Anti-racists and anti-fascists are set to mobilise on Whitehall this Saturday, 9 June, as thousands of far right supporters of ex English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson prepare to rally. They are calling for his release from jail.
Weyman Bennet joint convenor of Stand Up To Racism said: “Robinson was jailed recently for contempt of court. Hundreds of his supporters marched through the streets of Leeds the city shouting Islamophobic slogans. On Tuesday morning this week a Mosque and a Sikh Temple suffered arson attacks in the same city. Wherever support for Robinson grows, hatred and violence follow”.
The trial of Finsbury Park terrorist, Darren Osborne, heard he regularly read material from Robinson and the far-right group Britain First, among others.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb told Osborne, “Over the space of a month or so, your mindset became one of malevolent hatred. You allowed your mind to be poisoned by those who claim to be leaders,”
The far right “Democratic” Football Lads Alliance (DFLA) marched in Manchester last Saturday calling to free Robinson. The day after a women was hospitalised in a racist attack in nearby Bolton. A large delegation had joined the DFLA march from that city.
Now the fascist right, UKIP and other “Alt-right” elements are to gather in central London calling for Robinson’s release. They claim that they are defending Robinson and “free speech”. But Robinson has always used every platform he can to scapegoat and promote hatred against the Muslim community.
The far right march this Saturday has been backed by European far right figures like the Islamophobic Dutch politician Geert Wilders who plans to come to London to show his support. Former frontman of the Smith’s, Morrissey, has also come out in support of Robinson.
Sabby Dhalu joint Secretary of Stand Up To Racism said “Anti-racists will not allow Robinson to be used as a “martyr” to build the kind of far right street movement that has become a factor in many European countries. We will oppose the kind of mobilisation we saw at Charlottesville in the US a year ago where the same kind of “free speech” activists who are now backing Robinson held violent protests that led to the death of Heather Heyer”.
A statement backing the anti-racist protest on Saturday has been signed by shadow home secretary Diane Abbott MP, and Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Shadow Lord Chancellor Richard Burgon MP , leading trade unionists such as Len McCluskey (General secretary Unite the union) Dave Ward (General Secretary CWU), Mark Serwotka (General Secretary PCS), Kevin Courtney (NEU joint general secretary), Manuel Cortes (General Secretary TSSA) and Mick Whelan (General Secretary ASLEF) and Mohammed Kozbar (Finsbury Park Mosque), David Rosenberg (Jewish Socialist Group), Reverand Steven Saxby and Maz Saleem (Stand Up To Trump) here
Stand Up To Racism and Unite Against Fascism have called a counter demonstration from 2pm at Whitehall on Saturday, details here