No to the far right in Swansea – Refugees Welcome!Protest Saturday 23rd November, exact time TBC, outside The Dragon Hotel
Far right bigots are again threatening to return to Swansea on November 23rd. When they came to Swansea in September they were outnumbered by around four to one, but we want to replicate the huge numbers anti racist amassed in August.
We are calling on all who oppose the far right and value our vibrant, diverse, multicultural Swansea to join together to show that they don't represent us or the City we want to live in.
Background
Fascist riots have taken place in towns and cities across Britain leading to attacks on mosques and hotels housing migrants. Tommy Robinson mobilised over 15,000 in Trafalgar Square on 27 July. The far right are spreading racism, Islamophobia and hatred. Robinson and others are attempting to exploit the horrific knife attack in Southport to stir up Islamophobia and sow division by spreading misinformation about the attacker’s identity.
This led to a racist mob rioting in Southport and elsewhere, violently attacking the mosques and police, chanting the same hateful slogans heard on Robinson’s London demonstration. Racism and Islamophobia in Parliament is leading to racism and Islamophobia on the streets. When Robinson asked his London protest who voted for Nigel Farage and Reform UK, almost every hand went up.
Across Europe we see the rise of far right and fascist forces, from Marine Le Pen in France to the AfD in Germany. The far right are a threat to all decent people. The trial of Finsbury Park terrorist Darren Osborne, who murdered Makram Ali, heard that he was radicalised by reading material by Tommy Robinson.
When Robinson was leader of the English Defence League, it attacked Muslims, trade unions and strikes. When the Far Right Robinson supporting ‘Voice of Wales’ campaigned against the proposed housing of asylum seekers in Llanelli, the level of abuse, aggression and bigotry aimed at minorities and anti racists in the town rose alarmingly.
Now these Fascist thugs and their gullible hangers on are threatening to march in Swansea. The hatred peddled by these people has no place in our proudly multicultural City, a City of Sanctuary, a diverse community of communities. We won’t let these bigots divide us.
The majority of people in Britain abhor Robinson and the far right. We are the majority, they are the few. South Wales and indeed all of Britain has a proud history of defeating fascists and racists. We can defeat them again. We must Stand Up to Racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism. We must unite and mobilise against the far right and fascism.
We call on all anti racists to join in a united mass movement powerful enough to drive back the fascists.
As Manic Street Preachers sung when talking about the brave Welsh anti Fascists who volunteered to go to oppose Franco in Spain, if we tolerate this, then our children will be next.
Event Venue
The Dragon Hotel, 39 The Kingsway,Swansea, United Kingdom
