The 62 Group was a militant broad-based coalition of anti-fascists

Anti-fascism

Anti-fascism is the opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals, such as that of the resistance movements during World War II. The related term antifa derives from Antifaschismus, which is German for anti-fascism; it refers to individuals and groups on the left of the political...

 in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, set up largely in response to the resurgence of fascism

Fascism

Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...

 in Britain at the time, and particularly the creation of Colin Jordan

Colin Jordan

John Colin Campbell Jordan was a leading figure in postwar Neo-Nazism in Britain. In the far-right nationalist circles of the 1960s, Jordan represented the most explicitly 'Nazi' inclination in his open use of the styles and symbols of the Third Reich.Through organisations such as the National...

's Nationalist Socialist Movement

National Socialist Movement (1960s)

The National Socialist Movement was a British Neo-Nazi group formed on 20 April 1962, Adolf Hitler's birthday, by Colin Jordan, with John Tyndall as his deputy as a splinter group from the original British National Party of the 1960s.-Formation:...

, in 1962. It used direct action against the remnants of Oswald Mosley

Oswald Mosley

Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet, of Ancoats, was an English politician, known principally as the founder of the British Union of Fascists...

's Union Movement

Union Movement

The Union Movement was a right-wing political party founded in Britain by Oswald Mosley. Where Mosley had previously been associated with a peculiarly British form of fascism, the Union Movement attempted to redefine the concept by stressing the importance of developing a European nationalism...

, the original British National Party

British National Party

The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...

, and the emerging National Front

National Front

The name National Front is used by a number of political parties and coalitions.* Albania — National Front * Belarus — Partyja BPF* Belgium — National Front * Botswana — Botswana National Front...

, as well as the NSM.http://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-features/neo-nazi-leader-colin-jordans-legacy

The Group was led by Harry Bidney, a Soho

Soho

Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...

 night club manager. It was modeled after the earlier 43 Group

43 Group

The 43 Group was an English anti-fascist group set up by Jewish ex-servicemen after World War II. They did this when, upon returning to London, they encountered British fascist organisations such as Jeffrey Hamm's "British League of Ex-Servicemen" and later Oswald Mosley's reformed fascist party,...

, which had also included Bidney as a member. Formal membership was only open to those who were Jewish, but the Group worked with people from other communities including many Irish and Black activists.

The Group's tactics consisted of direct action

Direct action

Direct action is activity undertaken by individuals, groups, or governments to achieve political, economic, or social goals outside of normal social/political channels. This can include nonviolent and violent activities which target persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the direct action...

 against those groups it believed were organising violence against minority groups, which sometimes resulted in violent confrontations. On one occasion in July 1962 this led to a riot in London's Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...

, when Jordan tried to address a crowd while standing in front of a large banner which read: “Free Britain from Jewish Control”.http://thecst.org.uk/blog/?p=1939 It also used intelligence, including informers within the fascist groups.http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/features/article/4/standing-up-to-fascism-a-celebration-of-the-43-grouphttp://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-features/neo-nazi-leader-colin-jordans-legacyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/apr/13/obituary-colin-jordan This it was claimed was a legitimate response to the violence and intimidation, for example the burning of synagogues, that was certainly taking place at the time.

Another notable member was Gerry Gable

Gerry Gable

Gerry Gable is a British political activist. He was a long-serving editor of the anti-fascist Searchlight magazine.-Background:...

, who would later create the magazine Searchlight

Searchlight (magazine)

Searchlight is a British anti-fascist magazine, founded in 1975 by Gerry Gable, which publishes exposés about racism, antisemitism, and fascism in the UK....

.http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/features/article/4/standing-up-to-fascism-a-celebration-of-the-43-grouphttp://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-features/neo-nazi-leader-colin-jordans-legacy