Build our resistance and self defence!
Jim Stead – ISL
On 3rd August cities across the UK were confronted by street fighting forces on the rampage attacking mosques, city centres, a library, asylum accommodation hotels and our streets. Swathed in union jacks and England flags they shouted they were ‘protecting Britain’s sovereignty’, ‘protecting our children,’ demanding to ‘stop the ‘boats,’ and immigration’ – the same message coming from the Tories and the Reform Party who won 13% of the vote and now have five MPs in parliament. However, as Liz Fekete of the Institute of Race Relations says correctly, ‘the problem we face today is a fascism with its seed bed in racism and Islamophobia, societal fragmentation and breakdown, divisive policies and the mainstreaming of hate.’
The far-right and fascist groups and the Reform Party leader Nigel Farage sickeningly exploit the horrifically tragic killing of Bebe King aged 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe aged 7 and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, aged 9, at a Taylor Swift- themed holiday club for primary school children in Southport, Merseyside, which also left 8 more children and 2 adults seriously injured.
They spread disinformation and lies which led to a violent attack on a Southport Mosque, resulting in 50 police injured just 36 hours following the tragedy, forcing the mother of Elsie Dot Stancombe to issue an appeal to “stop the violence.”
Widespread violence
Subsequently across the recent week, towns and cities have witnessed widespread violent racist and Islamophobic riots. The anti-racist organisation Hope Not Hate tracked plans for 35 protests including London, Hartlepool, Sheffield, Manchester, Bristol, Aldershot and Sunderland.
People of colour are being attacked viciously as they walk the streets, in Hull rioters stopped a car and dragged two people out with shouts of ‘kill them’ captured on video. Fascists gathered to inflict mayhem but were outnumbered by people gathering to defend their communities.
In Liverpool 700 anti-fascists gathered in support of the people of the bereaved and people Southport. 100’s then marched in defence of immigrant, Muslim and Black communities. However, with no scouts to advise what lay ahead, they marched into a cul-de-sac where 750 fascists gathered at one end. Then the fascists sent their thugs to the rear, as fast moving hit squads (about five dressed in all black) ran into the anti-fascist crowd. It is clear the ‘hit squads’ had undertaken training before the event, they attacked people from behind – kicking people’s knees, collapsing them to the ground. They also targeted the police. The fascists had a long pole to ram the anti-fascists or police, a similar tactic was used in Sunderland.
In Liverpool, 2 or 3 smarter dressed males were witnessed using mobiles and directing the young people on where to go – not simply a spontaneous riot.
There has been a resurgence of the fascist movement following the vote for Farage’s Reform Party. But have to also look at some context such as the Tory government ‘s normalisation of Islamophobia and anti-immigration, an inability to defeat strike waves by workers and the continuing movement in support of Palestine, with successful actions stopping arms production and the continuing BDS campaign.
On Saturday the racist riots across the country by the far right and fascists involved trained and organised street fighting forces who took control of Liverpool city centre, sending people running and attacking shops, overturning a stall where free Korans were being handed out, moving into the night when they set fire to a local library in the Walton area. Other cities including Sunderland were faced with the same racist violence.
The last week has shown how far Britain has decayed, with hordes of rioters setting cities alight, violently targeting people of colour, immigrants, Mosques and our public services all at the same time. This fascist force will not stop and will attack the organised working class, whilst at the moment concentrating on Muslims, immigrants and asylum seekers.
Very rich capitalists, like Elon Musk, encourage the likes Tommy Robinson to use the social media platform X, providing a greater ability to instantly and extensively spread lies and disinformation and incite rioting.
Self defence
In the aftermath we saw communities come out after the disorder to defend mosques and asylum seekers, and to clear up after the far-right mayhem – displaying anti-racist/anti-fascist traditions that are rooted in community defence, solidarity and care.
Police officers were not authorised to use pepper spray or tasers (only as a last resort) and in many places they were outnumbered by the rioters. This means we have to organise and build our own self-defence.
We need to raise everywhere the need for self-defence of our communities which must also be organised inside the trade union movement. Stand Up To Racism (SWP), who led the anti-racist rally and led the march straight into the path of the fascists, without a plan to protect those on the march, showing we need to develop our strategy and tactics to defend and unite the class, in our communities, with our unions, and with all oppressed groups, to defeat the fascists.
