Huge mobilisations and left voices say “far right hate not welcome here”
Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP
By Patrick Foley, Labour Outlook
In what was pegged to be another day of far-right violence, yesterday evening saw the tables turn, with thousands of anti-racists and anti-fascists taking to the streets to stop the resurgent right in their tracks.
Early fears of rioting, looting and attacks were sparked when far-right “hit lists” were circulated online, including areas in London for the first time since the riots began. The hit lists targeted mosques, asylum centres, NGOs and even high streets with migrant-run businesses across the country.
Rather than a continuation of the targeted racist violence that was expected, what we witnessed was an inspiring show of force, unity and solidarity from thousands of peaceful demonstrators amassing in huge numbers across the country. The impact of these mobilisations should not be understated – even the Met Police Chief praised communities for coming together peacefully to stop the riots.
The actions were coordinated by Stand Up TO Racism and other anti-racist organisations, who brought people together around a clear message: far-right hate is not welcome here.
In the London Borough of Walthamstow, crowds of thousands flooded the streets, showing what a real mass movement looks like, putting the claims that the far-right are the “voice of the people” immediately and comfortably to bed.
Lewisham also came together against the intimidation and scapegoating of asylum seekers and migrant communities.
Oxford anti-racists and anti-fascists were out in force, showing solidarity with the targetted local mosque and defending a local refugee hotel on the far-right “hit list”.
Brighton and Hove saw over 2000 demonstrators take part in their counter-demo and, like other planned far-right protests that evening, the tiny handful of fascists were completely outnumbered.
Hundreds also turned up to the Birmingham demonstration, with political activist Salma Yaqoob stating that “the antidote to racism and division is communities visibly standing together.”
Further to the demonstrations mentioned above, Liverpool, Leicester, Sunderland, Newcastle, Bristol, and many other towns and cities also saw anti-racist and anti-fascist actions take place.
On top of these inspiring mass mobilisations, we saw a range of campaigners, leading trade unionists and left political voices condemning the racism of the far-right – but also pointing to the conditions that led to their rise.
Speaking to Sky News, Clive Lewis MP highlighted the backdrop of austerity which has laid fertile ground for the far-right.
On a Channel 4 News panel, Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP challenged the widespread scapegoating and anti-migrant rhetoric that has become normalised by politicians and the press: “These riots show what can happen when they aren’t called out on their lies”.
Zarah Sultana MP was another to target the media’s complicity in the rise of racism and anti-migrant hate.
Apsana Begum MP praised the powerful message sent by last night’s counter-protesters: “We are diverse, multicultural, of all faiths and non, and from around the world. We stand together against your intolerance, division and hatred.”
Kate Osborne MP added her support to the message of the counter-demos stating: “Your racism and Islamophobia are not welcome and we will stand united against you.”
Last night’s mobilisations were not the first taken against the far-right. Last week in Leeds, Richard Burgon MP, spoke at a counter-demo against the far-right in the city center, one of many organised around the country.
As the far-right violence swept across the country earlier in the week, Jeremy Corbyn was a clear voice for unity and for solidarity with those targetted.
“Stand up to racism. Defend refugees. Inspire belief in a better world. That is how you defeat the far right once and for all.”
Newly elected Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed also voiced his alarm at the targeting of Muslims and minority groups – and joined fellow Independent MPs in writing to the Government to call for a meeting to address the surge in racist violence.
Trade unions were also involved in organising the anti-fascist and anti-racist actions and building the demonstrations around the country. Leading trade union voices issued strong statements condemning the far-right and calling for unity and resistance across our movement.
Amongst them were the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), who issued a statement of solidarity in the first days of the rioting: “Solidarity with all those facing islamophobia, violence and intimidation.”
PCS Union General Secretary Fran Heathcote and President Martin Cavanagh issued a joint statement vowing to support communities and to continue to educate and organise against fascism and racism in society.
National Education Union (NEU) General Secretary Daniel Kebede proudly recognised the large numbers of teachers and support staff who took part in the anti-hate marches, proclaiming that “fighting the far-right is a trade union issue.”
While there is much solace to be taken from last night’s powerful show of unity, compassion and solidarity, the issues at the heart of the resurgent far-right remain. The damaging effects of austerity continue to be felt across our communities and the scapegoating of migrants and asylum seekers will need to be continually challenged at every level.
