Tens of thousands of anti-racist counter-protesters have taken to the streets to oppose a wave of violent racist attacks and to counter planned far-right ‘demos’.
In most cases, at short notice, counter-protesters have far outnumbered those wanting to spread racist hatred. Socialist Party members had been building in our communities and trade unions to boost the numbers, making the case for the 6.5 million-strong trade unions to take the lead.
Enormous Walthamstow protest sends strong message
There was an eerie quiet on the streets of central Walthamstow on 7 August. And then they came.
Hundreds, then thousands – ten thousand anti-racist protesters at least at its height. The mood shifted from nervous to determined. “Whose streets? Our streets!”
The police had a cordon around the immigration bureau, dividing the street in two. The counter-protest had grown on both sides.
Thousands to the left, mostly from the Asian community, on the side that the far right were suspected to arrive from. And thousands to the right, where the main anti-racist demo had been called.
The counter-protest had inadvertently ‘kettled’ the police, who had to withdraw. The two wings surged forward, and held the ground together.
By 8pm, the alleged time for the far-right arrival, there was no sign of anyone foolish enough to challenge the ten thousand. Determination changed to jubilation. Cheers and laughter, a festival atmosphere.
Socialist Party members on Waltham Forest Trades Council, the coordinating body for the borough’s trade unions, had argued for the unions to stamp their presence on the movement. This helped lead to three local union branches, and the trades council itself, co-sponsoring the counter-protest and getting the word out.
We also argued for the trade union movement to have democratic control over the political demands and organisation of the protest, including democratic control of stewarding.
Demands
Ten thousand there were furious at far-right terror, but also the relentless squeeze on the working and middle classes, driving anger in all directions. Ten thousand were asking: how do we stop this happening again? How do we win a future worth living in?
While the official organisers – Stand Up to Racism, with the Socialist Workers Party in a leading role – turned down this opportunity to show a way forward, the Socialist Party did not. Our team of more than 30 members and supporters sold over 100 copies of the Socialist newspaper, and ran clean out of leaflets proposing next steps.
We proposed that the unions launch a struggle for “jobs and homes, not racism” – to undercut the misery the far right preys on. We called for a new, mass party, based on the organised working class, to coordinate campaigns against austerity and racism, and fight for socialist change.
Our ideas went down well, especially as the crowd started to leave, thinking “what next?” Meanwhile, the sheer numbers might have cowed far-right elements in the area – but safety was not automatic.
Thankfully we saw no incidents – but the stewarding would not have been sufficient in case of provocation or attack, especially as numbers fell. Democratic control of planning and stewarding by the trade union movement would vastly improve that in future.
The size of our protest was no accident. Millions have learnt from the strike wave and anti-war movement that the working class has influence when it takes matters into its own hands. And Walthamstow in particular has built a tradition of struggle over many years.
The local community and trade unions forced the English Defence League (EDL) off these streets in 2012. This included the Socialist Party working with DayMer Kurdish and Turkish community organisation, and others, to lead a breakout through police lines to join local youth surging to stop the far right marching.
Since then, trade union and community campaigns have fought public service cuts, council evictions, unaffordable housing, low pay and more. All have had involvement from Waltham Forest Socialist Party; some of them we led.
Who pushed back the far right on Wednesday 7 August? Not the Metropolitan Police, who looked understandably relieved at their absence.
Not the pro-big business, racist New Labour government. Certainly not its local MP Stella Creasy – who called for everyone to stay away, to allow the far right to go unanswered – then when she was rightly ignored and the victory was clear, shamelessly emerged for selfies!
It was the workers and residents of Walthamstow and London that did this. To consolidate it and win more, we need trade union struggle for better conditions and a united political voice for the working class.
James, Waltham Forest Socialist Party
Nottingham gets organised
We heard about what the far right were planning on the Wednesday; held an organising committee involving various organisations and individuals, including Socialist Party members, on Thursday; and succeeded in mobilising our event on Saturday.
At the rally, alongside others, Socialist Party members spoke on behalf of the Nottinghamshire Trades Union Council, and the Save our Services campaign.
We put forward a class approach of building unity to defend services, pointing to the huge strike wave in the last couple of years to show the potential for building a mass movement, the dangers of feeding the fears of more people, and the potential for the far right under a Labour government that attacks the working class.
The campaign did correctly organise stewarding. But one lesson for the future is that more are needed.
After events organised by the far right in 2020, the trades union council agreed it would organise a campaign in the unions, going to speak on the issue to union branches. That plan needs to be revived.
This would help explain the issues, mobilise numbers, and boost a stewarding force.
Nottingham Socialist Party members
Hastings sees them off twice
Two threats of far-right activity in Hastings were both seen off by well-organised groups of anti-racists and trade unionists.
Within a few hours of an email warning, 60 local people gathered outside the mosque to protect it.
With no sign of the far right, the mosque invited us inside for tea, cake, and a discussion. There was agreement about the need to be organised locally against the far right, that the trade unions need to play a key role in doing this, and a sense that the main capitalist parties offered no solutions to racism and islamophobia.
Later, 600 people showed up to protect an immigration office.
I attended both of these activities, as part of a delegation from the local National Education Union (NEU). I addressed the rally, emphasising the importance of trade unions leading the fight against fascism. I also raised the need for socialist politics to cut across the far right, calling for jobs, homes, pay rises, and fully funded public services.
James, National Education Union (NEU) rep
Tiny Lancashire far right dejected
Twice local trade unionists and community campaigners have easily outnumbered far-right events.
