All Organisations subcategories:
Committee for a Workers International
Nationalist and National Liberation
Pro capitalist and Imperialist
Left and radical keywords:
International Socialist Resistance (54)
Revolutionary Communist League (1)
Socialist Peoples Party (Denmark) (1)
UAF
5 April 2014
Swansea, 5.4.14 (Click to enlarge)
National Front thwarted in Swansea
Nazis off our streets!
Ronnie Job, Swansea Socialist Party
Anti-racist campaigners occupied Castle Square in Swansea on Saturday 5 April to deny the use of the most public open space in Swansea to the racist National Front who had decided to hold a 'white pride' event in the city.
Around 250 people turned up, many of them coming at short notice, as word that the counter-demonstration was on filtered out.
Unfortunately, in the previous couple of days, the leadership of Swansea UAF had decided, without consulting other anti-racist groups, to call off the planned counter demonstration. They claimed victory on the basis that the police and the council had assured them that the National Front would not be allowed to march, would not hold a rally and would be denied access to all council property. If the anti-racist movement had followed their leadership then the NF would have taken over Castle Square.
NF in Swansea 5.4.14 (Click to enlarge)
Swansea Trades Council, the Socialist Party, the Students Union and others, called on supporters to turn out to make sure that the assurances given were kept and to take the opportunity to campaign and leaflet against racism. Luckily many people ignored the UAF's advice to stay away and turned up to Castle Square.
When it was obvious that, despite all assurances, the fascists were there anyway, phone networks and social media were soon bombarded with messages calling for all anti-racists to come down to Castle Square.
The magnificent response to these appeals was the only reason that the NF were confined to a patch of wet grass near the castle ruins rather than rallying in the square itself. They unveiled flags with swastika-based symbols, including one from the Greek Golden Dawn, in an area of Swansea completely flattened by the Nazi war machine during the Swansea Blitz.
NF in Swansea 5.4.14 (Click to enlarge)
In the end they were out-numbered, out-shouted and out-sung by anti-racists, and they looked pathetic. But we could have had an even bigger turnout and prevented them rallying at all if confusion hadn't been caused by the UAF unilaterally announcing on Thursday that the protest was off.
The day proved, what many of us argued, that anti-racists can't rely on assurances from the police or council but only on our own strength. Strategy and tactics on how best to oppose and defeat the racists and fascists need to be democratically debated and decided by anti-racist groups, trade union bodies and all those who want to oppose racist division.
Unity of workers, youth and anti-racists can and will defeat the National Front.
Jobs and services, not racism!
This version of this article was first posted on the Socialist Party website on 5 April 2014 and may vary slightly from the version subsequently printed in The Socialist.
Donate to the Socialist Party
Finance appeal
The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.
- The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
- When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.
Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.
We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to donate to our Fighting Fund.
LATEST POSTS
12 May Stop Israeli state brutality
 |
9 May Post-election meetings
15 May Birmingham Socialist Party: How can we fight for socialist change and a new workers' party?
17 May Oxfordshire & Aylesbury Socialist Party: The role of the state
18 May Bristol North Socialist Party: Liverpool - history of socialist struggle
CONTACT US
Phone our national office on 020 8988 8777
Email: [email protected]
Locate your nearest Socialist Party branch Text your name and postcode to 07761 818 206
Regional Socialist Party organisers:
Eastern: 079 8202 1969
East Mids: 077 3797 8057
London: 075 4018 9052
North East: 078 4114 4890
North West 079 5437 6096
South West: 077 5979 6478
Southern: 078 3368 1910
Wales: 079 3539 1947
West Mids: 024 7655 5620
Yorkshire: 078 0983 9793
ABOUT US
ARCHIVE
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999