National figures & local MP join anti-racists in raising alarm ahead of FLA Birmingham march
Stand up to Racism campaigners have expressed serious concerns about the police allowing Football Lads Alliance demonstrations to take place through the heart of Birmingham this Saturday 24 March.
A petition opposing the march has been signed by TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady, Birmingham Hall Green MP Roger Godsiff, Len McCluskey Unite the Union General Secretary, Kevin Courtney NEU Joint General Secretary, PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka, local campaigners Salma Yaqoob and Maz Saleem, whose father was murdered by a neo-nazi terrorist in Birmingham, plus several local faith, women’s and community groups.
Stand Up To Racism Birmingham is organising an anti-racist mobilisation on Saturday under the banner ‘Birmingham United’ against these far right linked demonstrations. The FLA intend to march through Birmingham with known Islamophobes, racists, anti-Semites, anti-migrant activists in their ranks as do a breakaway group calling itself the “Democratic Football Lads Alliance” (DFLA).
While these organisations claim to be marching against extremism they are clearly linked to right wing extremists and far-right figures.
Last Sunday The Observer newspaper exposed the appalling racism and Islamophobia that has been an increasing feature on the FLA secret Facebook page. The Muslim community has been targeted and threats have been posted against the London Mayor Sadiq Khan and the Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott. FLA supporters have openly expressed sympathy with the Finsbury Park attacker Darren Osborne and with his original plans to attack Jeremy Corbyn.
The FLA has been increasingly associated with far right mobilisations despite initially claiming to be non-political. Its leader John Meighan backed a neo-Nazi led march against the East London Mosque in October 2017. Former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson is being welcomed onto the demonstration.
UKIPs Gerard Batten and a speaker from the openly Islamophobic Veterans Against Terrorism (VAT) are speaking on the DFLA protest while Anne Marie Waters who came second in UKIPs recent leadership election is the main speaker on the FLA demo. She now heads up the Islamophobic Forward Britain party.
“It is enormously worrying that the police are allowing both groups to march through the very centre of multicultural Birmingham. Previous demos involving groups with far right links have not been allowed to enter the city centre.
“Fifty years on from Enoch Powell’s Rivers Of Blood speech there is a real danger, whatever the organisers say, that some on Saturday’s protest with links to the far right could look to create violence. Stand Up To Racism is organising an anti-racist mobilisation on Saturday under the banner ‘Birmingham United’. We are asking people who believe in a multicultural Birmingham to join us.”
“The Football Lads Alliance and linked organisations should not be allowed to march through one of the most diverse and multi-cultural cities in the country.