In Preston, they could only gather a small group of racists, and some confused youth – even some Black youth. But that meant we could engage a few of them in discussion, to explain that they were being conned by the wealthy to divide the working class. One even ended up apologising to us, and took away our Socialist Party leaflet.
In Lancaster, they were unable to assemble on the steps of the town hall, because over 200 of us had already occupied them.
We kept up lively chanting for hours, making sure the racists below us knew that “there are many, many more of us than you”. They marched off through the town, looking dejected, then returned to find that their numbers had dwindled, but ours hadn’t!
Martin, Lancashire Socialist Party
Racists didn’t dare confront hundreds in Brentford
Groups, including Ealing Trades Union Council, hastily organised the counter-protest of 300 people on 7 August. A good turnout, considering there was only 48 hours to get it done.
There was a communal atmosphere, as chants were bellowed to the hooting of horns from passing cars. Socialist Party members were present, leafleting protesters, handing out posters, and selling our Socialist paper with the ideas to fight the far right. If they were any far right present, none were ‘brave’ enough to confront the hundreds of counter-demonstrators.
John, a member of West London NHS Unison union and the Socialist Party, gave a short speech: “We demand jobs and homes, not racism.
“This is the sixth richest country on earth. And there are children now with rickets. There are adults being admitted to our mental health units with malnutrition, because they can’t afford to feed themselves.
“We know more children are going hungry. Teachers are increasingly having to find the money to buy breakfast to feed those children. And racism and fascism is not the answer.”
Dara, West London Socialist Party
Birmingham – ‘bring people together who are struggling, like us’
One speaker said: “My grandparents came to this country to work and contribute to society. They’ve never had a problem with trying to get on and integrate with the rest of the community. And now politicians and news channels are trying to whip up hatred against people like us”.
A women we spoke to at the demo also said: “Society is splitting more and more into two – the people with money, and the rest of us. We need to bring together the people who are struggling, like us”.
Bill, Birmingham Socialist Party
Crawley
Crawley residents rose to the occasion and came out in our hundreds to oppose the far right on 9 August, in what could only be described as a very proud moment for our town.
We were joined by hundreds more from across the region. Amongst those were Socialist Party members from London and Brighton, the same people who stood with their communities just days before. Equipped with our banner, leaflets and copies of the Socialist, our mission was to do more than just ‘stand with Crawley’, but to help organise its working class for the fight ahead.
In the end, only one so-called anti-immigration protester made an appearance, only to be escorted away from the roaring crowd by police. A wave given to us from a small child inside the hotel threatened with attack was a sobering reminder of why we fight against such evil.
Basil, Brighton and West Sussex Socialist Party
Swindon – ‘make super-rich pay – I agree with that’
We want to revive Swindon’s defunct trades union council. A body like that could organise and coordinate opposition to the far right democratically.
I had a particularly good discussion with two older men, who at first expressed some sympathy towards the anti-immigration protesters. One of them, seeing the front page of the Socialist – ‘Make the super-rich pay: Fully fund public services’ – simply said: “I agree with that”.
They asked what I thought about Nigel Farage and Reform UK. I talked about how right-wing populists identify some real issues – low pay, underfunded public services etc – but then offer no real solutions. They both supported our call for a new mass workers’ party, based on the trade unions.
This conversation was a powerful demonstration in miniature of how a workers’ party, armed with a fighting socialist programme, could undercut right-wing support, as Jeremy Corbyn demonstrated in 2017, when he won over a million Ukip voters to Labour.
Scott, Swindon Socialist Party
Lessons must be learnt from Rotherham
It was clear that the anti-racist counter-demonstration was unprepared and disorganised to deal with the growing crowds on the other side, in Rotherham on 4 August.
Led by Stand Up to Racism and Rotherham Trades Union Council (TUC), with limited stewards – only 2-3 for the 200 in attendance – it left counter-protesters vulnerable and at risk.
The police made little effort to control the far right, and quickly we were surrounded with no safe exit, with projectiles being thrown at us. Rotherham TUC and the police were forced to plan an immediate retreat.
Democratically organised stewarding is essential. The trade unions, representing tens of thousands of workers in Rotherham, have the power to mobilise people to protest safely and to drive the far right off our streets by strength of numbers and organisation.
The ineffectiveness of the counter-demo meant that the hotel was left vulnerable to the events which occurred, with police seriously outnumbered.
From smashing windows to arson, the far right threw bricks, chairs, and wood at police. Not to mention inflicting serious traumatic harm to those within the hotel – there was a clear attempt to set the hotel alight, with families inside.
The chants used at the Rotherham protest were vague, and did not raise the improvements needed for working class. Socialist Party members called for workers’ unity for jobs, homes, and services for all. When we made suggestions, it was ignored by the Stand Up to Racism organisers with the megaphone.
Maddie, Sheffield Socialist Party
Hartlepool – grim picture, but there’s hope
A far-right mob attempted to descend on the small local mosque on 31 July. Police were pelted with bricks, the window of a local butchers was smashed, and an Asian man was assaulted whilst walking home to a chorus of laughs from the crowds.
Many from the area also remember the racist abuse of Dover Athletic footballer Inih Effiong during a Hartlepool United match five years ago. I was only a few rows behind the perpetrators of the abuse.
Although I have painted a grim picture, there is hope. At the following game the stands of the football ground were flooded with signs that read: “Love ‘pools’, hate racism”.
Hartlepool was once a bastion of the Labour Party and trade unions, but deindustrialisation and the ineptitude and arrogance of local Labour MPs, have taken their toll.
We need to unite across communities on the idea that working-class people, from whatever background, have far more in common with eachother than they do with people who want to divide and rule on behalf of their paymasters in big business.
Daniel, Teesside Socialist Party