Tommy Robinson, Nigel Farage and their supporters are organised, manipulative and well-resourced. The fight is not over yet.
This is exactly why Stand Up To Racism are continuing the “Stop The Far Right” campaign – you can join them for a launch event next Saturday.
- You can join Stand Up To Racism’s Emergency Campaign Launch on Saturday, 17th August.
- If you support Labour Outlook’s work amplifying the voices of left movements and struggles here and internationally, please consider becoming a supporter on Patreon.
Workers must stand united against fascism and bigotry – Strike Map
Amplifying socialist voices, supporting frontline struggles, building international solidarity.
By Strike Map
The concerning rise in far-right violence on Britain’s streets demands our attention and action. Over the past days, we’ve witnessed disturbing scenes of far right extremist groups targeting minority communities, disrupting peaceful gatherings, and attempting to sow division among working people.
As members of the working class, we must recognise these tactics for what they are – efforts to distract us from the real issues affecting our lives and livelihoods. By scapegoating immigrants and minorities, far-right groups seek to divide us and weaken our collective power.
We cannot allow this to continue. Now is the time for workers of all backgrounds to stand united against fascism and bigotry. Here are some ways we can take action:
- Participate in counter-protests any way you feel safe and able to when far-right groups demonstrate in your area. Show them that hate has no place in our communities. A list of local actions is being collated here.
- Support organisations that promote and stand up for the rights of minorities and immigrants, such as Stand Up To Racism (SUTR).
- Educate yourself and others about the history of fascism and how to recognise modern far-right tactics and the traditional role of the workers movement in combatting them.
- Engage in grassroots organising around issues that affect all workers – living wages, affordable housing, healthcare, etc. Address the real problems rather than allowing far-right groups to exploit economic anxieties.
Remember, our strength lies in our solidarity. When workers stand together across racial, ethnic, and religious lines, we are a formidable force against hatred and division.
Let’s recommit ourselves to the principles of working class unity and show that fascism has no future in Britain.
- You can find out more about Strike Map here, and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X and YouTube.
- This article is a published version of the Strike Map newsletter sent on 5th August 2024.
Division and blame are the bosses game – Unite tackles far-right violence
Sharon Graham, Unite the Union General Secretary
By Unite the Union
Commenting on the riots and far right and racist violence Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Without unity the working class cannot make change. Division and blame are the bosses game. It’s time to look up, not down.
“It wasn’t the migrant who crashed our financial system in 2008. It was not the migrant who imposed austerity. It was not the migrant who revelled in Downing Street while people couldn’t bury their dead. And it wasn’t the migrant who let corporations profit while workers had their pay cut.
“The economic system has failed and Britain isn’t working: Rampant inequality, crumbling public services, poor jobs and bad pay. We don’t make anything any more and we’ve sold the family silver. When 50 families in this country have more wealth than 30 million of their fellow citizens, something has gone badly wrong.
“We are at a turning point. We need change now. Not waffle about responsible spending or fiscal rules. None of this talks to the worker or their community. It addresses no issues. It just plays into the hands of those that seek division.
“Labour has one shot. If they fail to deliver, the populist right will emerge ever stronger. The country ever more divided.
“The trade union movement must now step up to the plate. Not just through demonstrations, but by building long term organisation across our workplaces and communities. Unite will lead the way.”
- This article was originally published by Unite the Union on 8th August 2024.
PCS statement on attacks by the far right
PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote and National President Martin Cavanagh have issued a joint statement condemning the recent violence and hatred.
Over recent days we have witnessed the most atrociously violent attacks on communities by the far right. These attacks are not protests, they are racially targeted riots aimed at our Black and Muslim brothers and sisters, as well as vulnerable refugees seeking asylum in this country.
The escalation continues to be fuelled by misinformation and hatred, and it has led to vicious attacks on innocent members of the Muslim, black and migrant communities.
We are not only concerned that these riots are spreading, but that they are targeting entire communities, the livelihoods and safety of thousands, some of whom are our dedicated and hard working members. Visa and immigration offices are now the target of fascist thugs, threatening our members’ safety and that of the community where the offices are located.
We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We are calling on employers, management and government ministers to act urgently to protect their staff, the communities they serve and the individuals who rely on their services.
