Thursday 14 May 2020
Protests have emerged across the country, with local papers warning of them in Glasgow, Sheffield, Liverpool, Bristol, London and Leicester, called for this Saturday, 16 May, encouraging people to “be a part of the largest mass gathering since the lockdown”.
The events on Saturday are being promoted by UK Freedom of Movement, a far-right anti-vaxxing group.
The group, whose director is registered as Jayda Fransen, calls on “all immigrant communities to embrace British culture and the society” and espouses the threat of the “insidious introduction of undemocratic Sharia Law, Fascism or Marxism.”
Fransen was a leading member of fascist group Britain First, and was jailed for religiously aggravated harassment. She has participated in several anti Muslim demonstrations and met with fascist organisations in Poland.
The so called UKFM are a mixture of extreme right wing and Islamophobes. One founder, Richard Iman, called the religion of Islam “evil”. He has organised pro ‘Tommy Robinson’ marches and was linked to the Islamophobic Football lads Alliance.
The call for these protests comes as it has emerged in recent weeks that there is an active presence of known far right and fascist groups seeking to exploit the volatile political context under the Coronavirus crisis to gain influence for their toxic ideas.
Zinc Network said British far-right groups such as Britain First and the Knights Templar International, as well as the BNP’s former leader, Nick Griffin, have used the crisis to promote themselves as supporters of the community during the lockdown. Griffin has posted images of himself on social media distributing food parcels.
Meanwhile tactics are being used by the far right such as the spread of disinformation, conspiracy theory based denial of the virus’ existence or threat, and, like we have seen in Italy, Hungary, France or the US, scapegoating of migrant and refugee communities.
Stand Up To Racism is supporting the calls to keep the lockdown, saying there should be no premature end to the lockdown that will cost more lives, and this will hit disproportionately among BAME communities. The campaign is also heading up a demand for a public inquiry into disproportionate BAME deaths due to Covid19, and highlighting the context of institutionalised racism that is widely recognised as central factor in the disproportionate deaths.
See the statement signed by Diane Abbott and a wide range of MPs, union leaders and BAME key workers: bit.ly/Sutrstatement
Unmesh Dasai, Greater London Assembly member said
“The so-called Freedom Movement has nothing to do with freedom as most people understand it to be.
“It is a despicable attempt by far right wing and fascists who are trying to do here what Trump supporters have been doing in the USA – street mobilisations to dictate an agenda which runs counter to the interests of ordinary working people and those most affected by Covid 19 and the overwhelming public majority worldwide who want by counter this killer virus by staying at home, protecting our NHS and frontline and essential workers and save lives.
“This is another attempt by the far right to hijack the crisis to divide our communities. They must and will be resisted, and their true colours and agenda must be exposed. And this is why I support Shand Up To Racism’s campaigns against racists and fascists, particularly at present!”
Weyman Bennett, co convenor Stand Up To Racism said
“Stand Up To Racism, along with the wider movement of trade unions, politicians, community and faith organisations, was successful in driving back the growth of far right and fascist forces in Britain in the last two years. Notably, our mass and broad based campaign was pivotal in defeating fascist ‘Tommy Robinson’s” bid to become an MEP this time last year. We took to the streets on repeated occasions and outnumbered the far right demonstrations that had been growing unprecedentedly. They were unable to breakthrough.
“Yet now, amidst the severe crisis that Covid19 has brought, anti racists are sounding the alarm that we must oppose the attempts by the far right to capitalise.
“The context In recent months following Johnson’s election has been increasing levels of state racism, from the attacks on the rights of EU migrants, on refugee child rights, to the injustice of the Windrush scandal, to normalising the use of racist language and scapegoating from the prime minister and his cabinet.
“The “hostile environment” and 21 percent rise of anti Chinese racism are creating the ground where the far right can gain influence.
“We must recognise the threat posed here and internationally by attempts by the far right and fascists to exploit such an extreme crisis – we know from history that it is in these circumstances that these forces of reaction can grow, and that it is mass broad based united anti racist opposition in every community and at a national and international level, that can effectively stop them.”
For further quotes and information please contact:
info@standuptoracism.org.uk