Tens of thousands of anti-racists demonstrated against the far-right in towns and cities across England on August 7. Placards read: “Stand up to racism! Stop the far-right!” and “Refugees are welcome here!” People also formed human shields to protect asylum homes that had been threatened by far-right rallies. Another mass mobilization for a national day of protest took place on August 10.

In cities large and small, people held conspicuous signs on August 7 denouncing fascist forces, Islamophobia and fascism, and supporting migrants and Muslims. Residents protested against far-right elements who had targeted immigrants and Muslims in 25 cities and towns, threatening mosques, hotels housing migrants, and legal and social services that help them. The racists set cars on fire and attacked emergency services.

After the tragic and brutal murder of three young children in Southport, England, at the end of July, ultra-right websites falsely accused an anonymous Muslim asylum seeker as the perpetrator. The racists used this deliberate misinformation to instigate a xenophobic rampage. A neo-fascist chat group on Telegram listed targets for its followers.

This racist hostility has been stoked for years by right-wing politicians such as MP Nigel Farage and his Reform UK Party (formerly UKIP), members of the Conservative Party such as former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and those in the Labour Party who refuse to confront xenophobia. Islamophobe Tommy Robinson has also spread “venom” against immigrants, Muslims and other people of colour. The far right has become increasingly bolder and prepared to resort to violent actions.

Anti-racists defend themselves against fascists

While anti-racists beat back fascist mobilizations in Birmingham, Bristol, Brighton, many parts of London and other cities, they prevented many of the planned attacks against migrants. Hundreds of people formed a human chain in Liverpool to protect a church that houses an immigration center, with women holding banners reading “Nans (Grandmothers) against Nazis.”

Similar scenes took place in Hackney and Walthamstow in east London, and in Finchley in the north of the city, with thousands of anti-fascists and community members gathering with signs reading “Unite against hate”.

In Brighton, 500 anti-racists overpowered a few fanatics outside a pro-immigration law firm, shouting: “Get off our streets, Nazi scum.” The right-wingers were protected by police. In Hampshire, anti-racists confronted the right-wingers, chanting: “Refugees are welcome here.”

By the evening, few right-wingers remained at the target locations, but the pro-immigrant protesters remained on the streets. Overall, the anti-racists far outnumbered the fascists, who staged very small actions in six towns in England and Wales. In some places, no racists showed up at all.

Thousands follow the call to “take a stand against racism”

Tens of thousands of people responded to a call for a national day of protest on August 10 issued by Stand Up to Racism to “stop the far right”. Huge crowds gathered in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland, Cardiff in Wales, Belfast in the north of Ireland and other cities and towns. In total, 50 rallies were held to push back against the attacks of the far right. Where the racists appeared, the pro-immigrant forces outnumbered them.

Thousands of people took to the streets, chanting pro-immigrant slogans as they made their way to Whitehall, where some of London’s government buildings are located. Around 5,000 protesters gathered outside Reform UK’s headquarters to denounce Farage’s promotion of racism, Islamophobia and xenophobia.

In her closing speech, Samara Ali told the thousands of people gathered in Trafalgar Square in London: “We feel we have turned the tide. The fact that they did not take to the streets is a testament to our mobilisation. Without our mobilisation, they would not have been stopped.” (Independent, 11 August)

In total, tens of thousands of anti-racists gathered in towns and cities across the UK, including the English cities of Cambridge, Exeter, Sheffield, Liverpool, Newcastle, Hastings, Oxford, Manchester and several parts of London. Thousands of protesters in Glasgow and Edinburgh carried banners and signs reading “No to racism!”, “Refugees welcome” and “Stop the far right!”.

United Against Racism mobilised 15,000 people at an anti-racism rally in Belfast, where the popular slogan was: “What do we do when migrants’ rights are attacked? Stand up and fight back!”

“We must push back racists and fascists”

Following the anti-racism demonstrations on August 10, Sabby Dhalu, co-organiser of Stand Up To Racism, said: “Across the UK, people have said loud and clear that we reject racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and hate. We will not stand by and allow racist, pogromist attacks on asylum seekers, Muslims, Africans, Asians and Caribbeans.”

“All of these communities, together with unions, anti-fascists and anti-racists, have stood up to racism and fascism. We have defeated fascist and racist movements before. We will defeat them again. But there is no room for complacency. We have been witnessing fascist unrest for over a week. We will continue to mobilize until we have pushed back these racist and fascist street thugs.” (Morning Star, August 16)

Another co-organiser of the group, Wayman Bennett, noted: “Today shows that we can turn the tide against the far right and the racists. Across the country, people have come together, organised and marched to send a clear message: the far right is not welcome. We will not allow them to attack Muslims, migrants and refugees. Our message is one of hope, solidarity and unity.” He stressed that members of the community must stop the far right, which is “incited by Nigel Farage and (ultra-right tech billionaire) Elon Musk”. (Independent, August 11)

Anti-racist, pro-immigrant actions are planned in many counties and cities over the coming months. Rock Against Racism is planning a major concert program in cities where the ultra-right is active. The Guardian notes that this movement helped “turn the tide against the (ultra-right) National Front” in the 1970s. Today, anti-racists are planning concerts in the cities and towns where anti-immigrant mobilizations have taken place this summer, to push back the “growing influence of the far right in some parts of Britain.” (August 18)

The music group Love Music Hate Racism is planning local performances across the UK next year. Samira Ali, an organiser of the group, stressed: “We want to organise these performances in places that the far right considers their territory because we want to show that they are a tiny, hateful minority.” (Guardian, August 18)

Love Music Hate Racism is planning actions to confront organised fascists on the streets and the anti-immigrant right in Parliament. The group is calling for a “united cultural movement… to counter the threat of the far right and strengthen communities damaged by the destructive effects of racism.”

Ali stressed: “But the context is even more dangerous than when Rock Against Racism was launched in the 1970s. Back then we were dealing with the Front National, but Farange’s Reform UK was not represented in Parliament. We did not have fascism rising in Europe and Donald Trump was not running for president in the US.”