Anti-racist mobilisation in Paisley
Anti fascists have taken to the streets to oppose racism and scapegoating of Muslims and migrants
The hideous fascist and far right riots of recent weeks have been met everywhere with large counterprotests. The latest were at the weekend when towns and cities across the country saw big gatherings of those supporting migrants and the Muslim community who face attacks. The central London protest against Nigel Farage’s Reform party, organised by Stand up to Racism, attracted 2000 people who then marched on to Trafalgar Square and were joined by more protestors to reclaim the space occupied by Tommy Robinson only weeks ago.
These demonstrations have begun to turn the tide against the hate marches. Counterfire members were on them across the country including in Glasgow, where Ross Maidment reports:
Anti-racists turned out in George Square, Glasgow as part of a UK-wide initiative called by Stand Up To Racism.
Within a crowd of around a thousand the mood was buoyant. UCU, PCS, UNISON, Unite and other trade unions were represented, under the primary slogan ‘Refugees Are Welcome Here.’ Two Nazis on the periphery briefly stole the attention of the rally, but were easily moved on by the crowd, before being picked up by the police.
No Palestine flags were visible, which was a miss given the strength of the Palestine movement and the centrality of Islamophobia’ to the racist right, but there was lively chanting of ‘Free Palestine’ from the crowd at the close, which is a promising sign and something to build on.
Directly after, Scotland’s Gaza Genocide Emergency Committee (GGEC) assembled for a static demo across the road at Buchanan Steps. Some 200 people listened to accounts from Palestinians about conditions in Gaza. Within the testimonies, links between Western foreign policy and domestic state-level Islamophobia were being made.
In conclusion, there is an obvious challenge in Glasgow, both for the anti-racist movement and the movement for Palestine to close that gap, sharpen the political direction, and draw in more masses in the process.
Meanwhile, in nearby Paisley, Robert Anderson describes a demo on Friday night:
‘Three hundred activists and locals assembled to deter the threat of a far-right pogrom. As has been the case down south, the target was a local hotel housing asylum seekers and refugees.
The mobilisation of the anti-fascist bloc deterred the fascists from approaching the hotel, with several small groups of ‘fighting aged males’ – as they like to say – in all black wearing masks loitering across the road, some of which were moved on by the police.
There was one instance where someone approached the crowd shouting unintelligibly, but he was quickly stopped by Police Scotland who had a presence at the protest and nearby.
The rain didn’t dampen the spirits or attendance of the rally, with small blocs from several trade unions and anti-racist organisations, and padded out by many locals. I don’t like the suggestion that an activist can’t be a local, as I saw plenty of people I knew or recognised from the town who were either already organised, or coming out to show solidarity on an ad-hoc basis.
The most important and reassuring aspect of the protest for me was the direct parallels drawn – by many of the speakers and banners that were present – between British foreign policy and the institutional Islamophobia used to uphold it and shield it from public scrutiny.
I don’t agree with the hotel policy, as combined with a slow asylum process, it’s a drain on public resources and creates a lightning rod for the far right. However more importantly, it isolates these people from our communities and diverts money away from the housing crisis, into the pockets of multi-millionaire hoteliers.
British foreign policy is the biggest drain on our public resources, as Labour continues the destruction of our vital public services and pits our communities against each other as a means to avoid accountability for its part in creating the wars and uncertainty in the middle east that fuels this crisis.
One problem was the confrontational nature of some protesters when a group of local kids walked into the protest as it was beginning to widen down. They were clearly just curious and as they stopped next to me, a few of them asked me what was going on. This was after the speakers had stopped and the crowd had begun to dissipate.
I told them we were here to support the refugees due to people threatening them, and one of them exclaimed ‘we are too then!’. People were too standoffish with the kids, who I can attest to having been brought up in Paisley, likely have little better to do on a Friday evening.
They eventually moved on and the crowd dissipated but the focus must continue to be on the political and media actors who have facilitated this hatred, and their anti-working class economic and foreign policies.
And Sam Colclough describes in Crewe:
‘Trade unionists, Cheshire East councillors and Counterfire members took part in a Stand Up to Racism street stall in Crewe to collect signatures for a letter of solidarity to the town’s mosque and an anti-fascist petition. The action was a success with plenty of engagement with passers-by and is the first step towards building a permanent anti-racist organisation in the town.’
These are just a sample of protests that show a very strong and active opposition to fascism. We have to build on it in the months ahead and, as the reports show, connect the fight against Islamophobia with the government’s collusion with Israeli genocide.
Before you go
The ongoing genocide in Gaza, Starmer’s austerity and the danger of a resurgent far right demonstrate the urgent need for socialist organisation and ideas. Counterfire has been central to the Palestine revolt and we are committed to building mass, united movements of resistance. Become a member today and join the fightback.
