fascism (UFAF) was a coalition formed in the Pacific Northwest in December 1988 in response to rising neo-Nazi and white supremacist activities. The catalyst for UFAF's creation was the murder of Mulugeta Seraw, an Ethiopian immigrant, by neo-Nazi skinheads in Portland, Oregon. Shortly after this incident, white supremacist groups, including the Aryan Nations and White Aryan Resistance, announced plans to hold a memorial on Whidbey Island, Washington, for Robert Mathews, a prominent white supremacist killed in a 1984 FBI shootout. In response, Radical Women and the Freedom Socialist Party organized a counter-demonstration, which led to the establishment of UFAF.

UFAF was a broad-based, multi-racial coalition comprising activists from the LGBTQ+ community, African American groups, feminists, Vietnam War veterans, labor organizers, and Chicanx activists. The organization was distinctive for its militant and direct-action tactics, favoring active confrontation over the more passive approaches endorsed by some liberal and governmental entities. UFAF's strategy of organizing mass protests was based on the belief that white supremacist threats were political and social issues, not merely criminal matters to be managed by law enforcement.

The coalition's first major action occurred in 1988 at Whidbey Island, where UFAF gathered around 450 protesters to confront a small group of neo-Nazis. This successful demonstration underscored UFAF's emphasis on unified, grassroots action and set the tone for future activities. UFAF's mobilizations included annual counter-protests at Whidbey Island and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, targeting neo-Nazi gatherings and fascist organizations like the Populist Party. These efforts played a role in reducing visible neo-Nazi activity in the region during the late 1980s and 1990s, contributing to a broader movement of grassroots resistance.

UFAF's uncompromising stance against fascism drew criticism from law enforcement, liberal groups, and mainstream media, who advocated for legal, non-confrontational strategies. However, UFAF argued that history had demonstrated the dangers of allowing fascist movements to grow unchecked, referencing the rise of Nazism in Germany as a cautionary example. The coalition maintained that a strong, united, working-class response was essential to counteract the far-right's divisive ideologies.

UFAF's organizing efforts were closely linked with Radical Women and the Freedom Socialist Party, groups with deep commitments to socialist principles and intersectional solidarity. Their collaboration highlighted the importance of building alliances across different communities—LGBTQ+, racial minorities, labor unions, feminists—to resist hate and extremism. UFAF's legacy of direct action, militant defense, and solidarity continues to resonate in ongoing struggles against white supremacy and far-right violence, emphasizing that confronting fascism is a collective responsibility that transcends individual movements or identities.