By Who are the FF Force?
On August 1, the anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery Act in the UK, and in the wake of widespread anti-racism protests across Britain, footage emerged of a new protest group known as the FF Force marching through the streets of Brixton.
They are interchangeably referred to as the FF Force, Forever Family Force, and the Forever Family Fund.
The protest carried out by the FF Force was largely peaceful, with only three arrests.
But the event has sparked an argument with wide ranging perspectives.
Many have expressed concerns regarding the use of symbolism connected to historic paramilitary organizations.
Others feel the group undermines the positive achievements of other movements such as Black Lives Matter.
Due to their behaviour and military-style dress, many are now referring to the FF Force as a ‘paramilitary group’, after footage showed members behaving like soldiers on parade, with a leader shouting orders and demanding reparations.
Details about exactly who the group are or what they stand for rather thin on the ground.
According to The Times, Forever Family Ltd was founded on 20 June this year:
“Its director, 28-year-old Khari McKenzie, had previously been involved in a group that would respond to incidents of gang violence by appearing in those areas dressed in stab vests and urging residents to ‘reclaim the space’.”
The group have stated that said they are united in the battle against racism, inequality and injustice.
They recently released this video, but few other details are available:
Following the protests, Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage took to social media to describe the events and the use of the uniforms as “terrifying”.
However, according to the Times, “the use of stab vests originated from a movement to reassure communities afflicted by gang violence.”
Notably, footage of these scenes surfaced picturing what amounted to around three dozen people, wearing black stab vests, and one wearing a balaclava, walking through South London shouting military rhetoric.
This is happening in our capital and I’ve not seen any footage on any mainstream media outlet !? If this was the far right on the march we’d never hear the end of it !?
pic.twitter.com/4yrVrxRQPZ— Stop the EU 🇬🇧 (@Stop_The_EU) August 3, 2020
Several other perspectives have also emerged.
Discussing the weekend’s events, Damian Wilson of the RT, a Russian state-controlled television network, wrote:
“The appearance of a new black activist organisation in the UK, the secretive Forever Family, echoes the armed NFAC militia in the US.”
“Both are undermining the achievements of Black Lives Matter.
“Acknowledging August 1 as the day that the Slavery Aboliton Act came into force in the UK in 1834 is something that should be celebrated by our diverse society, but maybe not by masked men and women marching up a south London street with all the loaded symbolism of a sinister black paramilitary organisation.”
He highlighted that regardless of whether the connection to earlier radicalized militia groups was intentional, decisions made regarding the method of dress simply cannot be regarded as apolitical.
“It seems that Saturday may have been an avoidable step backwards, just when it seemed we were making progress,” Wilson added.
Further highlighting the conflict of opinion, a journalist for Spiked-Online wrote:
“That this has been blown up into a ‘paramilitary-style march’, led by an ‘organised militia’, has more to do with the overexcited imaginations of some commentators than what actually seems to have happened.
“More likely it is engaging in a bit of radical cosplay.
“No one will benefit from blowing them up into something they’re not and demanding a tougher line on protests in response to a few dozen posers.”
The mainstream media have largely neglected to comment.
The Metropolitan Police have also failed to release a statement, aside from saying that they feared serious disruption if protestors blocked the road.
The event was ordered to finish by 8pm.
What do you think?
Has a small protest been blown out of proportion by the “overexcited imaginations of some commentators than what actually seems to have happened”, or is this the birth of a “terrifying” new group?
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