PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
23 March 2018
Birmingham communities stand together as FLA march through city centre
As thousands marched through Birmingham today chanting Islamophobic slogans and hearing from far-right speakers, community groups, trade unions and anti-racists held a unity event in the city centre to show the community stands together against attempts to stir up hatred and division.
The event, organised by Stand Up To Racism and supported by national and local trade unions, community and faith groups plus MPs Shabana Mahmood (Birmingham Ladywood) Preet Kaur Gill (Birmingham Edgbaston), Roger Godsiff (Birmingham Hall Green) and Liam Byrne (Birmingham Hodge Hill); heard from speakers from a cross-section of Birmingham, all celebrating the diversity of the city and pledging to stand up to racism, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.
At one point, a group waving FLA banners marched towards the anti-racist event apparently attempting to break it up, but police kept them from breaking through the lines. As anti-racists chanted “We are black, white, Muslim and we’re Jews (and we’re gay!)”, those holding FLA banners threw beer cans and chanted “you’re not English anymore”.
Fears of Islamophobia being spread on the FLA marches were confirmed when the leader of the far-right “For Britain” Party spouted rhetoric about the “horrors this religion is bringing to our society. I will say so and I don’t give a damn who is offended”. Founder of the far-right English Defence League Tommy Robinson was also greeted with cheers on a march under the banner of the DFLA.
Around 3,000 were estimated to have marched under FLA and DFLA banners in total, a far smaller total than had been estimated by organisers.
The Observer newspaper last week exposed the FLA’s secret Facebook site’s racist and Islamophobic postings, threats against London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott and sympathy for Finsbury Park attacker Darren Osborne.
For interviews & information email info@standuptoracism.
Notes for editors:
1. A longer list of initial signatories opposing the FLA march and supporting the anti-racist event can be found on the petition page here.
3. Stand Up To Racism will mark April 3rd with “Stand Up To Islamophobia Day” to demand action on the horrific wave of anti-muslim hate crime and show solidarity with Muslims facing Islamophobia. A recent hate campaign sent letters and packages to Muslim households and MPs declaring April 3rd “Punish a Muslim Day” and awarding points for acts of racist violence.
4. Stand Up To Racism is a national anti-racist organisation with support across the Labour and Trade Union Movement, faith and communy groups. Last Saturday 17 March they organised a national demonstration against the rise in hate crime and the far right which attracted over 20,000 people.