Tens of thousands of anti-racist counter-protesters took to the streets on the evening of 7 August. A list of locations as potential targets for further racist right-wing attacks had circulated online.
In most cases, at short notice, counter-protesters far outnumbered those wanting to spread racist hatred. Socialist Party members had been building in our communities and trade unions to boost the numbers, making the case for the 6.5 million-strong trade unions to take the lead.
Enormous Walthamstow protest sends strong message
by James, Waltham Forest Socialist Party
There was an eery quiet on the streets of central Walthamstow at 6pm. Cafes, shops, doctors’ surgeries were shuttered. Squads of Met police officers in tactical clothing controlled the street corners and station exits, riot vans ready.
Groups of local Asian youth were starting to claim the bridge over the railway that leads to the immigration bureau, the supposed target, boarded up. There was burgeoning tension with police. Other locals trickled in from the opposite side, anxious, looking for guidance.
And then they came.
Hundreds, then thousands — ten thousand at least at its height. In they poured from Waltham Forest, from surrounding East London boroughs, from the rest of the city.
Not long after 7pm, Hoe Street, normally a jammed-up A-road, was overbrimming with anti-racist protesters, past junctions in both directions. Police lines pulled back, and pulled back again. The mood shifted from nervous to determined. “Whose streets? Our streets!”
The police had a cordon round the immigration bureau. Thousands of us. Our counterprotest had inadvertently kettled the Met. They withdrew. The two wings surged together and held the ground.
By 8pm, the alleged time for far-right arrival, there was no sign of anyone foolish enough to challenge the ten thousand. Determination changed to jubilation. Cheers and laughter, a festival atmosphere.
The crowd came from a wide range of backgrounds, but included many workers and groups of trade unionists, some with banners. Unions are the basic self-defence organisations of the working class – of all races and nationalities.
Socialist Party members on Waltham Forest Trades Council, the coordinating body for the borough’s trade unions, had argued for the unions to stamp their presence on the movement. This helped lead to three local union branches, and the trades council itself, co-sponsoring the counterprotest and getting the word out.
We also argued for the trade union movement to have democratic control over the political demands and organisation of the protest, including democratic control of stewarding. Unfortunately, the official organisers — Stand Up to Racism, with the Socialist Workers Party in a leading role — did not take this approach.
Ten thousand there were furious at far-right terror, but also the relentless squeeze on the working and middle classes, driving anger in all directions. Ten thousand were asking themselves: how do we stop this happening again? How do we win a future worth living in?
While the official organisers turned down this opportunity to show a way forward, the Socialist Party did not. Our team of more than 30 members and supporters sold over 100 copies of the Socialist newspaper, and ran clean out of leaflets proposing next steps.
We proposed that the unions launch struggle for “jobs and homes, not racism” – to undercut the misery the far right preys on. We called for a new, mass party, based on the organised working class, to coordinate campaigns against austerity and racism, and fight for socialist change.
Our ideas went down well, especially as the crowd started to leave, thinking “what next?” Meanwhile, the sheer numbers might have cowed far-right elements in the area – but safety was not automatic.
Thankfully we saw no incidents – but the stewarding would not have been sufficient in case of provocation or attack, especially as numbers fell. Democratic control of planning and stewarding by the trade union movement would vastly improve that in future.
But by 9pm when the sun had set, the feeling was overwhelming: we won! This huge mobilisation will have sent a strong message, and boosted confidence for all those there and watching.
And its size was no accident. Millions have learnt from the strike wave and anti-war movement that the working class has influence when it takes matters into its own hands. And Walthamstow in particular has built a tradition of struggle over many years.
The local community and trade unions forced the English Defence League (EDL) off these streets in 2012. This included the Socialist Party working with DayMer Kurdish and Turkish community organisation, and others, to lead a breakout through police lines to join local youth surging to stop the far right marching.
Since then, trade union and community campaigns have fought public service cuts, council evictions, unaffordable housing, low pay and more. All have had involvement from Waltham Forest Socialist Party; some of them we led.
Who pushed back the far right on Wednesday 7 August? Not the Met police, who looked understandably relieved at their absence.
Not the pro-big business, racist New Labour government. Certainly not its local MP Stella Creasy – who called for everyone to stay away, to allow the far right to go unanswered – then when she was rightly ignored and the victory was clear, shamelessly emerged for selfies!
It was the workers and residents of Walthamstow and London that did this. To consolidate it and win more, we need trade union struggle for better conditions and a united political voice for the working class. If you agree and want to help us fight for it, join the Socialist Party.
James, Waltham Forest Socialist Party
Racists didn’t dare confront hundreds of Brentford protesters
by Dara, West London Socialist Party
It was feared that the list of offices providing immigration services circulating were to be targeted for racist violence.
Groups, including Ealing Trades Union Council, hastily organised the counter-protest of 300 people. A good turnout, considering there was only 48 hours to get it done.
There was a communal atmosphere, as chants were bellowed to the hooting of horns from passing cars. Socialist Party members were present, leafletting protesters, handing out posters, and with our Socialist paper with the ideas to fight for far right.
People kept looking around for any far-right presence. But if they were there, none were ‘brave’ enough to confront the hundreds of counter-demonstrators.
John, a member of West London NHS Unison union and the Socialist Party, gave a short speech: “We demand jobs and home, not racism.
“This is the sixth richest country on earth. And there are children now with rickets. There are adults being admitted to our mental health units with malnutrition, because they can’t afford to feed themselves.
“We know more children are going hungry. Teachers are increasingly having to find the money to buy breakfast to feed those children. And racism and fascism is not the answer.”
The Unison banner that we brought was the only union banner at the protest. So its urgent we discuss how we can have more workers’ movement and trade union involvement to lead the fight against the far right.
See full article at SocialistParty.org.
London Gaza demo
by Helen, London Socialist Party
Tens of thousands of people marched through central London against the war on Gaza. This was the 17th national demo, and there was still a combination of people who had been on every demo, and some protesting for the first time. We had important discussions with people about how an end to the conflict could be won.
But the recent events in Southport and other places also hung over us. People wanted to discuss how increasing divisions could be challenged, and raised that potentially fewer people felt able to join the protest, because of fear of the far right, and seeing the smashing of shops and a mosque on TV. But for the people who were there, it was a defiance against racism, division, and growing inequality.
The far-right demo was small, with police standing between them and us. Steward encouraged people to walk by.
Properly organised stewarding, democratically controlled by the workers’ movement, can help give people confidence to protest.
See full article at SocialistParty.org.