PCS stands with our Black and Muslim members, their families and communities during these troubling and dangerous times. We are appalled that such horrific attacks are taking place in communities which promote unity, solidarity and hope. PCS is here to support any member affected by these incidents. We urge members to speak to their reps and regional officers who are on hand to offer support. We are proud of the amazing work which is carried out by our Black members’ network, which is united in the calls for unity and peace. We are proud of every PCS member who has helped communities that have been targeted, and who have spoken out against these attacks.
PCS will continue to stand with our Black and Muslim brothers and sisters, supporting communities and continuing to educate and organise to fight fascism and racism in society. Unity is strength and united, our values of hope and solidarity will never be defeated.
- You can follow Fran Heathcote on Twitter; and follow the PCS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
- This statement was originally published by the PCS Union on 5th August, 2024.
Jeremy Corbyn: Challenge racism, stand with the victims of far-right terror
By Jeremy Corbyn
Last week, a horrendous murder took place in Southport as three children were brutally hacked to death in a violent knife attack. What followed showed both the best and worst of society.
The best was the outpouring of support for the grieving families of the children. The worst was the far-right forces who attacked the mosque in Southport, a hotel housing refugees in Rotherham, and Muslim-run businesses across the country.
These far-right attacks on the Muslim community echo the tactics of the Nazis against Jewish people, shops and businesses in Germany in the 1930s. In both scenarios, the far right use violence against minorities and blame them for poverty, housing shortages and pressures on health and education services.
The emboldening of the racist right has come from the growing use of anti-migrant language by supposedly mainstream politicians, claiming that desperate people crossing the Channel in flimsy boats are an “invading force.”
The same voices seem unable or unwilling to acknowledge that wars cause refugee flows, and that the migrants who have made their homes in Britain work tirelessly to try and make underfunded services work at all.
At the same time, we are witnessing an economic strategy inherited from the Tories which increases the huge wealth gap in our society, perpetuates austerity and ignores the desperate poverty of so many children.
The response of the left must be to stand with the victims of far-right terror, challenge the far-right racism and call for the government to address the common issues facing all communities: the housing crisis, crumbling education and the collapse of our NHS.
Rather than perpetuating the poverty of so many children by denying benefits to the third child onwards in families, or “saving” money by taking the winter fuel payments away from many older people, the government must address the issues of inequality and greed.
Migrants and refugees are not responsible for unregulated rents, rampant privatisation of our health service or the obscene levels of wealth of the richest in our society.
If the huge social needs of the poorest in our society are not dealt with, the obscene attacks on the Muslim community and refugees will lead to a further wholesale shift to the extreme right.
Pandering to them by anti-migrant rhetoric is not the answer. Instead, we need immediate and public solidarity with the victims. We need to recognise that the failure to deal with the economic needs of people is fertile ground on which the seeds of fascism can grow. We need to offer a message of hope around which all communities can unite.
- This article was originally published in the Morning Star on 5th August 2024.
- Jeremy Corbyn is the MP for Islington North – you can follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X and TikTok.
Public figures, campaigners & left voices back powerful statement against the far-right
Labour Outlook is pleased to be one of the initial signatories to the vital public statement initiated by Stand Up To Racism, and to have helped secure support from figures across the movement. We urge all readers to support the Stand Up To Racism statement published below and get involved with local activities.
Fascist riots have taken place in towns and cities across Britain leading to attacks on mosques and hotels housing migrants. Tommy Robinson mobilised over 15,000 in Trafalgar Square on 27 July. The far right are spreading racism, Islamophobia and hatred.
Robinson and others are attempting to exploit the horrific knife attack in Southport to stir up Islamophobia and sow division by spreading misinformation about the attacker’s identity. This led to a racist mob rioting in Southport and elsewhere, violently attacking the mosques and police, chanting the same hateful slogans heard on Robinson’s London demonstration.
Racism and Islamophobia in Parliament is leading to racism and Islamophobia on the streets. When Robinson asked his London protest who voted for Nigel Farage and Reform UK, almost every hand went up. Suella Braverman emboldened this latest iteration of fascist mobilisations, with her claims of an “Islamist” threat, policing “double standards” and refugee “invasion” inflammatory rhetoric.
Across Europe we see the rise of far right and fascist forces, from Marine Le Pen in France to the AfD in Germany.