Initially, the police reported ‘both sides’ were rampaging in city centres, but widespread images of racist and Islamophobic rioting forced them to withdraw that statement. However, the police cannot be trusted and may use situations to undermine our strength on the streets as for too long there has been an equivalence made of anti-racist and anti-fascist protest with fascists.
The struggle for Palestine, to defend immigrants and asylum seekers and the anti-racist and anti-fascist marches need to be able to defend themselves from attack. The fascists will use their fast moving hit squads to attack individuals or try to break up the activists so they become separated into smaller groups.
Where and when we demonstrate needs thoughtful preparation, what kind of space do we want, we should never let the fascists decide where a confrontation takes place. We need a wide discussion on how defeat the fascists. A key part of that is training in self-defence.
We need the fullest alliance of community groups and the unions, and that needs to happen as soon as possible. There were trade union speakers and representatives including from the RMT (transport), FBU (fire fighters), PCS (civil servants), UCU (universities), Liverpool TUC and Students of Alareer Square. But there needs to be greater numbers, the rank and file have to mobilise.
We must discuss how to protect marches, using scouts and how to proceed. When the ‘black- shirts’ were attacking the demo in Liverpool it took people by surprise and there was no defence. These people are committed to violence and terror, with escalating levels of violence – so we need to discuss carefully. Yesterday they threw bottles and bricks, set things alight, violently attacked people. Thus, we cannot stop our marches but must discuss how to build our defences and ensure the security of our communities.
Protection is also a political question. These people are not just thugs and purveyors of terror, their central characterisation is not that they are nasty and vicious people, but they are a class force doing a job for capitalism as it decays. The fascists want to build a force by attacking Muslims and immigrants now, to be able to face the working class and its organisations in the future, just as they do in France and Germany.
Labour will not defeat the fascists
At a Downing Street press conference on 1 August, Keir Starmer, Prime Minister acknowledged the far right was the issue, but he quickly changed the subject to the threat of ‘criminality’ and ‘thuggery’. Starmer wants to create a new national ‘capability’ across police forces to combat violent disorder across the “ideological spectrum”. [i]
Labour is using fascist violence in an attempt to legitimise the present anti-protest repressive powers. Starmer said it was, “A response both to the immediate challenge, which is clearly driven by far right hatred. But also all violent disorder that flares up.”[ii] These powers will not only be used against some racists and fascists. But against those who defend their communities.
On 2nd August David Hanson, Home Office minister “Some individuals will have far-right opinions, in my view, some might be caught up in the summer madness. Some might be people who’ve got genuine concerns. Whatever those concerns are, there are mechanisms where they can raise them with their member of parliament, they can peacefully protest and they can take those issues forward.”[iii]
So, as the far right and fascist terrorise the ordinary people on the streets, a Labour minister says the racists and fascists have legitimate concerns.
Crucial to understanding the attacks against Muslims and immigrants are decades of Tory and Labour removing the rights for asylum seekers, with the new Labour government starting by promising to begin mass deportations – with the same anti-immigration rhetoric and policies of the Conservative government.
Alongside this are 14 years of austerity, with cuts continuing and services being privatised. Child poverty has accelerated drastically most children living in poverty live in a household with adults working. This affects a diverse working class who are facing the cost-of-living crisis.
There is no lack of wealth in Britain. During the Tories’ time in office, the wealth of the country’s ten richest people alone grew from £47 billion to £182 billion, an increase of 281%. Removing the two child cap would cost £1.7 billion but Labour is keeping the Tory two-child benefit cap.
Rachel Reeves Chancellor of the Exchequer said that the top of her reasons for considering any pay rises was “the cost of industrial action”. That phrase shows the threat of industrial action as in the 2022/23 strike wave remains a powerful weapon. It shows that the working class has the power to defeat the big companies, governments, far right and fascist forces. The Labour government must repeal all anti-trade union laws.
Labour has to be replaced with a workers party that is deeply linked with the working class, all oppressed people and the youth. Such a party must aim for the nationalisation of services and that big companies come under the direct control of the working class. The fight to build a workers alternative is imperative, and the building of a revolutionary alternative must continue.
All immigrants are welcome here!
Build our self-defence!
Build a future for our youth – end precarious work! Nationalise big companies under workers!
[i] https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2024/aug/02/riots-southport-attack-far-right-keir-starmer-uk-politics-live
[ii] https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/aug/01/far-right-riots-keir-starmer-announce-new-violent-disorder-unit
[iii] https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2024/aug/02/riots-southport-attack-far-right-keir-starmer-uk-politics-live
