Hastings campaigners at the anti-fascist demonstration in London on 27 July. Photo: Hastings SUTR

Hastings campaigners join anti-fascist march

Local members of Hastings Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) joined 5,000 others in London on Saturday 27 July. SUTR’s Simon Hester was there.

The march was lively, multiracial and young, with banners and flags from many trade unions and campaign groups. They were protesting against a rally by the far-right activist ‘Tommy Robinson’, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.

About 15,000 people joined Tommy Robinson’s motley crew of racists, far right activists, fascists and thugs. The chants of “We want our country back” and “Allah, Allah, who the **** is Allah” were repeated at the racist riot in Southport on Monday night (29 July), and again in London and Hartlepool. The racism and Islamophobia are open and explicit. Nazi salutes made it clear who was involved.

Maya Evans, chair of Hastings SUTR, said, “Small fascist groups have been emboldened by the electoral success of Reform UK, who now have 5 MPs. They are inspired by the French fascists and Donald Trump. Their grotesque exploitation of the horrific and brutal attack on children in Southport, in order to incite religious and racial hatred to build a far-right street movement, must be robustly condemned. We send our solidarity to the mosque and people of Southport and stand with our muslim brothers and sisters in Hastings.”

The racist far right are a clear threat. But the anti-racist movement defeated the National Front, the BNP and the EDL. We can, and must, do it again. The lessons of history are clear: unite, stand up to and mobilise against fascism, racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism.

Hastings Stand up to Racism: https://www.facebook.com/HastingsSUTR/

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