The far right are a threat to all decent people. The trial of Finsbury Park terrorist Darren Osborne, who murdered Makram Ali, heard that he was radicalised by reading material by Tommy Robinson. When Robinson was leader of the English Defence League, it attacked Muslims, trade unions and strikes.
All those who oppose this must join in a united mass movement powerful enough to drive back the fascists. The majority of people in Britain abhor Robinson and the far right.
We are the majority, they are the few. Britain has a proud history of defeating fascists and racists. We can defeat them again. We must Stand Up to Racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism. We must unite and mobilise against the far right and fascism.
Signed,
Weyman Bennett and Sabby Dhalu, Stand Up To Racism co-convenors
Paul Holborow, Anti Nazi League founder
Kate Nash, singer songwriter
Jerry Dammers, The Specials founder
Paloma Faith, singer and actress
Bimini Bon Boulash, drag artist
Billy Bragg, singer-songwriter and activist
Skin, singer-songwriter and DJ
Shirley Manson, Garbage
Roots Manuva, rapper
Shon Faye, author
Eliza Rose, DJ and artist
Maverick Sabre, singer-songwriter and musician
Divina de Campo, actor and singer
Dr Cheddar Gorgeous, drag performer and artist
Funk Butcher, DJ and producer
Self Esteem, musician and songwriter
Gideon, artist, DJ and Bloc 9 Glastonbury curator
Gurinder Chadha, filmmaker
Azeem Rafiq, author and ex-cricketer
Taj Ali, Co-editor Tribune Magazine
Michael Rosen, author and poet
Amar Chadha-Patel, actor
Dani Harmer, actor
Anoushka Shankar, musician
Ghostpoet, singer-songwriter
Bobbie Vylan, musician
Eliza Carthy MBE, folksinger
Frank Turner, singer-songwriter and musician
Catrin Stewart, actor
Narinder Kaur, TV personality & social commentator
Diane Abbott MP
Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP
Ian Byrne MP
Dawn Butler MP
Kim Johnson MP
John McDonnell MP
Apsana Begum MP
Zarah Sultana MP
Jon Trickett MP
Richard Burgon MP
Ian Lavery MP
Clive Lewis MP
Andy McDonald MP
Mary Kelly Foy MP
Anas Sarwar MSP, Leader of Scottish Labour Party
Humza Yousaf MSP
Paul Sweeney MSP
Jeremy Corbyn MP
Shockat Adam MP
Iqbal Mohamed MP
Ayoub Khan MP
Adnan Hussain MP
Pauline Bryan, House of Lords
Prem Sikka, House of Lords
Christine Blower, House of Lords
Sharon Graham, Unite General Secretary
Daniel Kebede, NEU General Secretary
Mick Lynch, RMT General Secretary
Mick Whelan, ASLEF General Secretary
Fran Heathcote, PCS General Secretary
Matt Wrack, FBU General Secretary
Jo Grady, UCU General Secretary
Sarah Woolley, BFAWU General Secretary
Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary
Maryam Eslamdoust, TSSA General Secretary
Steve North, Unison President
Alex Gordon, RMT President
Jess Barnard, Labour NEC Members’ Representative
Mish Rahman, Labour NEC Members’ Representative
Gemma Bolton, Labour NEC Members’ Representative
Yasmin Dar, Labour NEC Members’ Representative
Aamer Anwar, Human Rights Lawyer
Mohammed Kozbar, Muslim Council of Britain Deputy Secretary General
Lindsey German, Stop the War Coalition convenor
David Rosenberg, Jewish Socialist Group
Kate Hudson, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND)
Ben Chacko, editor Morning Star
Dr Louise Raw
Taj Ali, Tribune Co-Editor
Matt Willgress, editor Labour Outlook
Balwinder Rana, Sikhs Against the EDL
Jamshid Ahmadi, Executive Committee, Liberation (formerly the Movement for Colonial Freedom, est. 1954)
Harsev Bains, Indian Workers Association GB
Samira Ali and Lewis Nielsen, national organisers Stand Up to Racism
Denis Fernando, Rainbow Coalition Against Racism
Myriam Kane and Fiona Sim, Black Liberation Alliance
- You can add your name to the Stop the far right: Unite against racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism statement organised by Stand Up To Racism here.
- You can follow Stand Up To Racism on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X.
